I'm a fairly new nurse. Worked in a post-acute-rehab for 3 months and went over to med-surg and had been at it for 1.5 years now.
I liked my job. I was very content with the pay, work load (VA did not under-staff and work us on skeleton crew like many places around here did), I like most of my co-workers, and for the most part, the patients are great (I'm a vet myself, I can identify with most of them).
However, recently I found out that the rest of my new grad peers got promoted and I didn't. My manager told me the reason the promoting committee didn't pass me for a few of the criteria/dimensions because I've "never precepted" and my "research did not impact the hospital". I was told there's really no point to rebuttal within 3 months. I asked for precepting opportunities ("I'm not sure if I'm ready to take on a new hire, but I would love to precept a nursing student when they come through!", and I was told I needed to take a preceptor class first.
Of course my other new grad peers got promoted without ever having to precept and conduct a research study that impact the hospital. Now I'm getting paid way less than my peers.
I don't think i'm a crap worker. And according to CNAs and some of the other nurses, I worked my ass off! I'm also fairly courteous toward everyone. I feel like the promoting committee had evaluated me based off of a set of different standards (I was the first of the new grads, came in a few weeks ahead of the others), and then changed their minds when they had gotten to the others.
And that preceptor stuff was bs too, because now I know half of the people who had done precepting had never gone to the class, including the 2 new grads who hated working on the floor and now had both left the hospital (you can tell they hate it too). And of course the class is very difficult to get in.
I was going to stick around the floor for at least a couple of years or so, but now I really want to leave because I feel that my work is not being valued.
There are also a couple of other things.... like I got denied of my supposedly $500 annual allowance to take nursing-related classes/events. And that I don't feel like I fit in because I'm like that ONE female nurse who is completely single and I get roughly joked on.
Am I being too brash wanting to jump into job search and just leave the VA med surg floor all together?
Libbyliberal: yeah the promotion is very political. it's all in the writings.
Hollybobs: Thanks. however I don't think the people who had decided not to promote me really care because in VA, we are judged by people who don't know us. people who actually know how we work are not allowed to be on the panel to judge your qualification on promotion. it is very backwards. But yeah, i might just suck it up and stay with the VA for 2 more years till i get my NP degree (2.5 years total). I have decided though, unless something drastic changes, I will NOT work for the VA as a nurse practitioner.
i'm sure my manager thinks i'm an idiot... today I called cardiology to verify some conflicting info about blood sugar before I sent pt down for stress test. manager walked by, heard 2 seconds of the convo, and thought i legitimately did not know about holding beta blockers and nitro before stress test and sent the assistant manager to talk to me. ***... i'm so insulted...
My dream job is to work for the VA so I would not leave because of what has been happening recently. It is unfair, but you are thinking about getting your masters and advancing anyways so in the long run this won't hinder you.
Hollybobs: Thanks. however I don't think the people who had decided not to promote me really care because in VA, we are judged by people who don't know us. people who actually know how we work are not allowed to be on the panel to judge your qualification on promotion.
I didn't mean those people! They are clearly uninformed. I meant everyone and anyone else. Sometimes good opportunities can come up as result of shining and performing well when you could become a bit (understandably) bitter and take everything to heart and stop enjoying your job.
Metalchild
37 Posts
Libbyliberal: yeah the promotion is very political. it's all in the writings.
Hollybobs: Thanks. however I don't think the people who had decided not to promote me really care because in VA, we are judged by people who don't know us. people who actually know how we work are not allowed to be on the panel to judge your qualification on promotion. it is very backwards. But yeah, i might just suck it up and stay with the VA for 2 more years till i get my NP degree (2.5 years total). I have decided though, unless something drastic changes, I will NOT work for the VA as a nurse practitioner.
i'm sure my manager thinks i'm an idiot... today I called cardiology to verify some conflicting info about blood sugar before I sent pt down for stress test. manager walked by, heard 2 seconds of the convo, and thought i legitimately did not know about holding beta blockers and nitro before stress test and sent the assistant manager to talk to me. ***... i'm so insulted...