NurseShamshey

Hello Everyone! I'm a nurse of 2 years with pediatric and PICU/NICU experience. I had to quit my job unexpectedly this Summer when my mother in law got ill. She is now doing much better and I'm ready to get back to work! Problem is, my old hospital are being jerks about hiring me back. They have a stupid rule that you don't get your seniority back unless you come back within 30 days of leaving (which seems ridiculous) and the only critical care floater positions they have (the one I held) are full time nights, which I can't commit to right now. I've been looking around at jobs and finally have an interview! Who would have thought in today's day and age a nurse WANTING to work would be unemployed! Anyway, my interview is for a high risk birthing center. It's part time, days, which is an absolute dream! I never know what to say when people ask me "why do you want to leave pediatrics" because I really don't, I just want to work! I've always been interested in maternity though, even through nursing school. I just much preferred the babies to the moms which is why I went to the NICU. I found I didn't love the NICU though. The sick babies constantly trying to die was not my idea of a good time. Some nurses live for that. I am not that nurse! Just looking for any advice to not bomb this interview and shadowing experience!

Hello! I am a new grad nurse. I have almost a year experience but have been in my current job for 7 months. I've been working at the hospital for 4 years (I worked as a tech before I became a nurse). Long story short, when I graduated in May 2020, the great hiring freeze started so I took a PRN job at a nursing home and continued working at the hospital as a tech until a position opened up. In October, a handful of jobs opened on the Acute Care/Med Surg units so I applied right away. Well the unit I got hired on happened to be the Covid unit. I didn't care, I just wanted to work as a nurse! Like I did all this schooling I was tired of waiting! Now, 6 months later, I am not liking it. Our unit has been closed numerous times (due to low census), we ALWAYS have to float, we get leaves at least once a week (I got 2 leaves in a week!). I have no pto from all the time I get called off. Also, having been a paramedic for 10+ years before becoming a nurse I am incredibly bored. You can only learn so much taking care of the same type of respiratory kids over and over again for 6 months straight. Then when we float, we get put on 1:1 patient assignments like ingestions or suicide attempts where we are basically just babysitting. I also work nights, which I didn't mind at first since I work nights as a paramedic sometimes but it's been wrecking havoc on my body these past few months. I am barely able to sleep during the day anymore. I've brought it up with my manager that I am bored and not learning anything. I told her I want to go to days, and I am like 2nd in line and she is sending 3 people withing the next month or so. Her solution was to allow me to train for the burn center at the hospital which is an adult and pediatric ICU and people don't tend to train there until 1+ years of nursing experience. I don't mind working down there but I don't love it either. The hospital just approved a brand new position which is a PICU/NICU flex position that will float between both units. Since it's brand new they have full and part time available as well as day shift. I want to talk with my manager about my interest in those positions but the hospital doesn't usually let people transfer until they have been in their position for 1 year. Luckily, I am in a nurse residency program and their goal is retention and they will help us transfer early in order to not lose us as new nurses because it looks bad on the hospital if their nurse residents leave before 1 year. A few other nurses in my cohort have actually transferred early. My question is, how do I bring this up to my manager? She is very open to discussion but she is also kind of oblivious to things. Like in our last unit meeting people were complaining about the unit being closed to save money yet the hospital was offering double bonus and she couldn't understand why we were mad. I just have no idea how to bring it up to her! Would appreciate any advice that anyone has!

I used to do this all the time when I worked on the ambulance (most people didn't even dilute stuff, they just pushed it). And in nursing school I was taught to dilute in a flush. Once I started my job, I was told it's against our policy to do that. I haven't done it since and use a vial. If that's what my hospital wants, that's what I'll do. But it's not wrong to dilute in a flush. The only reason it's looked down on is because people don't label it so you can't "prove" what's in it. Well personally, if I know I'm going directly to a room and won't run into anyone else, I won't label my 1 syringe of benadryl or toradol at 3 am either! (Bad habits. I know!)

I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this. I used to work at a place like this and it was absolutely horrible. I left and took a pay cut eventually, that's how bad it was! I'm currently a new grad as well but have lots of healthcare experience. I've been in my nursing job for about 3 months and I am so freaking bored honestly. I was excited to start, working on a pediatric acute care floor. Until it got converted to the covid unit. Im not learning anything only taking care of respiratory patients all the time. I mean we had 1 patient on the entire floor a few nights I worked. I was on orientation still but begged to be floated. The first thing I thought of while reading this was why didn't the hospital give you the choice to transfer to a more appropriate position when you were failing in the OR? I'm in a nurse residency program, that was mandatory, and they said they will transfer us before they want us to ever consider leaving the hospital. There is such a nursing shortage everywhere and it looks horrible when nurses leave within their first year. That is absolutely crazy to me that they didn't even give you an option your manager was just like ya OK bye. And your new job sounds completely overwhelming too. And frankly, I've been a paramedic in and out of adult hospitals for years and I've found a lot of nurses are really mean for no reason. My coworkers at the pediatric hospital are seriously so nice. I have straight up told them I'm bored and want to transfer and they find stuff for me to do. They are supportive and would never talk to me the way your coworkers do. That is toxic AF. It's hard to find a really supportive environment though bc hospitals are understaffed and need people. So managers ignore the bullying. I would bring this to the attention of a manager though. The fact that you're overwhelmed as a new grad with a 6 pt assignment and the constant bullying and make it obvious that you will leave if they don't make it a more supportive environment for you. There has to be people who work in nursing admin that can help advocate for you if the manager blows you off. This is never OK in nursing.

I also have vestibular migraines. I had a bad flare up when I first started my job as a tech about 3 years ago. I was only there about 4 months at the time and could barely walk a straight line and felt drunk all the time. Knew there was no way I could work full time. I just emailed my manager and had an open conversation with him. He was so nice about it. Immediately let me go part time and work as I needed to until I could qualify for FMLA. I'm still with the same hospital, different unit as I started a nursing job in October and my vestibular issues decided to flare up again (I had covid and I'm blaming that). Except this time I've also lost hearing in one ear. I applied for my FMLA as it was due and I went from part to full time and it was denied because I didn't meet the minimum 1250 hours worked in the year. So I'm stuck in this bind of I have to call off but can't because I just started this job but so dizzy and discombobulated there is no possible way I can work. I did the same thing, very nervously reached out to my new manager and poured out my life story to her. She was 100% understanding. Told me to keep trying to apply and don't worry about call offs. Of course they aren't excessive and she is working with me too. I'd say that is your best bet. If your manager isn't approachable, start with an assistant who you have a good connection with. Unfortunately I'm in the same boat waiting on the FMLA at this point. Another option is to just have your doctor straight up write a work accommodation that you take to employee health. It doesn't have to be FMLA approved. I know you posted awhile ago, but hopefully this helps!