How do I stop being looked over?

Published

  1. What do I do?

    • 8
      Just apply and see what happens
    • 3
      Talk to my manager first and see my options
    • 1
      Just keep with the status quo and don't rock the boat
    • 2
      Apply but look for a new job if I'm overlooked again

14 members have participated

Specializes in Cardiology.

I work at a very large hospital on a 28 bed telemetry unit. I work night shift on the weekend (sat, sun, mon). I'm The dedicated relief charge nurse because usually we need it On The weekend. I'm The most senior member on nights and I'm about 3 months away from having 2 years experience. About 5 months ago a charge position and open on nights but my NM said I didn't have enough experience. The thing that confused me is that I have been doin this role since I was only six months out of school! Instead they hired someone with tins of charge nurse experience but absolutely no cardiac experience. Now both of the dedicated charge nurses are leaving and I'm the most senior membER on nights. I've never been seriously reprimanded, except for small staffing issues and when I ask for feedback I'm always told I'm doing good. That's where me confusion lies. I want go apply but I'm scared my manager will just shoot me down again. Should I just apply to show her I'm interested or should I speak with her first to see where her thought process is? Also, to add insult to injury when these charge nurses leave, I'm scheduled as charge indefinitely. So what do I do?

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"Because I have had a year's worth of charge nurse experience on the night shift, and once the other charge nurses leave I will be charge nurse until such time as the position is filled permanently, I would like to apply for the permanent position."

See what is said.

If you are in a union, then seniority can count for something.

If you really like your weekend position, and you don't think that weeknights are going to be good for your life, then I would stay exactly where you are. Weekend only positions are hard to come by, and if you are already charge on your weekend, I am not sure if you would want to have an alternate schedule. Unless you are sick of working only weekends. Then that is a different issue all together.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
If you are in a union, then seniority can count for something.
OP is in North Carolina according to post tags, so I can 100 percent guarantee he/she is not in any union whatsoever.

I would have a heart-to-heart talk with the manager to elicit her opinion on what exactly you'll need to do to become a competitive candidate for the dedicated charge nurse role. Have a meeting of the minds. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

union and seniority - as this example shows, seniority does not equate best person for the job. My advice is to try for the job and if that does not work GET OFF NIGHTS. Night nurses tend to be looked over as the people who make decisions all work days. Not the way it should be, just the way it is. If this job does not pan out I recommend transfer to another department. It will take you longer to establish yourself at a new facility. Consider being a BLS or ACLS or other type of instructor. Find out what you can volunteer to do that would bring you recognition. Make yourself valuable to the company.

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Specializes in ICU.

If you are working weekend nights, they probably like you just where you are. I don't know if this charge nurse position you want is the exact same schedule or not, but I can tell you that it is hard to hire people for a strictly weekend night shift position. If this charge nurse position is during the weekday nights, that might be why they want you to stay put.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't it seem like something is wrong if the most senior staff member has only been there for a year and nine months?

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Specializes in ICU.
Please correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't it seem like something is wrong if the most senior staff member has only been there for a year and nine months?[/quote']

It does indicate a possible problem. I've been working on my unit for about 14 months, and I'm getting closer and closer to the top of the list in my unit as well. I'm also being called on to take more and more responsibility, including charge duty, telemetry superuser (we got a new system recently), and my manager keeps pushing me to take on more things.

The point to all of this is that I feel like I'm in a similar position to the OP. My sympathies to you, bug2621! I think that if I were you, I would apply one more time for the charge position, then start looking to transfer.

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They want to keep you where you are because it is convenient for them.

Try one more time through the "traditional pathways" to advance, then go to HR or your nurse recruiter and ask for feedback. In the meantime, update your resume and get your feelers out there.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Infection Control, Med/Surg, LTC.

Seniority counts for nothing anymore. Three of the six hospitals in my area have cleaned house recently: they went through and fired all senior staff: nursing, housekeeping, dietary, etc. Make too much money, at the top of the pay scale. Knew a housekeeping supervisor, been at the facility for 37 years, age 57, fired. This is a will to work state -they don't need any excuse or reason. So, don't put much stock in seniority. Also, I've been overlooked for a position simply because they had a nurse that everyone else refused to work with but she got along with me and respected me and they wanted to keep me where I was. Worked out though, the next position I applied for I got and it took me out of the nursing dept, made me a dept manager and was fun and interesting for 19 years.

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