Get it in Writing! (vent)

[NorthER,RN]

hi. i just need a chance to vent - and to hear what other nurses have to say. i have been working in a small rural hospital in northern bc. i love the place and really enjoy the work in the er - have learned a lot, work with great staff, get all the overtime i could ask for, have a nice place to live, etc... i came here a year ago and thought that i would end up retiring here - yep, that nice - and quite a change for someone who has never lived at one address for longer than 3 years!

the job was a maternity leave placement - and the contract for it ended on august 2. since i began the job almost a year ago the don has promised that she would create or find a full time permanent position for me. for the first 6 months i didn't stress too much about it, but then each time that i saw her i began to ask what was happening, and of course the answer was always just what i wanted to hear... and then i asked for a new contract in writing - or at least evidence that there would be a permanent job to post for... nothing. it was as though i had left the planet.

so i looked around and applied for another position and got it - it's just an awesome job doing flight nursing in the north - the far north.

my written contract in the er came to an end on august 2nd - and i called to say that regardless of the 16 shifts that i had been booked for in august that i would not be able to work after the 2nd - if anything happened in the er any lawyer in the world would want to know why i was working if there wasn't even a contract between the hospital and myself. holy moly! so now, because i basically blackmailed them, i have a letter extending my contract until into september, and a job in the er has been posted - but it's only another 6 month position.

now i really feel that i have done my part to stay by encouraging my boss and her boss to find a way to keep me here as was promised! (we are ssssoooo short nurses - great if you want the big paycheques, but we are ssssssssooooo tired) but another 6 months of messing around trying to get into a permanent full time position is just going to make me even nuttier than i am right now - i haven't been sleeping well, i've been sad about leaving, and maybe a bit distressed about being lied to.

so now i need to prepare for the flight nursing position, pack and move on with my life and my don is annoyed because she feels that she has worked hard to keep me here.

i guess that the moral of this story for those people like myself who believe what they are promised when they accept a position is:

if anyone promises you something that you really think is important - especially when you first accept a job -

get it in writing!

no matter how nice the person is, how you're afraid that it might make you appear "pushy", and how concerned you are about offending the person making the promise,

get it in writing.

lesson learned and now i am off into the wild blue yonder - older and wiser.

[chattypattyCRNA2B]

Sorry about your experience. Will definitely take your advice and file it away for future use!

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

So sorry about your mishap. Hopefully when this contract ends you'll find something better. Are you sure you still would want to stay permanently after the way things have been? Good luck to you! :)

[paulacath]

I'm so sorry that you were treated like that!!! Sounds like they thought they could continue stringing you along :angryfire

The flight nursing position sounds exciting. Best of luck with it :)

[markjrn]

I feel for you. But think positive - at least you learned that lesson the first time. It took me twice.

I miss a position terribly that I had years back, and it just doesn't exist anymore. I've tried without success to find something comparable. It makes both the DW and my hearts heavy, but what can a person do but go on?

The new flight position sounds promising! :) You may learn to love it as much as the ER job. Give it a fair chance! Best of luck to you. :)