pcaldea

Thanks for the few helpful replies, others were entertaining :) So the times that I was late was due to being sick, car not working, and surprise coming from doctors' appointments that she had given me permission to attend. So how does she give permission to arrive late then turn around and write me up for being late. hmm.. I had and still have health problems (at one point I had emergent surgery and once I almost passed out) but the focus is on attendance, nevermind that I'm going through a health crisis. I didn't qualify for FMLA so that was out of the question. I will exit from this post now and will take away the kindness and understanding of nutella's post to name a few. You are right nutella I was pretty green coming into this discipline and am proud of myself for coming this far. I taught myself a great deal of things along the way since there was no formal training/orientation. It has all been a learning experience. And honestly I expected a better reply and attitude from fellow nurses, calling my husband pretty boy? Hilarious! So typical! Nice one! Mentioning HIS comment about jealousy?? Wow, what a mistake! Good night and thanks for the well wishes :)

Oh yes I forgot to the explain the 'being rude' part. So during a meeting I reported some numbers that she thought were incorrect. Instead of following up with me or checking with me to say "Are you sure those #s are correct?" she immediately emailed the study contact to verify that this was indeed true. When I saw the email I went to her desk (our desks are in an open area but are in partitions) and asked her "if you were unsure about the #s why didn't you ask me?" Well in my write up she said that I had "argued loudly" with her. That is such a lie that it is actually funny at how sensitive she is. She needs to grow some thick skin!! My husband is like maybe she's jealous of you and how much you earn or because she's single and miserable. I don't know about her personal life but she is single. We are about the same age and I have a wonderful, handsome, smart, kind, and talented husband that spoils me and makes me breakfast and lunch every now and then. My other 2 coworkers know about him and tease me about how spoiled I am.. At any rate, that was a blatant lie that I must address in a follow-up letter. She's made me go through a good bit of stress, me, a person who hardly ever stresses out

Hello fellow nurses, I'm posting a follow-up post to the last one. So my supervisor gave me a verbal warning in the form of a letter that detailed my various workplace sins. These included asking for too many days off, leaving early, arriving late, forgetting to pick up a blood sample, not using an interpreter, and being disrespectful. Asking for too many days off: For December I took a nice 2 weeks of taking advantage of the holidays and just asked for some days in between. I was going through some medical stuff which caused me to at times ask for a day off at the last minute (2 days before the appointment for instance.) Leaving early: This didn't happen as often, perhaps 3 times at most and always by checking with my supervisor. Granted this happened without advance notice and when I did leave it was due to medical appointments. Arriving late: My start time was 6:30 am (a start time she said she never approved but nevertheless used it as a point of reference to count how many hours I arrived late on 3 occasions.) Once I arrived at 9:30 because I overslept having been up all night coughing a lung out. I was going to call out but decided against it. The other time my car refused to start and I ended up taking another car. I arrived at 8:45. The third time I had gone to a doctor's appointment and got there at 9:30. There was hardly anyone at the office because that particular day we had a department wide meeting. The fourth time I had another appointment and I got there around 8:20. All these times she knew about. All with 3 to 4 days notice beforehand. In her warning letter she stated that my team had suffered because of my tardy arrivals. I tried to confirm this with my co-workers and they were like "no, we were fine." Anyway she agreed that we would meet again in 3 weeks to see if any improvement that been made. Well the date came around and that morning I asked her "so what time are we meeting today?" and she replied "Well it turns out that the HR director can't come today so we will reschedule it." She didn't give me a date and I left it at that. Mind you she's involved 3 other supervisors besides her. At any rate we met a couple of weeks ago for the second time at which point she pointed out 2 times in which I arrived late. One happened because I missed the commuter bus and it only leaves every 45 minutes so of course I arrived 40 minutes late when I was supposed to arrive 40 minutes early. That same day that I arrived late I told her that the commuter bus left at 3:30 but that I was going to stay until the next one left, around 4:15. So she was like fine, but I could tell she wasn't too happy about it. She and I were working off site at that time and she's used to staying behind and having someone else bring back the blood samples to our main job site for processing. Since she had told me at the last minute that I was to work with her that day, I didn't make arrangements for someone to pick up my kids so that's why I ended up taking the commuter bus. At any rate she gave me a choice on two tasks and asked which one I wanted to work on. I picked one and she said that she'd do the other one and left to go work on it. Well I finished my task and asked her if she wanted me to do anything else, then she asked me to do the task that she was supposed to do. So I ended up doing both. She said that it was fine I could go so I did. Anyway to make a long story short she wrote me up for the above mentioned things that also included not using an interpreter. She had earlier that day advised me to not walk into a non-English speaking patient's room b/c there was no interpreter. Of course I forgot and walked into his room, quickly realized that I shouldn't have done that and excused myself and left. Well she included this in her write up. I feel like she wants me to be absolutely perfect and that there is no grace/understanding. So I decided that the next step would probably be me being fired so I asked HR what was the minimum leave of notice so as not to be blacklisted from the institution. They said 2 weeks, so I gave my 2 weeks notice. This job provides great benefits and I'm going to miss that. Thinking back I don't know if it would have been better to ask for a transfer and now perhaps it's too late. I have 2 weeks left on that job. A job that I enjoyed very much. My sister pointed out that I worked very hard to go through nursing school full-time while having kids and how I basically let it go for a difficult person. No one seems to understand where I'm coming from except for my husband. He's heard me complain about this lady for months. He knows that I tried to get along with her. It seems that the perfect person for that position is someone who is used to putting their family in second place. Someone who is dedicated so much that they would spend 12 hours in one day if needed. I used to work on the floor so I came from having 4 days off to working 5 days in a row. It was a huge adjustment. I supposedly took the job to have more time for my family but it turned out to not be the case. Where before I was spending 4 days with me kids now it was less. I earned more yes but the work was intense. I enjoyed it though. But having that supervisor was like tasting vinegar.. it didn't help to know that I didn't even have to be there. Hubby sometimes earns in one day what I earn in a month so I wasn't doing it for the money.. Now that this has happened I'm taking a step back and thinking about my choices. I've been thinking about preparing for the GRE and possibly starting school later this year. Or maybe working in another specialty, perhaps ICU.. I'm basically here to vent and to get feedback/advice. I have loans to pay off and not working right now would put them on hold but still their balances loom over me. I've paid a good bit off but I took out several. Please don't tell me in your replies that you did your nursing degree with little to no debt, because saying that would help me how...?? Thanks for reading!

Thank-you for your replies. Some things that were said during the HR meeting I did not mention. It was convened to discuss my attendance which some of you have interpreted as a habitual offender. However this is not the case. Both my HR supervisor and the HR director said hat they were not there to terminate me but rather to work things through. Both also said their desire to keep me on the team and my HR supervisor asked me what they would need to do to keep me on the team. At the conclusion of the meeting, after I said that could not stay on the team, the HR supervisor offered to help me find a job within the organization. Anyway, themain attendance issue was requesting days off without advance notice. Like I mentioned before I've going through medical issues. At one point I needed surgery. Even then I only missed 2 days. One time I needed to take my father to ED then ended up spending the whole night waiting. He ended up being admitted. I work with 4 PIs and their studies. Two of the PIs have commended me on my performance and regularly give me positive feedback in person and via email. I've made errors on all studies, particularly more so in the other 2 PIs' studies. They are not as understanding and forgiving and have a fame for being hard to deal with. I'm ok with that. At any rate thank-you for your comments. I'm leaning more towards finding another job however I hate to leave a position just because of one lousy supervisor. Especially to leave a career that I am getting so good at. I started from nearly zero research experience and to now look at what I'm accomplishing, I'm super proud of myself. I told this to one of the PIs that I get along well with and he agreed but said that the choice was up to me. In the end, I don't want to look back and wish I had stayed/left. What makes this worse is the fact that for all the work that I do, I don't get paid very well. I could stay at home if I wanted to but I'm doing something that I enjoy. Thanks for your advice.

How right you were!!!

Hi guys and gals, I've been at my current desk job for over 8 months. I've messed up a few times (by forgetting to pick up labs, messing up samples, late data entry, giving late notice when I'm planning to come in late, etc.) mostly bad choices that I've learned from and moved forward. Except my supervisor LOVES to bring them to light. She never gets tired of bringing them up. First to her immediate supervisor and lately to HR director. She is new to management and our personalities simply put, do not get along, at all. I'm laid back, mellow and she is somewhat aggressive, go-getter, career focused. I'm a mom, had my kids early on, we are about the same age. She has accomplished more professionally because she is not married and lives on her own. She thus has time to throw herself completely to her newfound power! She is extremely controlling. Not willing to trust me on handling the studies I manage. At her request, we meet with once a week for an hour and go over (with a fine tooth comb) each study so that she is up to par on what I am up to and what is coming up. She loves to memorize the facts of the studies' status and presents said status at research team meetings with a gleam in her eye and doesn't fail to impress the PIs. Her supervisors love her because of the demonstrated dedication that she's shown. She works 50-60 hours a week. She's a blue-ribbon brown-noser and kiss a$$. I don't much care for niceties. I like doing my job and going home. She loves to keep up with what time I get there and what time I leave. Once, I got there at 8 am and left at 4. Since I'm supposed to work 4 10 hour days, she immediately sent an email to my HR supervisor to ask her where the rest of my hours that I didn't work would be deducted from, "would it by my PTO?" she wondered. I truly think that with all the work that she has, she should not be worried about what time I leave/come in. I'm a salaried employee. Lately I had been taking off some days and others coming in a bit late or leaving early. Mostly due to some legal and health related issues that I'm going through. I didn't want to disclose the nature of these appointments but she took it upon herself to call me out to the HR director. During said meeting, I ended up giving my 2 week notice. I cried during the meeting too because she complained that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I had left early when she had told me not too. Well the reason I did that was because my 12, 11, and 9 year olds had been by themselves for the 3rd day in a row. I had been holding my breath each day that I left them by themselves after childcare arrangments fell through. I didn't think that leaving early would be a big deal. All the while I cried she had this smirk on her face, almost like she was enjoying my humiliation. I wanted to slap that smirk off her ugly face! The next day I completely avoided her. There I was contemplating leaving a job that I so much enjoy and leaving it because I cannot get along with my supervisor. I told my HR supervisor and HR director that I could not and would not be able to stay at my current position. And made it very clear that it was because of her. She does not treat other research coordinators that way and she even said that because i'm not only a RC but also an RN that I bring a lot of value to the team. Well I sure don't feel valued! I hate her and even though it cost me a great deal of sacrifice of going through nursing school full-time while my kids were younger, I refuse to go to work to be under her tight grip. She revels in the power that she has over me. I hate her so much! But I really enjoy what I do! I've spoken with her supervisor and even the director of the program who both stand behind her 100%; the director particularly dislikes me. I think it's a female thing. I don't know but does anyone else think that there seems to be more animosity between female supervisors and their female employees... ?? What should I do? I gave my verbal 2 weeks notice but have not actually sent the email to make it 'official.' Thanks!

Agree, too lengthy. Also using 'cutting edge' is too cheesy. Try to be succinct and to the point.

Hi everyone, What are your thoughts on the following situation: There was once upon a time a nurse (shall we call her Star) who was hired into a exempt status position. One that, mind you, had a job description that did not match the actual responsibilities of her position. Nevertheless, with excitement and enthusiasm she took on the challenge, Star determined to make herself an expert in her new position. Fast forward nearly 9 months later and Star is under a new manager, one without an ounce of managing experience and who had early on showed signs of being a bit 'bossy.' Armed now with the actual title of 'manager' this former co-worker turned boss now has a firm grip on the day to day tasks of our fair RN. Knowing that the roles have changed, our heroine experiences what we common folk would describe as 'micro-managing.' From insisting on finding out the details of where Star was to take her sick relative on an off day to refusing to believe that Star was attending a training seminar and went as far as researching the course and instructor online to, despite Star's reservations, insisting they meet twice a week for one hour in which her job responsibilities were reviewed and made recommendations on what needed to be done (a fateful waste of time due to redundancy). A job that had once been something Star looked forward to became a dreaded one. A promising career turned into a rotunda parade of 'I need you to work a full day (day before Thanksgiving- despite having accumulated 43 hours already and despite having a work policy of working 4 hours count as 8 worked hours) all to make a team meeting in which she basically looked at Star and another coordinator and said "thank-you" -- a meeting she had previously stated was "too important to miss".. Star's dreams were filled with the manager's echoing voice asking "how many hours did you work this week' to 'you have to work a minimum of 40 hours, whatever it takes to get the job done' and 'no more flexing hours until further notice' and overstepping her manager's role by scheduling meetings and appointments on Star's behalf without consulting with her. Star made several attempts to appease her manager's hunger for power and control by taking several approaches of trying to point out what specific things her manager was doing that were not 'okay with her.' Speaking to one of her superior's was of no use, she insisted on 'I stand by whatever she says.' Not much changed and so alas, it has come to the point of which Star wishes that she had never stepped into that kingdom and kept riding into the sunset. But how will her short stint at this institution look on her resume if she were to change job positions? Is she willing to give up her job position? Is this a 'sign' that she must move on? How long is she willing to 'see it through'? Are any labor laws being broken by working outside of her job description's listed responsibilities? All of this she ponders and requests input from her fellow fair RNs... (to be continued)

Hi there, I really feel for you. I'm in a similar situation but after networking it seems that the lack of orientation is not at all uncommon. Several CRNCs that I've met have a similar story of being thrust into the role without any methodical or even evidence based training. In my case, I had no idea that I was going to actually coordinate studies. According to the job description I was merely a nurse that would act as a support person to protocols and had no actual responsibility to recruit, manage, or otherwise coordinate a study. Are there any support classes that you can attend? Any other coordinators to guide you in the process? PC

Hello Ladies and Gents :) I need some advice and a listening ear ... It's been my dream to go Emory SON, ever since May '09. So ... I planned out my prerequisites (and thus the next 15 months of my life) so that I'd start in Fall '10. Well, I ended up turning my application late and received a letter notifying that their applicant pool had been large and very competitive this semester. But that they were offering me a spot in their waiting list. When I called their admissions office I was told that the class size is 130 ppl and that it would have to drop to 109 persons b/4 they started choosing the best candidates from their waitlist. I'm thinking that maybe they decided I was not good enough for Emory (my GPA is 3.5) and that this was their way of breaking it gently since the possibilities of 21 persons dropping their fantastic nursing program are extremely low. When I got the letter yesterday I was devastated since Emory had been my only choice and now even though I had 2 plan Bs. I cried some and felt sorry for myself for awhile, you know all that tremendous class load that I had undertaken plus being a wife and mother as well. I realize that my dream will either not happen or be delayed one year. I had my heart set in graduating in 2012 but if I choose to wait another year, then it'll be in 2013 which is not a good number for me. Not that I'm into numerology or anything but some of you might get where I'm coming from ... Anyway, I have the option of going to Clayton State Nursing School this coming Spring and graduate in 2012 but in the fall. What do you all think I should do? If I wait for Emory Fall 2011, then I have a better chance at applying for merit based and need based financial aid as well as the NEAT program which pays 1/2 of tuition by agreeing to work for Emory for 2 years (I believe) upon graduation. I also have the option of going to Clayton State and graduating 4 months earlier but from a less prestigious school but maybe w/less debt. What would you all do in my situation? Go for your dream school or choose for plan B?? Thanks everyone for reading! pcaldea

Thanks :) I do hope to work there sometime soon. I get all excited just being in the hospital. And I love to help people! I was thinking about dropping off a note to the nursing director saying how much I want to work there and what skills I "bring to the table". Well thanks for your input! And I will look into financial aid/assistance so that I may better myself and become more employable. :) pcaldea

Hi Bikrgrl I do have experience with MS office in general (Word, Excel, Powerpoints, Outlook, etc.). I'm paying myself through the pre-nursing part of the program and I can't realistically afford to became anything else . Spending the $$ on the medical terminology was supposed to have been an investment. I had been told by the hospital that with that "under my belt", I'd have a great advantage... but so far nothing So I'm at this point weary of investing $2k approx for another career that might not get me the u/s job. I just wish they'd give me a chance. I'd love to prove myself. I've even dreamt myself working there, I hope it works out. :}

Hi there, Thank-you for your encouraging reply. I did reapply and I also got my BLS certification for Healthcare Providers. Before that, I followed up in person with the nursing director at L&D for the second time and I don't think that :cry:it went too well this time. I had been waiting for what thought then, for her to get off the phone. I didn't want to poke my head in there and interrept her so I waited out of earshot of her conversation. That's when a u/c walked up to her open office door and told her that I was waiting there. I guess this must have seemed like I had been listening all along to her conversation because she didn't look too thrilled to see me. Well needless to say I stammered and basically told her that I was getting my BLS certification the next day to which she happily replied "good for you!" I feel so embarrassed that I keep going up there to see about the job being open (b/c she has it closed since there isn't a real need right now ..) She told me that it'd be a few weeks before anything came up ..... I wonder if I'm being stubborn. I've applied to other positions in the hospital just so I can get "my foot in the door", but nothing! Not even a food service aide! I just hope I didn't get on her nerves by going there a second time. I don't want to over do it, you know? It's just that my husband and I really need for me to work since he is not working right now. Thanks for listening (reading) :)

hi everyone :) i'd like to work as a unit secretary in the local hospital. i have taken the medical terminology class that the position requires and also have the secretarial experience. however, i have not been considered for all the unit secretary positions that the hospital has (over 5). i'm trying to get my bls certification from american heart assoc. i spent the money on the medical terminology course thinking that it would be worth it since having that would make me hirable. i feel so disappointed, my class finished in february and i still have nothing. i am in the midst of doing my prerequisite courses for the nursing program. i spoke to the nursing director of the floor that i'd like to work in, (l&d), and she basically said that i needed to reapply since my initial application is almost 8 months old! any advice? thanks.

Hi Kris, Thanks for your reply! You know, the L&D floor is the one I want to work in! I must admit you were brave in going up there to talk to the head nurse I'm thinking about doing the same thing too ... I mean, I've been to the HR dept. twice and they basically tell me "good luck" and "keep trying" and "we know times are tough". The receptionist also told me that on average for every available position there are supposedly 70 applicants to it. How did you approach the head/director nurse? I'm afraid of doing this and decreasing my chances, but at this point, I'm willing to risk it ... What do you think?? pcaldea