Need Advice

RN123456789 · Oct 11, 2004

Hi All, I am experiencing a great dilema. Here is my story. After getting my license, I was fortunate enough to get a job in Maternity. When I was hierd, the nurse manager told me that she needed me for L&D, which I was very excited about. However, when I got there, they told me they were trying something different and that I was going to precept in pp and nursery. So I was not too happy about this change but rolled with it anyway. Then to make thing's worse, I had to share my preceptor with another new grad. PP seemed worse then some of the med-surge floors, with increase c-sections. After only a few weeks on the floor, I was resonsible for 3 to 5 patients, not including the babies, and was always asked to take another from the back every day. The floor was so physically demanding, that I exacerbated my bad back. I realize that all floors are like that, but I also had a very discouraging person asking me all the time, if I had regretted my decision of coming to L&D. This person was also my L&D instructor. I would always say no, until one day, when I has having a very bad day, I said yes, today I do. So after great deliberation, I resigned and went into Early Intervention. Which I thought was going to be a great move. The pay was 32$/hour. However, I found out differently. First of all it was fee for service, which really stonk! I was promised 25-30 hours, and was lucky to get 15. One day I worked from 8 am to 7 pm, and only got paid for 3 hours. There was no paid orientation and mandatory non-paid meetings every week. And to top it all off, I had to wait 4 weeks for my first pay check, and only recieved half of what they owed me! And not to mentioned having to go into countless low-income housing projects. Now I am finding that I can not get a job out side of the hospital setting because of lack of experience. The whole thing is very upsetting, and I don't know what to do next. I have been doing some flu vaccination clinics, but now they are being cancelled because of the shortage. I really miss my L&D job. But, I don't feel pyhsically able to handle it some times. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have a job interview next week with a day care setting. Working there would probably be less physically stressful, but what about experience for later on? I am soo very confused about what to do. I think my dilema is that no place else around here seems to want to hire new grads in L&D, so do I go crawling back to my old NM, and beg for my job back? They did invest 5 weeks of trainning into me. I am afraid of the response that I will get. Maybe working the night shift would be better?

merricat · Oct 11, 2004

First of all it was fee for service, which really stonk! I was promised 25-30 hours, and was lucky to get 15. One day I worked from 8 am to 7 pm, and only got paid for 3 hours. There was no paid orientation and mandatory non-paid meetings every week. And to top it all off, I had to wait 4 weeks for my first pay check, and only recieved half of what they owed me!

i would call bureau of labor and industry and find out if how they are paying you is legal. to me it sounds really iffy. labor and industry is state dept so will most likely be in blue pages of phone book under state listings. also, when someone owes you money and does not pay you? states have laws about that. in some states if they owe you money they must pay you within three days or receive penalty of three times what they owe. the penalty goes to you. labor and industry is not always great about helping but sometimes if you talk to someone sympathetic from there they can turn you on to a good atty. one time i got introduced to a literally famous atty only because i happened to know someone who knew her, her scruffy buddy, and she tried to help me with some stuff. so if you have any atty friends maybe you could mention whats going on even if is not their specialty. sorry if this advice is too obvious.

merricat · Oct 11, 2004

First of all it was fee for service, which really stonk! I was promised 25-30 hours, and was lucky to get 15. One day I worked from 8 am to 7 pm, and only got paid for 3 hours. There was no paid orientation and mandatory non-paid meetings every week. And to top it all off, I had to wait 4 weeks for my first pay check, and only recieved half of what they owed me!

i would call bureau of labor and industry and find out if how they are paying you is legal. to me it sounds really iffy. labor and industry is state dept so will most likely be in blue pages of phone book under state listings. also, when someone owes you money and does not pay you? states have laws about that. in some states if they owe you money they must pay you within three days or receive penalty of three times what they owe. the penalty goes to you. labor and industry is not always great about helping but sometimes if you talk to someone sympathetic from there they can turn you on to a good atty. one time i got introduced to a literally famous atty only because i happened to know someone who knew her, her scruffy buddy, and she tried to help me with some stuff. so if you have any atty friends maybe you could mention whats going on even if is not their specialty. sorry if this advice is too obvious.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2004

What is early intervention? What about a doc office?

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2004

What is early intervention? What about a doc office?

BETSRN · Oct 11, 2004

You're expecting way too much. If the maternity unit you were on is an LDRP, then you have to learn PP and NSY first. It is far better to have mother/baby experience BEFORE you start labor. Labor and delivery is a critical care area. That's the way we start all our new people. Learning L&D takes well over a year to be able to even begin to feel comfortable. Being responsible for VS on mothers and babies is part of the entire package. Nurses do still assess mothers and babies,you know. The experience you would get on PP and NSY will set you in good stead for L&D later on. If you keep switching jobs, you'll be regarded as one who maybe isn't a good risk to hire. Of course, you are having difficulty finding a job outside the hospital. Community nurses need to have good STRoNG skills as they are out there without the hospital backup. You think your back won't hurt in L&D?? You'll be holding legs, taking the bottom off beds, bending and lifting, cleaning and bending over something all the time. I don't mean to sound mean but I think you have a very poor perception of what L&D is, not to mention a poor attitude in general. New, inexperienced nurses usually start at the bottom, as people do in most jobs. From your post, I am not too sure you sound as though you even want to do nursing at all....daycare???????? if you ultimately want L&D, then go interview hospitals that have maternity services and be willing to go through the proper channels and get the experience you need. You'll never get any floating around as you have been doing.

BETSRN · Oct 11, 2004

You're expecting way too much. If the maternity unit you were on is an LDRP, then you have to learn PP and NSY first. It is far better to have mother/baby experience BEFORE you start labor. Labor and delivery is a critical care area. That's the way we start all our new people. Learning L&D takes well over a year to be able to even begin to feel comfortable. Being responsible for VS on mothers and babies is part of the entire package. Nurses do still assess mothers and babies,you know. The experience you would get on PP and NSY will set you in good stead for L&D later on. If you keep switching jobs, you'll be regarded as one who maybe isn't a good risk to hire. Of course, you are having difficulty finding a job outside the hospital. Community nurses need to have good STRoNG skills as they are out there without the hospital backup. You think your back won't hurt in L&D?? You'll be holding legs, taking the bottom off beds, bending and lifting, cleaning and bending over something all the time. I don't mean to sound mean but I think you have a very poor perception of what L&D is, not to mention a poor attitude in general. New, inexperienced nurses usually start at the bottom, as people do in most jobs. From your post, I am not too sure you sound as though you even want to do nursing at all....daycare???????? if you ultimately want L&D, then go interview hospitals that have maternity services and be willing to go through the proper channels and get the experience you need. You'll never get any floating around as you have been doing.

RN123456789 · Oct 11, 2004

What is early intervention? What about a doc office?

Early Intervention is working with at risk children from ages 0-3 years. Most of them are developmentally behind because of various reasons like low-income, prematurity, and other risk factors. I would love to work in a doctors office, but most want experience.

RN123456789 · Oct 11, 2004

What is early intervention? What about a doc office?

Early Intervention is working with at risk children from ages 0-3 years. Most of them are developmentally behind because of various reasons like low-income, prematurity, and other risk factors. I would love to work in a doctors office, but most want experience.

RN123456789 · Oct 11, 2004

You're expecting way too much. If the maternity unit you were on is an LDRP, then you have to learn PP and NSY first. It is far better to have mother/baby experience BEFORE you start labor. Labor and delivery is a critical care area. That's the way we start all our new people. Learning L&D takes well over a year to be able to even begin to feel comfortable. Being responsible for VS on mothers and babies is part of the entire package. Nurses do still assess mothers and babies,you know. The experience you would get on PP and NSY will set you in good stead for L&D later on. If you keep switching jobs, you'll be regarded as one who maybe isn't a good risk to hire. Of course, you are having difficulty finding a job outside the hospital. Community nurses need to have good STRoNG skills as they are out there without the hospital backup. You think your back won't hurt in L&D?? You'll be holding legs, taking the bottom off beds, bending and lifting, cleaning and bending over something all the time. I don't mean to sound mean but I think you have a very poor perception of what L&D is, not to mention a poor attitude in general. New, inexperienced nurses usually start at the bottom, as people do in most jobs. From your post, I am not too sure you sound as though you even want to do nursing at all....daycare???????? if you ultimately want L&D, then go interview hospitals that have maternity services and be willing to go through the proper channels and get the experience you need. You'll never get any floating around as you have been doing.

Okay first of all, I know that nurses assess mothers and babies, that is not my problem. Second, I never said that my back would not hurt in L&D. Third, I worked very hard to get my BSN, and yes I do want to do nursing, as you put it! And if anyone has a bad attitude, it would be you! It is very closed minded of you to think that nurses are not used in any other capacity besides in the hospital. Yes, nurses are used in childcare settings, get paid well for it, and are not half as stressed as they would be in the hospital setting. I left the hospital because yes it was extremely stressful, and I am not sure that I would go back! It sounds to me like you are one of those stressed out nurses, not mentioned very judgmental. You have totally misread the situation, and your comments were not very helpful.

RN123456789 · Oct 11, 2004

You're expecting way too much. If the maternity unit you were on is an LDRP, then you have to learn PP and NSY first. It is far better to have mother/baby experience BEFORE you start labor. Labor and delivery is a critical care area. That's the way we start all our new people. Learning L&D takes well over a year to be able to even begin to feel comfortable. Being responsible for VS on mothers and babies is part of the entire package. Nurses do still assess mothers and babies,you know. The experience you would get on PP and NSY will set you in good stead for L&D later on. If you keep switching jobs, you'll be regarded as one who maybe isn't a good risk to hire. Of course, you are having difficulty finding a job outside the hospital. Community nurses need to have good STRoNG skills as they are out there without the hospital backup. You think your back won't hurt in L&D?? You'll be holding legs, taking the bottom off beds, bending and lifting, cleaning and bending over something all the time. I don't mean to sound mean but I think you have a very poor perception of what L&D is, not to mention a poor attitude in general. New, inexperienced nurses usually start at the bottom, as people do in most jobs. From your post, I am not too sure you sound as though you even want to do nursing at all....daycare???????? if you ultimately want L&D, then go interview hospitals that have maternity services and be willing to go through the proper channels and get the experience you need. You'll never get any floating around as you have been doing.

Okay first of all, I know that nurses assess mothers and babies, that is not my problem. Second, I never said that my back would not hurt in L&D. Third, I worked very hard to get my BSN, and yes I do want to do nursing, as you put it! And if anyone has a bad attitude, it would be you! It is very closed minded of you to think that nurses are not used in any other capacity besides in the hospital. Yes, nurses are used in childcare settings, get paid well for it, and are not half as stressed as they would be in the hospital setting. I left the hospital because yes it was extremely stressful, and I am not sure that I would go back! It sounds to me like you are one of those stressed out nurses, not mentioned very judgmental. You have totally misread the situation, and your comments were not very helpful.