Karma Kicks back or I was eaten as a student

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I thought many times about posting this story, but it returned to haunt me recently.

It was the early 1990s. I was an unmarried woman, raising a child, working fulltime for the most part, and going to nursing school. During my final year, I, like many students, became a student nurse tech, which paid more than my office manager job, was more compatible with school hours, but had no benefits. I like many of us prayed, get me through this last job, impress someone, get my job, finish school before anything happens to screw up my life.

I worked hard as a tech, I wanted desperately to be an Oncology nurse. As it happened, at the facility that I worked, there was no dedicated Onco unit, but those pts got sent to the M/S 5th floor, well reknown as the armpit of the hospital. And as the lowest float tech, I got sent there ALOT!!!! During that time, I met a senior nurse named Marilyn, and through her found out that they were starting an Onco unit. Marilyn was impressed with me, and mentored me. And I worked hard because I wanted that Onco position.

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Now, understand that my Nursing School, unfortunately, like so many Nursing schools, had a lot of cliques: the cute young thing clique, the married parent clique, the grown children clique, the single parent working/nonworking clique, etc. - people who grouped together because of shared experience. I was always at work/school and lived far enugh away that I spent little time hanging with my fellow students - MISTAKE #1

And unfortunately, I had made some very good grades in the two big "fail out" courses in NS. And as we returned our papers, after reviewing them by passing them down the row, others tended to "know" your grades - MISTAKE #2

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Well, my final semester of nursing school rolls around, and got assigned to a brand new clinical instructor, and within two weeks found that she was one of the more picky graders. We in her clinical group had to write care plans twice as long as any other group to get a passing grade. But no matter, because I almost finished.

When it came to my required minipracticum, I requested Oncology, and two alternates...and I happily got Oncology. Not only did I get oncology, but I also got a preceptor that I just adored, and Marilyn was the new nurse manager. Life couldn't get any better.

One of the final assignments was my case study. We were not permitted to copy chart materials (age of no computers and no HIPAA, but confidentiality rules even then.) so we had to handwrite all the data. Some fellow students and I were working busily away in a corner, writing data, when one of them, also a student tech there decided that he knew where there was copier and that he would copy his data, to save time. He offered to do that for all of us, but I declined saying that it was not permitted. MISTAKE #3.

The next week between classes, One of the students asked me if I told, because "Greg" thought I was a Goodie Two Shoes, and teacher's pet, and Greg was worried that I might have turned him in. I said no, because I didn't, and that I knew better than to screw myself over with my classmates.

And you know what comes next......during one of the classes, one of our nicer instructors announced that she had heard that students were copying chart materials, and that it was against our policies.

If looks could kill, I would be dead.

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So I finish and go into my minipracticum, out of the cliquishness of NS. And find that my prospective preceptor had had a ruptured appendix and that I was reassigned....to a classmate that had graduated the term before, and who did not like me....AT ALL!!!!. She had best friend, and the regular charge nurse "Janet". These two nurses proceeding to nitpick, belittle, pick apart every single thing I did as a SN. There was another Senior nursing student there, and they made a point of giving her more time, more explanation and easier assignments. "Janet always said it was because I was "so smart".

I could not understand why they were so nasty to me....until:

One day, Janet wanted to go home and the floor needed to low census staff. Technically she was supposed to stay with the other senior student, but my preceptor would cover both of us, against policy. Whereupon, the staff nurses stood in a little group whispering, then Janet came to me, shook her finger in my face, and said "And you better not tattle on it".

I found out later that they were all buddies of Greg's.

I barely passed my minipracticum and I cried every day of it. But I finished nursing school. However, I did not get my position on Oncology - that was probably for the best as they would have made my life miserable. I also had trouble, despite my good record, getting other positions in the facility. I finally ended up on another MedSurg/ID unit that was a serious armpit, and served two years before moving on to a better environment.

I never found out who told on Greg, and caused me to be treated as a pariah.

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In 2004, I return to a different facility in the area as a traveler. I am the local girl made good, having worked at several world class cancer centers, and am down repairing damage to Mama's house.

I go in on my first day on the floor, fresh out of orientation, and am told that I need to get report from a nurse. Whereupon someone snorts and trashes a bit on the nurse going off duty. I think nothing of it ....

and then.........

I hear the voice.

I weigh more now, I have a different hair color, and I hope to G-d that she does not recognize me.

You never forget the person that spent that much time ruining my life.

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I got through assignment and kept quiet. She never gave any indication of knowing me. But other nurses trashed on her something serious.

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It is 2010. I have moved close to 1000 miles from home. I am working for one of the greatest and most respected hospitals in the World (not nation but world). I am working a very specialized unit, unique and not available in many facilities. I love my coworkers. It is high stress. And we currently have many nurses out maternity leave.

So I go in to work, and someone says, "We have a new traveler, and she says that you look familiar".

Does anyone want to take a guess who it was?

After the charge says her full name, I feel myself get a little shaky, and turn color, my chg asks me what is wrong and I tell him not tell anyone.

And later, my manager asks me where I know her. And I verbally tapdance my way through meeting her in 2004, omitting the earlier meeting.

She needs to pass/fail on her own.

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Things did not go well for Janet. But she fouled it up on her own. I didn't "poison the water" for her, though tempting as *%^&, it was. First her company fouled the paperwork. Then they screwed up her housing, and then when she oriented, she just wasn't "getting it". They cancelled her. I could say That I am sad for her, but I would be lying.

Karma kicks *#@

[ohgoodnessgracious]

Interesting how things work out sometimes, huh? In any case, I'm glad you were the better person and stuck it out there :)

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

Long, but good story.

[Batman25]

Karma really can be a beautiful thing. lol

[Miss_Piggy.RN]

.... all I can say... I love your story! :)

[ONCRN84]

Funny how life works out, isn't it? I had a terrible preceptor my last semester of nursing school. I cried a lot. I doubted myself as a future nurse. She was an NP student at the time.

She graduated her program, but was never able to pass boards to get licensed.

[NC Girl BSN]

So true! I believe this with all my heart. I am a new grad and I had a experiences nurse that would make it a point to call me out in front of other nurses when I made a mistake that didn't even concern her. I wanted to go to the manager but I chose not to because I didn't want to make it worse. Soon after this, she was suspended for over a week because narcotics were missing out of the pixis and she had some in her system. Everyone on the unit was talking about it for days. It humbled her alot when she came back and needless to say, she keep her mouth shut about mistakes that other people made. It was a sweet "What goes around,comes around" moment.

[StrwbryblndRN]

Great story!

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

omg!!! something similar happened to me through nursing school, working as a tech, and working as a as a new nurse (in fact, haters are the reason i did not land my first ed job right out of school). to make a long story short, recently i was thinking about how one over comes the lies and jealously of others without lowering themselves to that level... i am so happy you were so blessed!!! i too do not poison waters against others even though i want too! for example, there is a co-worker of mine from the same school i graduated from who has brought drama to my new place of work. she is friends with just about everyone that wishes ill will of me!!! i do not talk to her outside of work business for that very reason. however, i know she spreads lies about me and is poisoning my new waters. therefore, it is nice to read your story and know that the haters will get theirs in the end! all i have to do is continue to do my job and do it well..... thank you!

[Mandylpn]

here's what i have learned in my nursing career: the 'nursing world' is very small. you never know who you may run into again. never burn bridges!

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Love it. Karma's a jewel sometimes.