Recent hire... feeling trapped in current position

[0ldsoulss]

I have been working in my current position for a few months now and I absolutely hate it. The floor I was hired on has no senior staff, with the longest enduring nurses being there for only three years. The ratios are insane due to poor staff retention and the work morale is really bad.

When I was hired the manager told the group of us she expected most of us to leave the unit within six months or a year. Upon working and talking to the current staff, this manager is known to not release you into another position and will hold you indefinitely citing that it is too dangerous to patient safety to let you go, even though she is not actively hiring. There are currently 5 people on my unit hired into the ER, and are still working here since management won't release them. I hate thinking I'm stuck here, and would stay if I knew I would eventually be released but I worry that I'm simply wasting my time here and could just apply at another hospital with a different union where I could be actively pursuing my dream. I spent 4 years studying nursing and being at the very top of my class and feel as though I'm stuck in a dead end job. I want career advancement since I want to specialize before obtaining my NP and it seems like this is not the place to be, should I cut my losses now? I'm really upset since knowing that I may be stuck on this unit will affect my long term career plans if I don't get out soon.

[1fly]

You are the er charge nurse

[0ldsoulss]

I ended up speaking with HR and they assured me that since I wasn't hired on as a permanent spot, it's easier for me to leave than others there who have permanent status since technically I don't have to wait for a job posting to go out to replace me as I'm considered "above core" on the unit. I just worry when a position becomes available she'll state that they need me for operational needs since retention is low. Legally, there can't be anyway she can hold me forever (I hope). The morale is totally down on this unit, and nurses from other departments have said that you literally need to move to the larger city to get out. She also said my preceptor (who was held for over 10 months from her ER job awaiting her) was excessive. This is something I would personally fight if it comes to that, I want to move within my hospital and HR told me that they would support me along with my union. It just seems too good to be true when people are literally waiting to be released for months (although they are permanent employees).

I just fear she'll use to poor staff mention and patient safety (there is barely any, sadly) against me to keep me here indefinitely and holding me back.

[HomeBound]

I worked at a Level 1 ED that did this same thing. I was a new grad, I was trained up in a YUUUUUUGE fast paced environment and was pretty ok with my confidence level (many years of previous healthcare and medic experience helped).

It was a revolving door unit, with a core of nurses that got together and protected themselves, elevated themselves into a small group "into the office". Qualified candidates for CN2 or 3 or 4 levels applied, but if you weren't in the group, you were denied the promotion. Bonuses were given out by seniority and level. I got $0.23 raise while "the group" were handed $1800 checks at Christmas. The seniority of this group ranged from 2 years to 17 years.

The longtime RN Mgr had retired, he ran a tight ship and there was little turnover and no traveler use. A new Mgr was placed a few months prior to my entering that unit, and things deteriorated so quickly, that by six months, we had lost 60% of the experienced staff, we were using hospital floats as staff (and they quickly quit the job once continuously used in this way), then a boatload of travelers.

I wanted to transfer into the ICU at my years' end and stated my intention. This hospital has that same "rule"--that you have to have the open job, the qualification and the permission of your current nurse manager in order to transfer.

We even had job fairs within the hospital, and nobody came. Nobody wanted to work in the ED, because it was, and continues to be, a hot, cliquey mess.

I was not denied outright. It was more of a passive aggressive thing. Phonecalls were made, road blocks placed. RN Mgr suddenly became Mr. Invisible. Nobody could reach him, he was always "in a meeting" or "off site". Emails went unanswered. I spoke many times with the ICU Mgr and her hands were tied.

I drafted a letter of resignation, told the biggest mouth I could, and within a day, a CN4 came to "visit" me to find out why I was so unhappy after they had poured all of this training into me? I told him I wanted to transfer because of educational aspirations to the ICU. He tried the carrot and stick approach...that there is "potential" to transfer, just not right now, we promise that as soon as flu season is over...blah blah blah.

I said thanks but no. I have another position at another hospital lined up, in the ICU. THAT got a face to face with the Nurse Manager...and HE came to ME on my shift in fast track. Sat with me for a half hour and tried to talk me out of it, but offered absolutely no solutions or commitments that were amenable.

This is what they do. It's not unusual and you have to be aware of these units prior to signing on. If there are 5 openings continuously, or they use rafts of travelers, or as an opposite---there is literally no person who will discuss the unit....don't do it.

I trained in trauma because I wanted the solid assessment/sick vs. not sick skills. I am now ICU and will stick with this a few years while I finish NP---but I was extremely selective on this transition, applying only at places where I had researched the hospital, the culture of the hospital and the culture of the unit I was interested in.

Please don't ever, ever take a position on "potential". That is a bait and switch.

These places who hire "floats" and "resource" nurses for ICU or ED but with the caveat that they can be sent to Med Surg or Step Down...you can bet your butt you are going to spend the majority of your time in Med Surg. It's a hole filling strategy for the hard to retain service lines.

Be selective, and be smart. Wait your time, keep your head down, get your training and as many certifications as you can get them to pay for, keep a smile on your face and make your plans.

Keep your plans to YOURSELF, now that you know what this Mgr is up to. Nobody pays your bills but you. They show you no loyalty, no honesty and nothing but manipulation? You owe them nothing. Just make sure you resign with little to nothing said about the problems or why you are leaving---and go.