How to get around a mediocre recommendation?

[wfperseus]

Hi -- I just finished my last clinical rotation in an ICU setting and am now applying for similar positions in area hospitals. For the clinical, I was assigned to a young nurse who had never precepted before. He seemed to be annoyed that I wasn't as proficient as he in bed baths, turning patients, etc. He even suggested that I get a job somewhere as a nursing assistant (even though he knew that I would be graduating within a month, have a mortage to pay, etc.).

I was very confused and hurt by this. I thought that I did a good job of holding my own in a fast-paced ICU setting, especially since I was given no formal ICU training (new staff go through a 6-mo. training course), and -- as a nursing student who was still in classes and working elsewhere part-time -- was on the floor maybe one or two days per week. Anyway, I interviewed 3 wks. ago for a position as a "new-grad ICU nurse" on that floor and haven't heard anything -- I'm assuming that they talked w/ him, and that he probably gave them a crappy review. I had asked him previously for a letter of recommendation, but he hesitated before finally agreeing that he'd email one to me -- he never did send me one, but told me to bug him if I really needed one.

To sum up, I feel kind of ashamed, and also pretty powerless since it seems that my hiring fate is in his hands. I should probably remind him again to send me a recommendation letter, but I'm wondering how I'll get around this in the future, especially since he's the only one who's seen me perform in an ICU setting -- he might feel that I'm "worthy" of working on a med/surg floor, but probably not in an ICU.

Thanks for letting me vent!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

three weeks is a long time not to have heard from them. you need to call back and talk to the person you interviewed with and ask if a decision was made about offering you a job. in fact, that should have been something you talked about at your interview. i wouldn't bring up anything negative about the nurse you precepted with. if there's one thing i've learned in my years of living, it's that there is no way to know what anyone is going to say or do. it's possible that your fate is more likely in the hands of what your nursing instructors had to say about you. they know you better than the preceptor since they've worked with you over several years. also, the job market is a lot tighter up in sf than it is down here in la and it may be that the hospital is just taking it's time and looking over a number of candidates.

don't put all your eggs in one basket. if i were you, i'd be out applying to several other icus and interviewing. first of all, it's good experience. secondly, it gives you a chance to see what other icus look like. don't depend on this preceptor for a recommendation if you don't feel so good about him giving you a good one. what your nursing instructors have to say about you should be sufficient for a recommendation.

i'm listing some links to sites that have questions commonly asked in interviews for your first nursing job as well as questions you should be asking as well. i know you'll be saddened to hear this, but sometimes it takes losing a chance at a job you really wanted to learn how to get a job in the first place. job hunting is not easy. you will learn something from every interview. so, get out there are start looking! good luck to you!

http://nursing.advanceweb.com/common/editorialsearch/aviewer.aspx?an=nw_06feb6_n3p9.html&ad=02-06-2006 - from the 2/6/06 issue of advance for nurses "the ideal job: what recruiters want". this article includes information on the questions you should ask the nurse recruiter.

http://www.hospitalsoup.com/interview-questions.asp - questions you'll be asked

http://www.hospitalsoup.com/employerquestions.asp - questions for nurses to ask employers during interviews

http://www.hospitalsoup.com/inappropriate-interview-questions.asp - inappropriate or unacceptable interview questions and what you should do if you are asked one of these

the main characteristics employers look for in professionals are:

• initiative - autonomy
  
• dynamism - energy
  
• responsibility
  
• orientation to the client and co-workers (ability to provide customer service)
  
• learning capacity
  
• productivity
  
• high adaptability - flexibility
  
• leadership
  
• team work
  
• tolerance to pressure
  
• analytic ability
  
• professional development

[llg, PhD, RN]

If you doubt this guy's ability to write a positive letter about you, then don't use him as a reference. I don't know of any reason you would have to use him. He was not your instructor -- not your professional teacher.

Seek recommendations from people with whom you had a more positive relationship -- preferably someone who is experienced in writing such letters, etc. A good choice would be to ask your school instructor, who has the experience to compare your performance with that of other new grads.

If you have good grades in school, I would also suggest submitting an official transcript as part of your application packet even if it is not required. Show that you were a good student.

One person's opinion doesn't have to carry all that much weight -- unless you let it by not submitting anything else.

llg