Have you ever been hired for one job, but then ended up doing something completely different?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.
Have you ever been hired for one job, but then ended up doing something completely different?

Has anyone ever been hired for a job, only to find that they end up doing something else completely different?

I just recently started a new position. When I was hired, I was told that my focus would be admissions and assessments. What they failed to mention was that most of my days would be spent stocking and reordering meds. I typically can't get much of anything else done due to how long the task of "medication management" takes me.  

In fact, the LPN supervisors are doing way more of the assessments and admissions than I am. They're also doing the majority of the order entry while I go around and stock lockboxes with medications. Stocking meds takes at least 4 hours of my day, but there's no help to be found to assist with it. 

They had no problem asking me to come in as a med tech over the weekend, however,  and have me take Monday off instead. I had declined, because there was an admission on Monday in home health care that I needed to be there for. It was on Monday that I found out that I didn't necessarily need to be there for that, because it turns out they had lied. The LPN Supervisor over in home care will primarily be doing those admissions. And since home care gets more admissions than memory care or assisted living, she will be the one doing the most admissions, not me. The only reason they had me do any admissions at home care was so that I could fill in for her as needed, not so I could do all of them. As a side note, that supervisor also has way fewer meds to manage and somehow she's able to delegate that to the aides without getting in trouble.  

Seems to me like the LPNs are getting all of the duties I thought I would have. For some reason, the RN Manager role is being used as a dumping grounds position.   Anyway, I'm feeling screwed over because I was obviously hired to be taken advantage of, not because they thought I had anything to add or contribute.  

Anyone else experience something similar?

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

LPNS can not admit patients to a Medicare certified home health agency that is billing Medicare or Medicaid due to CMS regulations.

If this is a home care agency providing just personal care, companionship, assistance with ADL's, etc. ,  LPNS can perform admissions.

Did you check your state assisted living regulations regarding medication administration?  What is the scope of practice for LPN's in your state?

 In my area, Assisted living facilities encourage their patients to use a pharmacy that provides blister packs or daily dose packaging of medications -- eliminates need for med box refills saving staff time for more important work.   LPN's at my Dad's facility did prefill med boxes for those not setup with  prefilled system if cost a factor.   Since Dad only had 3  daily meds, they took from bottles that I obtained monthly from pharmacy as retirement pharmacy benefit did not cover blister packs 5 years ago when he was in ALF dementia unit care.

Where is YOUR copy of this position description?  Time to sit down with management and review job description and current expectations to decide if you want to stay or move on.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
SilverBells said:

Has anyone ever been hired for a job, only to find that they end up doing something else completely different?

I just recently started a new position.  When I was hired, I was told that my focus would be admissions and assessments.  What they failed to mention was that most of my days would be spent stocking and reordering meds.   I typically can't get much of anything else done due to how long the task of "medication management" takes me.  

In fact, the LPN supervisors are doing way more of the assessments and admissions than I am.  They're also doing the majority of the order entry while I go around and stock lockboxes with medications.   Stocking meds takes at least 4 hours of my day, but there's no help to be found to assist with it. 

They had no problem asking me to come in as a med tech over the weekend, however,  and have me take Monday off instead.  I had declined, because there was an admission on Monday in home health care that I needed to be there for.   It was on Monday that I found out that I didn't necessarily need to be there for that, because it turns out they had lied.   The LPN Supervisor over in home care will primarily be doing those admissions.  And since home care gets more admissions than memory care or assisted living, she will be the one doing the most admissions,  not me.  The only reason they had me do any admissions at home care was so that I could fill in for her as needed, not so I could do all of them.  As a side note, that supervisor also has way fewer meds to manage and somehow she's able to delegate that to the aides without getting in trouble.  

Seems to me like the LPNs are getting all of the duties I thought I would have.   For some reason, the RN Manager role is being used as a dumping grounds position.   Anyway, I'm feeling screwed over because I was obviously hired to be taken advantage of, not because they thought I had anything to add or contribute.  

Anyone else experience something similar?

I agree that your current duties do seem to be managerialyou are learning that admissions, discharges etc can and should be done but nursing staff not nurse manager's. Nurse manager's manage and delegate. Ordering meds and retsocking carts are delegatable tasks. Perhaps its time to review your job description with whoever hired you. Boundaries are the most important part of management.

Hppy

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Many times, I have been so fortunate in my career.

For example, back in '93, I was requested to be a NS in a HH agency to manage Peds cases and SNV but ended up spending the majority of my time setting up and supervising an at-home MH program.

So, yeah SilverBells, I was hired for one position and ended up with many more responsibilities.

It all came out in the wash, because a couple of years later, I was given a "lateral move", as the team manager on an involved case, which was eventually going to be "out the door" when the case ended.

My pride was hurt and I made a big stink about the lateral move out the door. Looking back from my current perspective, I wish I would have just been thankful for the experience which was, generally, great.

But- live and learn.

Or live and make the same stupid mistakes again,

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Any update?

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Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.
NRSKarenRN said:

Any update?

Not a whole lot has changed.  It turns out that an RN legally needs to be managing the meds in assisted living, so that's why, as the only RN, I've been assigned that.  Unfortunately, it is not going well. There were a couple of medication errors (meds were available, but staff couldn't find them, so the residents didn't receive them) and multiple complaints from staff regarding certain things.  

Other responsibilities are now being assigned to different people.  They were going to have me approve time cards, but that's now being reassigned to the HUC/Staffer.   The LPNs are now basically doing all the assessments; my main role is just signing off that they're complete.  The LPNs are doing all of the skin checks, orders, most of the calls to the providers, etc.  Almost all computer or paperwork related tasks are being assigned to them.  They have no problem assigning me to train caregivers or be on call, however. I left staff education for a reason, but they don't seem to get that. 

Also, I feel like the med management has replaced my COVID testing.  I hated COVID testing and I hate medication management.  I've just been feeling a lot of anxiety lately, and not feeling like I found the fit I'm looking for. 

I've started drinking Diet Pepsi again, though, so it's possible that's not helping either.  

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Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.

Seems like I've moved backwards.  I'm now back to 14+ hour workdays and 10 Diet Pepsis a day. 

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Specializes in oncology.
SilverBells said:

The LPNs are now basically doing all the assessments; my main role is just signing off that they're complete.  The LPNs are doing all of the skin checks, orders, most of the calls to the providers, etc

Is this part of the LPN Nurse Practice Act for your state?

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
SilverBells said:

Seems like I've moved backwards.  I'm now back to 14+ hour workdays and 10 Diet Pepsis a day. 

There's an old saying that states "No matter where you go there you are." This scenario will continue to happen until you learn to set boundaries. Did you review your Job description before hire so you knew what you were getting in to?

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