Is it even worth it?

[Orientedindependent]

Hi all,

I've been working in a surgical ICU for the last 18 months. It's a well known fact the leadership team on this particular ICU is bad, but silly me coming from an inpatient but non-ICU background wasn't aware of this at my time of application. Just your usual stuff that makes it bad, punitive assignments, picking favorites for job progression and challenging sick assignments, speaking up leads to repercussions with your schedule being changed to awful turnarounds between nights and days.

I came into this unit with a few years experience in med/surg, charge trained, higher 'nursing level' etc.

Nitty gritty: In the most recent months I've switched to a contract to work a specific split of days/nights between a specific window (i.e., only nights, only weekends Friday-Monday, etc). I'm still a FTE, but for school reasons could not take the constant flipping of shifts and asked my manager for this route which he agreed to. In my institution our leadership team has specific responsibilities; one does scheduling, one oversees staff education, one does auditing, one does care coordinating. They're all best friends of course, they like to sit in a circle in their office when the unit is falling to piece and talk about the staff they don't like (according to our APPs who share their office). I recently got my schedule in which my shifts have been changed to outside of my mutually agreed upon scheduling window for each week. I'm contracted to only work xyz shifts, the leader who does the scheduling is aware, she was in the meeting with my manager where this contract was decided. I got moved anyway, which I'm unavailable to work because of school commitments. So I sent an email to her (none of these people are here working when I work because they only work two days a week) and have yet to get a reply (despite the fact she has replied to other people I'm working with on the same day who also sent her emails). I'm not even sure she is allowed to do this since the contract outlines when I am available to work. If worse comes to worse, yes, I can switch my schedule, but this shouldn't be happening.

Second, I'm being held back from progressing with no documentable reason as to why. In order to progress where I work and take on more complex patients there are classes we have where you are introduced and educated on the different devices that we get transferred here. In the past I have been unable to attend these classes due to scheduling issues (meaning that I was scheduled to work on the days the classes were being offered). Once or twice I understand, staff is needed. But this has happened far beyond the point to be considered coincidence. Also, staff who just started but happened to be friends with this particular nurse leader are now FULLY device trained, despite having no surgical ICU experience.

I asked if I found coverage for the few hours if I could attend the classes and was told no. I didn't think to ask further at the time. There are now two classes coming up that I am available on and yet I'm not in the class. I sent an email asking if I could be in it, and was told no. I want to address this with the educator face to face and ask why but she only works weekdays so it won't be until later this week. I would probably understand why if there was a reason behind it, but to the best of my knowledge there have been no issues with me and my care. It drives me nuts to see a new grad with less than a year of experience under their belt after orientation being able to get device trained while I can't and am being kept in the dark as to why. I'm aware 18 months is not a long time at all for an ICU career, who am I to be asking for this job related progression but if a new grad is allowed to do it I definitely should be able to as well.

These are just two incidents that happened to me, there are a number of different things that happen on a regular basis that concern me about this unit. New graduates are taken off of orientation two months early when they clearly aren't ready and then put a huge strain on experienced staff to not only care for their own patient but the new graduates' as well. Weekends are always super well staffed because the nurse leaders are on call yet there are weekdays where we have half the number of staff we need in order to safely run the unit, and these are the days no nurse leaders are scheduled and we don't have anyone on call. Nurse leaders will schedule themselves for 12 hour shifts on the floor when really they're teaching clinical on the unit across the hall for another institution but apparently that counts as their required 'on the floor' hours.

While writing this I'm starting to wonder what is the point? Should I even speak up and say anything or try to fight to progress in this unit? Is it worth it? So many people have left because of the incidents they've had with this particular leadership team and their treatment of staff. I don't want to get into details too much because I want to stay anonymous, but I wonder if this isn't even worth my time. Not to mention my speaking out against the education coordinator will likely result in repercussions in my patient assignments and work schedule.

Is it just time to consider another place?

[seaofclouds21, BSN, RN]

It definitely sounds like there are some organizational issues. There should be someone on call 24/7 that you can reach out to when needed. I'm curious, what are you going to school for? I ask because, if you are going to school for something that is going to lead to you leaving the unit, they may not want to train you knowing you are going to be leaving sooner than later.

[cleback]

Personally, it would not be worth it to me. Sounds like the "leadership" group is trying their best to push you out, and the manager is ok with it. You could fight these individual battles, but you probably won't win the war unless something drastic happens (someone leaves or gets pressure from above). Anyway, I would not want the constant trying to fighting for hours, education, everything... would not be worth the stress and could only hinder your career.