Getting Re-hired on Previous Floor?

[lizrn1214]

OK - So this is kind of a rant/what would you do situation.

When I graduated from nursing school in 2002, I got a job on postpartum (OB Acute as it was called). I loved the job. I always wanted to work in labor and delivery but they wanted people with more "critical care experience" and I didn't have it. About a year into the job in OB, we had a patient who had a post-op ileus and none of the nurses knew how to put an NG tube in. I was worried if I stayed there, I was going to end up losing a lot of my nursing skills. As much as I LOVED the mothers and the babies, I wanted to be fresh.

So I went to the ER. Fast forward. I stayed in the ER 10 years (at a level 1). I took a few years off - from 2012, finished my Bachelors (had an ADN), took care of my ill father, now I want to go back into nursing and I would love love to go back to Mom/Baby/Postpartum.

I had an interview with there (new nursing manager) and I felt it went great. She all but offered me the job. She was so pleased I had experience, I have since gotten married, am more religious, and I would love to have the opportunity to be in an environment that's all women-centered and generally a positive place. She told me she would call HR the next day and I would have a job offer - she couldn't make me the offer.

So when I was leaving I ran into a nurse I worked with there 13 years ago - exchanged the usual hi, how are you, how are your kids etc etc. So I never heard from the nursing manager, and I had also interviewed in the ER (again) where they offered me a position. Since I really really wanted the job in Postpartum, I followed up the following week - saying thanks for the great interview, I got another job offer so just wanted to see where we stood.

She said that after talking with some of the staff who knew me before - she didn't feel like I was a good fit. "They remember you as not being very professional" I was completely blown out of the water. I have NO idea what she was talking about. It lead me to think a LOT - was I unprofessional? I was a new nurse, working nights, dealing with being single and having small children. How was I not professional? If I wasn't professional, wouldn't my manager at the time have addressed it with me? I guess it's a moot point - she said she wouldn't want to put me in a position where I had to "prove myself" to anyone and I should take the other position.

Fellow Nurses - this really hurts. This is the job I really wanted. It's been a month and it still hurts. I want to go back and remind her that this Catholic Hospital (I'm not Catholic) was founded on principles of second chances and judge not less be judged and let-he-who-is-without-sin cast the first stone.

I don't know what these old nurses said, if they even remembered me (it was 13 years! I dont even remember their last names!) but it bothers me so much I can't get over it. I don't want to work in the ER again. This is the only hospital in the area. I loved this job. I've missed it for 13 years.

I hate that one person saying something would make a manager doubt a great candidate. I hate that one person can have such a control over the future of your life and your career choices. I hate it all. I'm so pissed and so upset and it's hard to just get over. Of course I didn't ask for the job back or anything else but I hate that someone would think badly of me after all these years.

What would you do? Would you have called HR? Filed a grievance or just let your dream job go and move on?

[cdsavannah59, CNA]

I've learned in the medical profession that it only takes one person who is a boss bestie to get you booted out of a job or written up so it goes in your employment file based on how the boss bestie personally feels about you instead of professionally. If you honestly don't recall unprofessional behavior on your part, then let it go and move on because it's just best to move on to new adventures.