Probation for one year

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Hello Everyone much needed advice/insight is needed.

I started a new job back in March just before COVID started to get really crazy. Since I was the last one in my department to get hired I was redeployed on two occasions to other areas of the hospital. First time was May-June for about 5 weeks to another unit who needed help due to crazy high censes. The second deployment was for 6 weeks again on another COVID unit who really needed help which I just finished this week. Both of these deployments taught me a lot but at the same time was not my choice. I was grateful to still have a job so really I was willing to go anywhere the hospital told me too.

Anyways my manager came to me on my "home unit" and she said since I am still rather new to my home department (March 2020) that the night shift supervisor still needs more time to evaluate me on nights as most of my time there I have been working other units (for COVID deployment),

I don't want to sound overly confident but I know I am an amazing nurse my home unit has already given me two written recognitions based on my skills in my limited time there from my unit manager. The two new units I worked on also gave me the same praise and actually asked me to stay there full time as I demonstrated good skills.

For some reason I cannot let it go that my home unit wants to keep me on probations for a full year. The written outline said it was not based on my skills/abilities but it was to evaluate me on nights shift with that supervisor. I feel hurt to be honest. Am I overthinking this? I have been a nurse for 6 years and have worked at 4 hospitals for a bit of history, my last employer which I am per diem now at I worked there for 4.5 years.

Thank you :)

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Who knows what this is all about. It sounds like a "them" thing, though, like some preference of your manager or an excuse for something you aren't going to be told about directly, like a need to improve that unit's night shift staffing or to discourage you from entertaining any ideas of trying to transfer units.

Does this affect your pay? The responsibilities you are allowed to have at work? Is it an "improvement plan" or just something she informally wanted to let you know about?

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
2 minutes ago, JKL33 said:

Who knows what this is all about. It sounds like a "them" thing, though, like some preference of your manager or an excuse for something you aren't going to be told about directly, like a need to improve that unit's night shift staffing or to discourage you from entertaining any ideas of trying to transfer units.

Does this affect your pay? The responsibilities you are allowed to have at work? Is it an "improvement plan" or just something she informally wanted to let you know about?

Thank you.

Well I don't get the same benefits of the union, I will still accumulate PTO and they said it won't effect my line for a day shift position but. I cant help but be stuck on the fact they want me to stay on probation for so long The standard time there is 6 month so they are basically making me do it all over again. Technically you also cant transfer while on probation but I did speak to my manager after this and expressed my feelings etc. She said if I really wanted to transfer she would support me. Maybe I am really paranoid who knows

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16 minutes ago, heartnursing said:

Well I don't get the same benefits of the union

It may be as simple as that. Even six months of probation sounds outlandish ...especially for an experienced nurse. I don't like your employer very much. I wouldn't count on any verbal promises made (regarding transfer or anything else). In fact, I would assume the exact opposite of what I was told.

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Disclosure, I haven't been in this position. But it seems like if it isn't the standard and it comes with material effects with regard to your pay, your responsibilities, whether or not you have union benefits, etc., then it might be worth talking to HR about. It would be interesting to know what their policies are regarding probationary periods.

I agree it's insulting especially since they've already felt comfortable with deploying you elsewhere instead of keeping you where this one particular supervisor can evaluate you. It seems like they had to deploy you for their own reasons and therefore should have accepted the responsibility of figuring out how they were going to evaluate you under those circumstances without choosing a method that penalizes you.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Think you are over thinking issue. Placing my prior Clinical Managers hat on, reading between the tea leaves, due to your two written recognition's Unit Manager recognizes A WINNER as new night shift employee and wants to keep your employment on their unit. Since the past 3 months you've been loaned out, may be an internal policy too that full 6 months on home unit to complete probationary period.

As long as this does not affect pay raise + benefits, I'd not worry. Even then, a nicely worded letter re your "Team mentality" being loaned out, value to organization could be submitted to HR for reconsideration.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
11 minutes ago, NRSKarenRN said:

Think you are over thinking issue. Placing my prior Clinical Managers hat on, reading between the tea leaves, due to your two written recognition's Unit Manager recognizes A WINNER as new night shift employee and wants to keep your employment on their unit. Since the past 3 months you've been loaned out, may be an internal policy too that full 6 months on home unit to complete probationary period.

As long as this does not affect pay raise + benefits, I'd not worry. Even then, a nicely worded letter re your "Team mentality" being loaned out, value to organization could be submitted to HR for reconsideration.

Thank you different perspective

1 hour ago, JKL33 said:

Disclosure, I haven't been in this position. But it seems like if it isn't the standard and it comes with material effects with regard to your pay, your responsibilities, whether or not you have union benefits, etc., then it might be worth talking to HR about. It would be interesting to know what their policies are regarding probationary periods.

I agree it's insulting especially since they've already felt comfortable with deploying you elsewhere instead of keeping you where this one particular supervisor can evaluate you. It seems like they had to deploy you for their own reasons and therefore should have accepted the responsibility of figuring out how they were going to evaluate you under those circumstances without choosing a method that penalizes you.

Thank you ? the insight is appreciated.

1 hour ago, Sour Lemon said:

It may be as simple as that. Even six months of probation sounds outlandish ...especially for an experienced nurse. I don't like your employer very much. I wouldn't count on any verbal promises made (regarding transfer or anything else). In fact, I would assume the exact opposite of what I was told.

Thank you for your response. It's a very weird time right now :S

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Specializes in Peds ED.
6 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:

It may be as simple as that. Even six months of probation sounds outlandish ...especially for an experienced nurse. I don't like your employer very much. I wouldn't count on any verbal promises made (regarding transfer or anything else). In fact, I would assume the exact opposite of what I was told.

At my current hospital the probation period is a year- you can’t transfer (although you CAN determine with the manager if another unit is a better fit, it’s not uncommon for new grad nurses hired in to high acuity areas to decide with management to move to a lower acuity floor) and you get some union benefits but not representation for any grievances. I thought it was a long time too but it’s part of the union contract. Everywhere else I’ve worked the probation period has been much shorter but those jobs didn’t come with union benefits. I haven’t heard of anyone having probation extended here, it’s a pass/fail kind of thing where you either successfully complete your probation or you don’t.

I think it’s odd- when people change shifts on your unit do they go back on probation so the new supervisor can personally evaluate your skills? Do the supervisors not share information about positives or concerns about staff? I’d have a hard time not seeing it as a criticism of my skills and expertise too tbh.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Maybe the new supervisor is just skittish about 'signing off' on your evaluation. After all, she really has NOT had sufficient time to eval you to the point where she feels comfortable signing off.

Just my first impression. Has nothing really to do with your capabilities, just that she wants the opp'ty to see you in action on your orig designated unit.

I'd give her the benefit of the doubt.

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Specializes in oncology.
20 hours ago, heartnursing said:

I was redeployed on two occasions to other areas of the hospital.

Just for my own knowledge base --- I have never heard the use of the term "deployment" except as a military term. I have heard, of course "floating" or "reassigned". How is "deployment" similar or different?

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Specializes in Peds ED.
1 hour ago, londonflo said:

Just for my own knowledge base --- I have never heard the use of the term "deployment" except as a military term. I have heard, of course "floating" or "reassigned". How is "deployment" similar or different?

I think it's a COVID specific term- that rather than a per shift float you are being temporarily reassigned to a different unit. My hospital sent several nurses to NYC during the peak of the crisis (they volunteered) and units that closed or had low census due to no elective procedures (plus outpatient clinics going virtual or canceling non-emergent care) were moved to high volume units or new need positions like the COVID hotline triage, testing centers, temperature screenings, COVID unit, etc.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
1 hour ago, londonflo said:

Just for my own knowledge base --- I have never heard the use of the term "deployment" except as a military term. I have heard, of course "floating" or "reassigned". How is "deployment" similar or different?

It’s the same in the terms I am using it. It’s how my workplace informed us. ??‍♀️??‍♀️

2 minutes ago, HiddencatBSN said:

I think it's a COVID specific term- that rather than a per shift float you are being temporarily reassigned to a different unit. My hospital sent several nurses to NYC during the peak of the crisis (they volunteered) and units that closed or had low census due to no elective procedures (plus outpatient clinics going virtual or canceling non-emergent care) were moved to high volume units or new need positions like the COVID hotline triage, testing centers, temperature screenings, COVID unit, etc.

Yes exactly.

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