How should I deal with this situation that I am in?

Hi, I just finished my first year of nursing school, and I also sent in an application for a possible nurse extern position at a local hospital 4 weeks ago.

I called human resources today, and talked to one of the representatives who works at human resources. It seems my application has been bounced around to another department, the labor and delivery department. I applied for Med-surg by the way.

I called the human resources again, I was told that my application was sent to L&D because they were hiring there. I dont to work at L&D, I want to start at Med-Surg. I asked the person on the other side of the phone and said, "Is there anyway I can get a hold of the Unit Manager for the Med-Surg Unit" She paused and told me that unit manager in that hospital don't like to be bothered. And she gave me a bunch of mumbo jumbo that I couldn't even comprehend, how my application will be sent to the nurse director, the director who oversees blah blah blah.

The delimma is that I can't get a hold of the unit/dept manager for the med-surg unit. That lady said, "unit managers don't like to be bothered". She wont even give me the number to call. She made a bunch of excuses. Furthermore, my application is not even with the med-surg unit manager, it's with the L&D unit manager.

I'm not sure if I should call human resources again and ask if I can get the number or connect me to the unit manager at the med-surg unit so I can speak in person. I just want to verify with the dept. manager at the med-surg unit if they are hiring. If not, then I'll just move on. But that lady wont even connect me to the unit manager. Should I give another call and if so, how should i approach it when I call asking for the unit managers number?

[hikernurse]

Just go through the switchboard and bypass HR. Somebody should know the name of the med-surg unit manager.

Sometimes HR can be a little, ummm, difficult to work with.

[Animaniacs, BSN, RN]

switchboard

What is the switchboard and how/where can I go to access it?

Thanks for the reply. I have another application I am working on for another hospital in a med-surg unit also. I just want something to fall back on just in case. But I won't give up on that other application until I get a hold of the manager, lol.

geeeeeeeeez.

[zambezi, BSN, RN]

I agree, bypass HR, they are usless a lot of the time (at least where I work). The best thing to do is to talk directly with the manager of the units that you want to apply to. Give each manager a resume. Make sure that HR also has a copy of your resume/application/etc too. Try to set up a meeting, or at least show the manager that you have an interest in the unit. To get to the switch board, call the main line of the hospital (in the phone book or online)...you can possibly find out the managers name online as well. IF not, just call that main line and ask for the extension to the med surg (or the floor name/number) manager...it should get you where you need to be.

Good Luck

[chattypattyCRNA2B]

What is the switchboard and how/where can I go to access it?

Thanks for the reply. I have another application I am working on for another hospital in a med-surg unit also. I just want something to fall back on just in case. But I won't give up on that other application until I get a hold of the manager, lol.

geeeeeeeeez.

Is the HR department in another location other than the hospital? If not, just dial the Main hospital number NOT HR and ask for the med-surg dept or ask first who is the manager of that dept. and ask them if they would switch you.

[student4ever]

The switchboard is the people who sit in a room and answer the calls to the main hospital phone number and connect them with the department or patient room the caller wants to reach. Otherwise known as the operator. They have a list of unit managers, administration folks, and usually page the on-call doctors who are needed to consult or verify orders for their patients. The operator/switchboard is USUALLY very helpful, but in my experience, call early in the morning when they're not as busy, or they're likely to connect you without verifying who you want to speak with. They've mistakenly connected me to the wrong place more than once. Good luck! I agree to go through the operator and bypass HR, because they can be a pain you know where!