DISCLAIMER: No, I'm not a new graduate RN, but i'd like to give a shout out to those that are. Ok everyone, I need your help in determining what I should do in this scenario: Some time ago (Spring 2017), I saw that a private network hospital (with several different locations) had posted a plethora of full-time critical care positions, to which I applied. I am looking to diversify my nursing experience, and feel as though my ER nursing experience has equipped me for this specialty. Side note: This healthcare system has acquired several different hospitals under it's umbrella, but for this purposes of this post, I've applied to two of the hospitals it owns, which I will refer to as Hospital A and Hospital B. I had the recruiter's email and phone number and contacted her several times to no avail. Most recently, in October, I sent her another email detailing my nearly 7 years of ER experience, and inquiring about the critical care positions recently posted within Hospital A, which is only 8 blocks away from me. Fast forward to end of December, I was able to get the direct phone numbers to the critical care charge nurse, and related to her my desire to work on her unit. Immediately she gave me the email address to the nurse manager and I submitted my resume. Later, a friend of mine who works in the ER at Hospital A urged me to reach out to her nurse manager, and to also apply for an ER position at Hospital B, which is much further away from me. So I did. I met with both nurse managers from the two hospitals last month and they both offered me a night shift position right away, but the one that works with my friend at Hospital A was so ecstatic he walked me to nurse recruitment and instructed me to take two preliminary exams (pharm and basic nursing care concepts). I passed both with flying colors. While I was taking the exam, the nurse recruiter appeared, began interrupting me several times, but I was able to remain focused. She then had her assistant hand me a paper application. I thought "I filled out the application very meticulously online, but okay", and proceeded to fill it out. I waited an hour for her to appear again. Once I got to her office, she stated "I'm the gatekeeper, do you understand? Everyone has to go through me". I took that to mean that she wasn't satisfied that I met with the two ER nurse managers on my own (she later revealed to me that the other nurse manager emailed her to start the hiring process). I wanted to explain to her that i'd been trying to contact her since Spring 2017, but I thought it was futile. Some people like to feel powerful, and if I have to stroke her ego to get my foot in the door, so be it. Bite the bullet. When the interview ended, I handed her my certifications and my references, and told her that I applied online to the ERs at Hospital A and B but preferred A since it's only 8 blocks from me. I also discussed this with the NM that walked me to her office. She told me that the position that was posted online most likely went to someone else, but to keep my eyes peeled for another one and to apply right away. She proceeded to hand me her business card with the same email address and phone number i'd been using ad nauseam since last year. Then she smiled cheekily. I set up notifications for the ER position and applied as soon as it was posted, but got called in to interview for a Critical Care position within Hospital A (this was two weeks ago). EUREKA!! The nurse manager for critical care loved me. She could see that I had already conducted thorough research on the roles/responsibilities required, and told me she would forward my resume to the nurse recruiter. On the way out, I admitted to her that I interviewed for ER already, but only because I was waiting for her to respond to my email. I was much more passionate about this though. She said that this was fine and asked if I passed the exams, and I affirmed that I did. I had been waiting to hear from the nurse recruiter. In that time, my online applications for the two ERs had been denied. She finally emailed me yesterday, stating that she received word that I was interested in critical care per diem (it was the only vacancy for that specialty) and that I would have to take a challenge exam in order to be deemed competent to work there. She also mentioned that if I was still interested in a full-time ER night shift position, there was a couple at Hospital B. I asked her to schedule me for the challenge exam for the critical care position and she responded "So wait, are you seeking the per diem position or not?". I confirmed that I am, and then she emails me that I am pending two references (5 were required; I gave her 6; 4 responded thus far). She emailed me again (she is way more active than I thought considering the fact that i've been emailing her since spring) with the location of the challenge test, the study guide (which seems more ER than critical care) and that I was still pending 2 references. I kept it short and thanked her. She emailed me again asking what shift I wanted because I needed to apply online for it. I ignored her this time. I called the critical care NM and found out (I don't think I was supposed to) that she was forced into interviewing several other candidates after me.... Here is my dilemma, lovely folks: Today I received a call from her. She had me on speakerphone with the NM from the ER (Hospital A location) and said that although she knows I've applied for the per diem critical care position within the same hospital, he is willing to offer me a per diem ER position, this way I won't have to take a challenge exam. Realizing what she was doing, and not wanting to have this conversation while he was listening in, I respectfully told her "Can I think it over and call you back? I have something on the stove and I have to wait until my husband returns home to have a discussion. Can I call you back at this number? Wonderful, talk to you later." I hang up. You guys, I'm not married, but i'm not stupid either. She tried to set me up! I was however, cooking, and so when I finished, I noticed that she emailed me twice: one to send me an "invitation to apply" and a second time to tell me that there is a full-time night shift ER position (lo and behold, at Hospital A). Mind you, I don't even like working night shift. I did it as a new grad for 2 years, because I had to pay my dues and because I wanted to start my career in ER instead of Med/Surg. Occasionally, I'll do a night shift here and there for overtime, but it's rare. That's not even the point. Suddenly this "gatekeeper" had a full-time ER position for me at Hospital B. Then when she realized that I am actually zealous for critical care, so much so that I am willing to work there per diem, she suddenly has a per diem ER position at Hospital A. That per diem position has now morphed into a full-time position. I'm not calling her back. Not today, not ever. I now realize why she doesn't have time to respond to emails from external candidates: she is busy being a child. At work, of all places! And I don't have the time for this. I feel bad for the people that are getting dragged into this; the poor nurse managers don't even know they are being used as pawns in an effort to assert her authority. I need to know what to do. Do I call the NM from the ER and explain to him what she is trying to do? Or do I say nothing and just show up for the exam on monday? All of this is distracting me from studying, by the way.... PLEASE HELP. Thanks in advance!! TL;DR: A crazy nurse recruiter with no nursing experience refused to source my application to a critical care unit. When I discovered a clever way to get my resume to the nurse manager, she reacted punitively. Now she is trying to assert her authority by not only determining which hospital location I can work at, but also which unit.