leaving

NedRN · Dec 1, 2015

I would go to your manager and ask for a reference ASAP. I personally like to go as far upstream as possible, but in your case I think the manager is the most appropriate because it is the manager, not the director in direct authority over the charge nurse. He/she can gather information from your file (there will be evals from prior managers) and peers/charge. Most likely your manager would like to do an exit interview in any case. Be as professional as possible and be even handed. Tell the manager how much you have grown professionally at the hospital and what a great start to your career it has been. Tell the manager about your plans to give notice and your fears based on behavior witnessed last time you gave notice. Try not to make it a gripe session and be as objective as possible.

In any case, two weeks is not a long time to put up with poor behavior. Good practice for travel where you might land in a bad assignment and have to stick it out for 13 weeks. You might, depending on how your interview with the manager goes, request that he/she does not keep the charge in the loop about your notice and you would also have to keep quiet with your peers.

You do need two recent written references. You can get a second one from any charge - give this guy a chance, he may surprise you. Butter him up and tell him how much you have enjoyed working with him, and be prepared with a reference form - there are a couple available on PanTravelers for free download.

If you cannot find a charge nurse or higher to do a second good reference, what about your mentor/preceptor/educator? If you must, get one from a peer. A peer should make some narrative comments about skills and performance. Do you have a good relationship with a physician you work with? Those are fine too. I tend to think patient letters are not relevant as they cannot really evaluate you professionally, but if you are trying to puff up a slim work history, they do serve as evidence of client satisfaction - which is becoming much more important to hospital reimbursement these days.

8-ball, BSN · Dec 1, 2015

hmm I didn't think about docs I have many that really like me. I am using the reference forms from pantravelers for my ICU people but my IR situation is where I have concerns. I will try what you said though and see how it goes.

NedRN · Dec 1, 2015

If you have at least two references, that is all you need. You are IR and ICU? Your first assignment is cath lab and you already have the contract?

8-ball, BSN · Dec 2, 2015

I have ICU experience 2 years within the last 1.5 years and I currently work in IR. So I will be doing ICU mostly but an occasional IR position. I don't have an assignment yet but my recruiter says she can get me ICU as a first assignment and that will help me get later positions. I still float to ICU as well when they are short. No contract yet.

NedRN · Dec 2, 2015

2 years in the last 1.5 years? That's working hard!

Yes, I agree that first assignment will help get you on the road. I would suggest talking to other agencies as well. It is good to have a Plan B. It wouldn't be fun to give notice and the day before your assignment was to start and you have driven 2,000 miles for it to cancel.

8-ball, BSN · Dec 2, 2015

I have 2 years of ICU experience and it has been less than 1.5 years since I left it. I am working with a few agencies it just seems that 1 is working harder than the others. So I have a plan B and C but they just arnt as far along the plan A.

2 years ICU

1 year IR

2 years Med/surg/tele

NedRN · Dec 2, 2015

It might be a bit difficult but you should be employable as a traveler. Presentation will be important to get you past HR for the manager interview. I'd suggest taking the first offered assignment as long as you feel comfortable with the skills required. The next assignment will be easier to get.

8-ball, BSN · Dec 2, 2015

Are you saying difficult for ICU or in general? I was thinking Both IR and ICU were decent demand fields. I come from a well respected teaching hospital in the south (Vanderbilt). I loved being in the ICU it was just management that sucked and I only had 2 vacations approved in 2 years.

I did talk to my other recruiter today she was just waiting she said since I told her I wanted to wait till after the holidays for my first assignment. I guess she didn't realize I wanted to have something setup for immediatly after the holidays.

NedRN · Dec 2, 2015

Difficult generally based on your work history. Most facilities will want recent (in the last 12 months) experience in a specialty you have at least a year in. That means only IR qualifies. I don't mean to say you can't just jump into an ICU, obviously you do that with occasional per diem shifts. But HR isn't capable of recognizing that degree of subtlety generally. That is why presentation will count so heavily, or an agency's close relationship with the right facility.

8-ball, BSN · Dec 2, 2015

Ok I got what your saying now! Yes I have stressed to my recruiter that I want to be marketable for both which is why I want my first assignment to be ICU I am willing to go to any assignment if it can get me that imperative first ICU assignment.

NedRN · Dec 2, 2015

I think it is important here to have a good and experienced recruiter that can help get your profile past HR. Entry level may not cut it.

Alternatively, see if you can talk directly to the agency person handling a hospital account. (Forget completely about hospitals that use vendor managers). They actually serve as a roadblock to your profile if they think you are not qualified. They are the ones to tell you if the profile is fit to get past HR and the ones to talk to about all of these issues.

As one other possibility, forget about ICU. I don't know about current demand or pay for HR, but especially if you can start finding assignments that have some floating to cardiac and work your way into competency there, your career will likely be financially better than in ICU.

Forget about it if you don't like being on call though.