Mandatory Internal Transfer at New Job (sorry, really long!)

[jorjaRN]

A little background: I graduated in May 2009 with a BSN from a large university in the northeast. Even though I grew up in the south, when I graduated, I was hoping to find a job somewhere in that region, but despite looking from Baltimore to NYC (and everywhere in between) I found nothing for me as a new grad, anywhere. Eventually, for lack of other options, I applied to the small community hospital in my hometown. I got an interview there, and eventually offered a position on a telemetry floor. I had experience as an extern on a telemetry floor in the large teaching hospital where I also did all of my nursing clinicals, and I had some serious reservations about my personal ability to start my career in that kind of higher acuity area. I was also holding out for a new grad internship in the NICU in the hospital I did clinicals/worked in while in school, so I turned the position down after discussing my financial situation with my parents and deciding I should hold out a little longer for the chance to get started in an area I was really excited about.

Unfortunately, I didn't even get an interview for the NICU position, and I realized that I needed to start working somewhere or I was going to lose all of my skills (not to mention go broke). I called the HR contact I had worked with previously at the hospital in my hometown, and asked if there were any open positions still at that hospital. I pretty much told here the whole story, how I was hoping for the NICU position, as well as hoping to stay up north closer to my boyfriend, and that I didn't think that the telemetry position had been a good fit, but that I was hoping there might be something else that might be available that would be a better fit. She set me up with an interview on an ortho-med/surg floor, which I was excited about.

Well, I got the job, and while not in my ideal area or specialty, or where I really wanted to be as far as type of hospital or geographic location, I decided I would make the best of it and get some good experience under my belt. I ended up loving the floor, and really, really loving the people that I work with, so I've been enjoying my job a lot so far.

So here is the catch; In June, the hospital where I'm employed will be moving to a completely new facility they've been building for the past several years. As a result, several floors are combining and staff are being shuffled around. When I was hired, I was told there was a possibility I would not stay with the floor I was hired onto, which is combining with another to form a purely surgical unit. I was told, however, that none of these changes would take place until the "move", and I needed to take the job regardless, so I agreed.

Well, I was informed when I started orientation that I would be moving to the telemetry floor, which is, of course, exactly where I DIDN'T want to be. I sent an e-mail to my manager, asking if there was any possibility to staying on the surgical floor, but was informed there were no positions (meanwhile, several people that were hired after me were offered positions on that floor). Anyway, at this point I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I'll be headed over to telemetry, and have been trying to find positive things about it (they do every third weekend instead of every other, they have self-scheduling, etc). On a side note, my cousin, who I'm very close to, is getting married this summer, and there are several weekends where there are events (bridal shower, bachlorette weekend, etc). I had it worked out where people were covering for me if I was scheduled to work on those weekends, since I assumed my "weekend" would stay the same until June, when I would be transferring units.

Eventually, my manager informed us that she wasn't sure when we were going to be moved to new units, but that it was possible it would happen prior to the move. This past weekend, my manager sent out an e-mail saying we should all try to attend a "town hall" meeting about the move. Well, the meeting was scheduled for a day that I was off of work, and going to be out of town, and it wasn't mandatory, so I didn't go. I didn't receive any sort of memo about what was discussed during the meeting. One of the nurses who is also moving to another unit told me last night, that if we're moving, we going when the next schedule starts, which is at the end of April.

So now I'm in a position where I feel like I wasn't kept in the loop at all about this transfer, which I didn't even want to happen. I'm also wondering why in the world I was hired onto the unit I'm on now in the first place, oriented, and just when I'm getting into a groove and starting to feel even a little comfortable, uprooted to a new floor, where I'll be for six weeks or so before everything is tuned upside down again with the move to the new hospital. I'm also completely unsure of what my schedule is going to look like for the next couple of months, since I'll be back on orientation on the new floor, and I need to know so I can try to work out a way to have at least some of the weekend I need off covered.

I just feel like this was all handled pretty poorly, and I'm having a hard time thinking positive about this when I'm so frustrated with all these curveballs they keep sending my way. It's clear now that my manager knew for at least several weeks when we were going to be transferred, and despite me and other people asking for any information, kept us in the dark about what was going on.

Just needed to vent, and wonder if you guys think that I have a reason to be frustrated??

[Jokerhill]

Just needed to vent, and wonder if you guys think that I have a reason to be frustrated?

Yea, you do have reason to be frustrated.

I can't imagine how the transfer committee is feeling, there are so many details they are trying to cover for the logistics of a major move like this. I am sure they have some master plan that looks good on paper and counting staff like equipment moving them all around must not be easy, but the human factor when added in seems impossible for it to please everyone. I must say though that you when given/forced into an opportunity previously you were grateful in the end. "I ended up loving the floor, and really, really loving the people that I work with, so I've been enjoying my job a lot so far. " I hope you can do the same here, so I say try it you might just like it, and think of all the extra training your receiving along the way. Life is to short to worry about the things that have not happened yet, and worrying about something you don't think you will like is even lower on my list of things to worry about. It is kind of like being worried about being worried, you get all stressed out that you worry to much. You get to decide if your happy or not everyday you get up, if you don't get up then you can worry about being happy or not.

[ta102229]

I have been a nurse for 26 years and done LOTS of jobs. I have applied for some that I did not get. As I got older and more experienced I learned that when you don't get certain jobs, you need to understand and accept (hard though it may be) that the timing wasn't right, or it wasn't meant to be, for whatever reason. Yes, that is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. But it's really true.

I worked with a CNA once who wanted to go to Nursing School and work in NICU. I think the idea of doing specific things like that are a bit of a fantasy. The truth is at your experience level, you may not actually know where your gifts lie, and that you can get a lot out of working in other specialties. The experience and people you meet along the way will put you in good standing for other jobs that are desireable to you. Someday a NICU may have a position and prefer a NICU-experienced nurse and if there are none that apply, they may be willing to take someone with completely unrelated experience. But they will want someone who is smart, a team-player, good attendance, a good attitude, and all of those other things.... things you can obtain working anywhere.

Nursing is political. Period. Sometimes you have to play the game, and you do have to pay your dues, so to speak.... there are times when you can get those jobs right off the bat without paying the dues, but again, that is a timing matter. A year will go by FAST and you WILL be able to branch out. Get going on your journey and see where it takes you. Six or eight months from now you may have a totally different focus, or a completely new interest. :-)

[KateRN1]

You will be surprised how much your previous ortho/surgical experience will be valued on a tele floor, and likewise tele skills should you decide to move on after a while. This can be a blessing for you, if you allow it, or a curse. Your choice.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Since they have lied to you at least twice, i would be looking else where...

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I realize you are frustrated that some staff without as much experience as you are getting to stay on surgical, but I would bet money it's because they feel you would do a great job, and they have doubts about putting those new nurses on telemetry.

Rest assured that EVERYONE is having issues with the move. It's a huge cluster sometimes (who am I kidding- everytime), when moves happen and you just have to hold your breath and get through it. Individual preferences were thrown out months ago, so none of the issues you mentioned are personal. You are getting a huge reality shock. Before you make your move, be ready for cliquishness on your new floor that will last for a few weeks. Make an effort to help out unfamiliar coworkers. The sooner you make a good impression the faster they will like and accept you as part of their new team. Don't write anyone up for the first month, unless someone almost dies. Just mention it to the offending party. Everyone will be making mistakes, and wondering who they can trust.

If you don't like your new unit you can resign or put in for a transfer after the fact. You won't be the only one- there will be a huge staff shuffle as everyone finds their place. If you leave, or kick up a huge fuss, before the change it will be very un-PC. Put all your time off requests in writing and send them through channels. Assume nothing will be the same. Make sure you get education on reading monitors before you are responsible for them. Maybe talk to the telemetry manager ahead of time about a class for all the new staff (great brownie points!).

[jorjaRN]

I have been a nurse for 26 years and done LOTS of jobs. I have applied for some that I did not get. As I got older and more experienced I learned that when you don't get certain jobs, you need to understand and accept (hard though it may be) that the timing wasn't right, or it wasn't meant to be, for whatever reason. Yes, that is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. But it's really true.

I worked with a CNA once who wanted to go to Nursing School and work in NICU. I think the idea of doing specific things like that are a bit of a fantasy. The truth is at your experience level, you may not actually know where your gifts lie, and that you can get a lot out of working in other specialties. The experience and people you meet along the way will put you in good standing for other jobs that are desireable to you. Someday a NICU may have a position and prefer a NICU-experienced nurse and if there are none that apply, they may be willing to take someone with completely unrelated experience. But they will want someone who is smart, a team-player, good attendance, a good attitude, and all of those other things.... things you can obtain working anywhere.

Nursing is political. Period. Sometimes you have to play the game, and you do have to pay your dues, so to speak.... there are times when you can get those jobs right off the bat without paying the dues, but again, that is a timing matter. A year will go by FAST and you WILL be able to branch out. Get going on your journey and see where it takes you. Six or eight months from now you may have a totally different focus, or a completely new interest. :-)

I completely understand that I need to start somewhere, and like I said, I've been really enjoying where I am right now and think I'm getting great experience. I'm in no big hurry to specialize. My issue is more with the fact that I got hired to work on a floor where they knew there weren't going to be positions in less than three months, and now I feel like I'm going to have to start over from square one, not once, but twice within the next six months.

So, in my first year of nursing, I will have essentially worked on three different floors. It's just been stressful to have to deal with all of these changes right as I'm starting to get comfortable with what I'm doing. Also, I feel the least they could have done would be to keep me informed with all of this instead of blindsiding me ( and everyone else) three weeks before it happens.

[fungez]

Yup, they did you wrong. Ideally, they should have been upfront about things, but in my experience, managment thinks nurses are expendable and replaceable (and I guess right now they're correct.) Keep your head down, gain some experience in tele, and keep looking for that NICU job. Don't get discouraged. You'll probably do lots of different things in your career before your done, and in a while this whole thing will be a blip on the radar. I wish you all the best.

[Quidam]

As you previously stated, there are not many jobs available where you are. Realistically, what are your options? While not an ideal situation, this sounds like a prime opportunity to gain experience and become a more well rounded nurse. I think I understood that the aquity of the tele patients bothered you...but new nurses start out in tele all the time. Get a good EKG interpretation book, ask if the hospital offers a class. If you want to stay in that geographical area, and there are no other positions available to you, make the best of things. It is so much better than being layed off. Try to FIND some positives and focus on them. There are plenty of negatives I realize. If nothing else this can help you learn to roll with the punches. Sometimes that is just what you have to do. Good luck though, with whatever you do.