New grad left VOA after 4 mos. d/t fear of losing license.

[Carruth]

I have been told by my floor supervisor that I am a very compassionate nurse and that is one of the highest qualities in her book quote on quote” and I wanted to get another job before I quit, but…

It all had to do with poor management, low pay and pushing me in the corner for things I had no control over or verbal threats towards my RN licensure. They would rather have a new RN lose their license than a company with a lawsuit at any means.

I've been lied to since I was employed about wages. They hired me to work in long term care and a float nurse to transitional care and cardiac care units. They told me upon my interview that I would receive 3 dollars more per hour while working in TCU and CCU, and then after I started they told me I would get no premium pay until I have worked in those units and have proved myself for a whole year. They kept me basically in LTC where I was the only nurse with a lot of rotating CNAs and a lot of liability because they were not trained properly in moving patients or even around the floor most of the time and that is my license, not theirs. I know, I know, I get that a lot of long term care facilities are run this way or short staffed, and I bite my tongue and held on until…

I worked in CCU. The receptionist said we have a patient on the floor in the salon, another level up. As I was on my way up after hearing the whole situation the patient's nurse was already there. So I continued my work.

The nurse with only a 2 year degree manager/trainer came to the unit and shunned me and I thought she liked me because she was friendly at FIRST but no, she treated me like crap, said nothing, and walked right by. I did not know I did anything wrong. She got the unit manager, asked me why I left a patient on the floor with a head injury on the ground for 25 minutes, etc. I had to stand up for myself and my license and tell her I didn't hear about it until then and by that time the patient's nurse, not my patient, was already up there.

Well the CCU manager said, Well, she has only been here for two days.” Not like I needed a shard remark like that as I felt I was smarter than most, but when she got all the facts she came up to me and said, Oh, I talked to the HUC and you were right, so no worries.” At this time she was trying to put her hand on my arm and give me an at a boy and I looked at her and pulled my arm away. Who needs that crap! Well the damage was already done! I don't trust her, like her, and before she found out the facts she was already trying to jeopardize my license as a RN which took too damn many years to get. I still held on for weeks but with a sour taste in my mouth about how that place was run and about how poorly managed by people who should never be managers.

This was the final straw that broke the camel's back and here it goes……. I worked on a Sunday and one of my patient's had shortness of breath with chest pain. I called the supervisor per protocol, now being on a Sunday they have fill in managers, and told her the situation. She told me to monitor, ask the patient if they wanted to go to the hospital, and see if he improved. Well he did improve and I did just that. Two hours later, the other supervisor of the building during the weekend came up and looked at my patient and flipped out on me and said, The patient is still complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath, get in there and get vitals.” I told her that can't be true, I've been watching him all morning, and he is complaining of no SOB or chest pain.

I went in there calmly as I had just assessed the patient whom told me for the last two hours he had no shortness of breath or chest pain and asked him why he told my supervisor this just now. He said, Because I had a heart attack before and I am just scared.” Well just to cover my butt I called the nurse practitioner and told her what was going on. By this time MIND YOU, I had talked to two (2) supervisors, which was protocol as I guess in this crazy facility you need to follow the chains and need a Doctors order to even call 911 which is asinine which they both told me.

Anyway, here comes Monday, my floor supervisor whom says she likes me and thinks I'm a great nurse, yeah, cause nobody else would work for this kind of doe with the stress here!! Side vent thinking to myself.

She followed me around like a hawk. Basically critiqued me and told me when the state comes in we need to do this, but damn it was ok and expected when they weren't here.

I had one of the managers, weekend manager, call an outside trainer manager and said she had a concern that I didn't treat the patient with shortness of breath or chest pain like a heart attack. I told her absolutely not as I was taught in school to treat all chest pains and SOBs as a heart attack. And I said the patient and I have a great relationship and I have asked him if he wants to go to the hospital and he said, well, not right now I am doing better which he did the rest of my shift.

I told the manager whom almost accused me of the patient on the floor up in the salon for neglect which is grave in nursing world that I don't know what is it. It's like you are trying to find something I do wrong and are you trying to jeopardize my license? She said, Well maybe.” What kind of human being says that? I lost a gasket! I worked hard for this company with very very low pay!! I told her if that manager was so concerned to call you on a Sunday and say I didn't do my due diligence, why did it take her over 2 hours to come up here with all the chaos going on with the shortness of breath patient, one lying on the floor between his wheelchair, one choking on meds because he was gravely ill from surgery the day before and all the other 17 patient's complaining to get their treatments and meds and just me plus doing CNA work as they rotate those positions all the time too? She had no response!

I was promised a position in June I was excited about on the Cardiac Care Unit, even at this horrible place. I was told that the nurse whom got the position had seniority and was their longer than I, well it turns out they just hired this person whom was friends with one of the managers whom has ten years' experience as an LPN outside, never an employee with VOA before. I appreciate the experience but I do not appreciate being lied too!! And what's worse is that they know I would find out and don't care about employee moral!

The day I had one patient on the ground, no help from two supervisors, being accused of not treating my patient with a possible heart attack, I had the worse ocular migraine I have ever had and still completed my day with no one dead, but I got the wrath from 3 (Three) managers whom were not even on the floor and wanted to judge me and find me incompetent. I just wish they would work my floor for one shift and I could watch because I know they would not be able to handle it. What set my patient with SOB and chest pain off he actually said, Cathy, I will I could get out of this place and take you with me and kicked the bed to the side.” I tried to get him to relax as I know he is depressed there, but that started his chest pain and shortness of breath and that did subside so all was well until the managers got involved!!

Also the training was very poor. It's like they would not give me the extra training to do extra things or want me to learn or lie to me and say we need you on the floor but we will have this PIC line class or that class etc., another day and then tell me I'm sorry, but I guess we don't have that coming up any time soon. Well in long term care you won't need those skills anyway! WOW

I went from feeling well educated and confident to get out and learn my new career being an old fart to as low as you can go in the last few months where I am literally ready to throw in the towel on this idea.

This place has destroyed my confidence and there is no way mentally I could have walked back into work with the crap and drama I was dealt.

I learned how to do admissions on my own…no help but stressful

Discharges on my own

Catheters because my supervisor said she hasn't done it in so long and I was the only one so I had to dig in and do it.

Changed ostomy bags, on my own.

I was going to stick it out until the training manager had something out for me and the stress here was killing me to where I had developed headaches I have never had before and couldn't sleep.

My question is, do I leave this on my Resume as 4 mos. of fairly good experience, or omit it? I had 7 interviews in the last two months so my resume isn't to blame, it is something else and I am not quite sure. I know quitting is just as bad as getting fired, but if I was going to keep my license, it was the best move at the time. Thank you,

[MadisonG]

If you can't take it, then quit. This is very unfair and nursing jobs are too plentiful to deal with that crap(despite what people say on here about finding a job. If you have 7 interviews that sounds plentiful to me) . Honestly I would omit it, if that place is that bad then you don't even want them on your resume. Your new employer will most likely ask why did you leave, and you don't want to go into a entire story about that. They might ask about any gaps in employment, but 4 months isn't that long. You will think of something. Omit it, and take it as a lesson learned. I am sorry you had to deal with that. LONG TERM CARE SUCKS. Thats why I am never going back.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Is there anything you think you could have done differently? What have you learned from your experience?

[Psychcns]

I would leave it in the resume and tell people at interviews something about "not a good fit." Then be prepared to say something neutral- like as a new nurse you wanted more xyz before doing charge, for example. Do not say anything bad. Stress what you learned and what you can bring to a new position. Best wishes.

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

I have been told by my floor supervisor that I am a very compassionate nurse and that is one of the highest qualities in her book quote on quote” and I wanted to get another job before I quit, but…

It all had to do with poor management, low pay and pushing me in the corner for things I had no control over or verbal threats towards my RN licensure. They would rather have a new RN lose their license than a company with a lawsuit at any means.

I've been lied to since I was employed about wages. They hired me to work in long term care and a float nurse to transitional care and cardiac care units. They told me upon my interview that I would receive 3 dollars more per hour while working in TCU and CCU, and then after I started they told me I would get no premium pay until I have worked in those units and have proved myself for a whole year. They kept me basically in LTC where I was the only nurse with a lot of rotating CNAs and a lot of liability because they were not trained properly in moving patients or even around the floor most of the time and that is my license, not theirs. I know, I know, I get that a lot of long term care facilities are run this way or short staffed, and I bite my tongue and held on until…

I worked in CCU. The receptionist said we have a patient on the floor in the salon, another level up. As I was on my way up after hearing the whole situation the patient's nurse was already there. So I continued my work.

The nurse with only a 2 year degree manager/trainer came to the unit and shunned me and I thought she liked me because she was friendly at FIRST but no, she treated me like crap, said nothing, and walked right by. I did not know I did anything wrong. She got the unit manager, asked me why I left a patient on the floor with a head injury on the ground for 25 minutes, etc. I had to stand up for myself and my license and tell her I didn't hear about it until then and by that time the patient's nurse, not my patient, was already up there.

Well the CCU manager said, Well, she has only been here for two days.” Not like I needed a shard remark like that as I felt I was smarter than most, but when she got all the facts she came up to me and said, Oh, I talked to the HUC and you were right, so no worries.” At this time she was trying to put her hand on my arm and give me an at a boy and I looked at her and pulled my arm away. Who needs that crap! Well the damage was already done! I don't trust her, like her, and before she found out the facts she was already trying to jeopardize my license as a RN which took too damn many years to get. I still held on for weeks but with a sour taste in my mouth about how that place was run and about how poorly managed by people who should never be managers.

This was the final straw that broke the camel's back and here it goes……. I worked on a Sunday and one of my patient's had shortness of breath with chest pain. I called the supervisor per protocol, now being on a Sunday they have fill in managers, and told her the situation. She told me to monitor, ask the patient if they wanted to go to the hospital, and see if he improved. Well he did improve and I did just that. Two hours later, the other supervisor of the building during the weekend came up and looked at my patient and flipped out on me and said, The patient is still complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath, get in there and get vitals.” I told her that can't be true, I've been watching him all morning, and he is complaining of no SOB or chest pain.

I went in there calmly as I had just assessed the patient whom told me for the last two hours he had no shortness of breath or chest pain and asked him why he told my supervisor this just now. He said, Because I had a heart attack before and I am just scared.” Well just to cover my butt I called the nurse practitioner and told her what was going on. By this time MIND YOU, I had talked to two (2) supervisors, which was protocol as I guess in this crazy facility you need to follow the chains and need a Doctors order to even call 911 which is asinine which they both told me.

Anyway, here comes Monday, my floor supervisor whom says she likes me and thinks I'm a great nurse, yeah, cause nobody else would work for this kind of doe with the stress here!! Side vent thinking to myself.

She followed me around like a hawk. Basically critiqued me and told me when the state comes in we need to do this, but damn it was ok and expected when they weren't here.

I had one of the managers, weekend manager, call an outside trainer manager and said she had a concern that I didn't treat the patient with shortness of breath or chest pain like a heart attack. I told her absolutely not as I was taught in school to treat all chest pains and SOBs as a heart attack. And I said the patient and I have a great relationship and I have asked him if he wants to go to the hospital and he said, well, not right now I am doing better which he did the rest of my shift.

I told the manager whom almost accused me of the patient on the floor up in the salon for neglect which is grave in nursing world that I don't know what is it. It's like you are trying to find something I do wrong and are you trying to jeopardize my license? She said, Well maybe.” What kind of human being says that? I lost a gasket! I worked hard for this company with very very low pay!! I told her if that manager was so concerned to call you on a Sunday and say I didn't do my due diligence, why did it take her over 2 hours to come up here with all the chaos going on with the shortness of breath patient, one lying on the floor between his wheelchair, one choking on meds because he was gravely ill from surgery the day before and all the other 17 patient's complaining to get their treatments and meds and just me plus doing CNA work as they rotate those positions all the time too? She had no response!

I was promised a position in June I was excited about on the Cardiac Care Unit, even at this horrible place. I was told that the nurse whom got the position had seniority and was their longer than I, well it turns out they just hired this person whom was friends with one of the managers whom has ten years' experience as an LPN outside, never an employee with VOA before. I appreciate the experience but I do not appreciate being lied too!! And what's worse is that they know I would find out and don't care about employee moral!

The day I had one patient on the ground, no help from two supervisors, being accused of not treating my patient with a possible heart attack, I had the worse ocular migraine I have ever had and still completed my day with no one dead, but I got the wrath from 3 (Three) managers whom were not even on the floor and wanted to judge me and find me incompetent. I just wish they would work my floor for one shift and I could watch because I know they would not be able to handle it. What set my patient with SOB and chest pain off he actually said, Cathy, I will I could get out of this place and take you with me and kicked the bed to the side.” I tried to get him to relax as I know he is depressed there, but that started his chest pain and shortness of breath and that did subside so all was well until the managers got involved!!

Also the training was very poor. It's like they would not give me the extra training to do extra things or want me to learn or lie to me and say we need you on the floor but we will have this PIC line class or that class etc., another day and then tell me I'm sorry, but I guess we don't have that coming up any time soon. Well in long term care you won't need those skills anyway! WOW

I went from feeling well educated and confident to get out and learn my new career being an old fart to as low as you can go in the last few months where I am literally ready to throw in the towel on this idea.

This place has destroyed my confidence and there is no way mentally I could have walked back into work with the crap and drama I was dealt.

I learned how to do admissions on my own…no help but stressful

Discharges on my own

Catheters because my supervisor said she hasn't done it in so long and I was the only one so I had to dig in and do it.

Changed ostomy bags, on my own.

I was going to stick it out until the training manager had something out for me and the stress here was killing me to where I had developed headaches I have never had before and couldn't sleep.

My question is, do I leave this on my Resume as 4 mos. of fairly good experience, or omit it? I had 7 interviews in the last two months so my resume isn't to blame, it is something else and I am not quite sure. I know quitting is just as bad as getting fired, but if I was going to keep my license, it was the best move at the time. Thank you,

Ok, so the short answer is this, don't omit anything. Keep it in the resume. You don't want it to come back later as something you left out because it will look bad on you.

Long answer is, you have several things in your story that stick out to me. One, is you have mentioned several times where you work, and that combined with the details of your story someone will be able to match two and two together and figure out who you are. New employers do not like employees who speak badly about their previous employers (it might be happening to them).

Also, why as a new nurse are you floating to other areas of the facility? New nurses don't have enough experience to handle being floated around like that. When looking for your new employment please find something more stable.