Brainiacster

This is another reason the nursing profession is denigrated: people assume it's as easy to become a nurse as it is to become a teacher (or some other fairly simple curriculum). It's erroneous to equate teachers with nurses. A teaching degree is much easier to acquire than is a nursing education. (The level of difficulty of the curriculum generally isn't close to that of the medical professions.) Back to generalities: in general, the public has been repeatedly told they're 'entitled' to the point of becoming jaded, obnoxious, and expecting something for nothing. In addition, the image of nursing is still glorfied hand maiden. The public would be rather shocked to see a nursing curriculum. Unfortunately, with hospitals propagating the customer service paradigm, coupled with having nurses implement it (rather than hiring other staff to do it), it adds to the erroneous image of nursing. From a pt's perspective, a nurse knows nothing except how to twiddle a few machines & do basic tech stuff...along with waitress/waiter duties. In their minds, only the MD knows anything. Even the public perception of MD's is starting to fall by the wayside. Too many arm chair 'medical professionals' who spend their time on simplified literature from WebMD. They have no REAL concept of what exactly it is people in the medical professions really have to know. As many have said, you have educate people.

Usually, I don't notice that kind of behavior at first due to just not thinking that way myself, so it takes a while before it sinks in that someone's pulling something. It doesn't happen often, but when it does (LOL & when I finally notice it), I'm usually flabbergasted which is quickly replaced by losing respect for the other party. It's generally a sign of insecurity in the other party (or parties). Sometimes, they're basically jealous of you. Other times, they mistake your niceness as weakness (even if they're not jealous), so they go for the jugular. Often, with these kind of people, the more you try to accomodate them, the more they mistake it for you being intimidated, so it can escalate. These people are best avoided, but if you can't do that, you have to do something to rectify it (they sure won't initiate that). Basically, keep it professional, brief, and firm without being overbearing, over emotional, or over explanatory. If they still don't shape up, you sometimes have to get a little terse with them. It usually shocks them & they tend to back off. If you can throw a little humor into it (while maintaining an assertiveness about your personality), it often deflects it too. Also, don't get involved in a passive-aggressive tit for tat game with them. That tends to simply escalate it. It can also get to be a vicious cycle since it tends to make the victim even less sure & less assertive which can feed the bullying behaviors. DO frequently remind yourself that you have a lot going for you. If you get caught up in negative thinking to the point where you bash yourself, it'll become a vicious cycle & spiral down. Force your mind out of that mode, even if it's difficult for you. Also, pragmatically, you might try to find some allies at work...people with whom to associate so you're not sitting there as the lone target of these gals. (...and don't use your allies to get back at the others...just rise above it & focus on your allies & job.) It also sounds as though they were being passive-aggressive with you in school. Now they've escalated. Unfortunately, there are people like this out there & we have to deal with them in a way such that it doesn't affect us and our jobs, etc. Also, most bosses have enough on their plates & are concerned with their own careers, so they're generally not too interested in being pulled into these things. They just want things running smoothly so their jobs run more smoothly. You're generally better off handling it yourself if you can. If it gets to the point where you've exhausted all avenues, sometimes you DO have to involve superiors. Never really good for anyone, so go to the boss only as a very last resort. One last thing, try thinking more like a guy. Focus on your job and you'll find if your mind is more focused on the details of your job, it'll be naturally less focused on these types of people, thus have less effect. If you're new & have to ask questions, there are usually a few 'go to' people who are willing to help & to impart their knowledge. Those are the people you want to seek out.

OP, Don't let a couple of difficult personalities rain on your parade. As one poster mentioned, if there's any way to trade off pts, that might be a good idea. As others have said: document. The biggest thing to keep in mind is your license.

OP, Keep the job, but also keep looking. You're keeping skills fresh and you've got something to put on your resume. In addition, supervisory experience looks good on a resume too. It's better than nothing until you find something else. BTW, this employer must be crazy if they're actually expecting anyone to stay around too long offering basically half of what you should be making in a full-time position.

These people are probably the same people who feel "entitled" to HC and such...that is, as long as someone ELSE's taxes increase to pay for THEIR cheaper insurance. Unfortunately, that's the majority of the public any more. It's a self-righteous "me, me, me" generation now. People want EVERYTHING, but they do NOT want to pay for it. That's really the bottom line in hospitals too. Patients...er customers...have a sense of entitlement but they do NOT want to pay for the extra care. The very reason staff doesn't have much time to spend with these patients is precisely due to money issues. It's not even the fault of the hospitals; rather, it goes right back to the patients. They do NOT want to pay for their own HC, yet they expect Cadillac service. They're constantly complaining HC is too expensive, yet they can't fathom WHY hospitals don't hire more staff. Folks...news flash: if you want more staff to cater to your every whim, it costs MONEY...and YOU are not willing to PAY for it. You have only YOURSELVES to blame for it. Unfortunately, hospitals are now operating on slimmer margins so are desperately vying for business to the point where they end up enabling such atrocious behavior from patients & their families. No nurse should ever have to put up with this type of behavior. These are the same people who vote for politicians who promise them freebies at other OTHER people's expense. Basically, the Welfare mentality has bled over into the middle class. (Ever notice how self-righteous the Medicaid pts are? The middle class is just as bad any more. It also goes beyond HC. This attitude of entitlement permeates their lives - yet they never want to shell out a dime of their OWN money - they're quite happy to just rip off some stranger to pay for all of this.) BTW, these will also be the first patients who are SCREAMING about 2 yr waiting lists for elective surgeries if Obamacare is implemented. (Some of these pts will also be shocked to find out their CABG surgery will be considered elective. Yes, that DOES happen in Europe.) Also, they're in for quite a rude awakening when they finally figure out Obamacare is NOT free. In countries such as Germany, the middle class public pays up to 15.5% of their annual salaries for national HC. Can also hear the screaming when the middle class is eventually paying 60% of their income in taxes if the US becomes a socialism. (It's a bit over 60% in countries like Sweden.) These people are letting their own greed override any logic or common sense. They won't figure it out until they actually experience it in a few years. Poetic justice in the end...unfortunately, it drags the rest of us down too. Seems we're on our way to becoming Greece II.

OP, Depends on what kind of experience the recruiter has. If it's strictly someone from an HR background who really doesn't understand the science or the nuances of nursing, the recruiter can be almost worthless. Sometimes, the recruiter's manager has been around long enough to know a good applicant when one comes along, but more junior staff frequently is clueless re what the job really entails. Often, they're given a list of Q's to ask & it's fairly obvious on the phone that they're pretty green. Also, a lot of places use a computer program to do the first set of selections. Often those programs will scan only the first portion of a resume (X number of words) and those programs also look for certain words to be repeated. Anyway, hope this info helps. BTW, if you can bypass HR & talk directly to an NM, you've just cut a lot of the red tape out. Good luck!

Seems like much more tattling going on in nursing than in other professions. It's a rarity for it to happen in most professions. Most people don't want to look unprofessional & whiny in front of their bosses. MD's don't rat on each other either - people cover their own asses and most people do that by NOT tattling. You develop a bad reputation if you're constantly tattling. The only logical reason for doing it in nursing would be if by not mentioning something your license was in jeopardy. Other than that, you just develop a reputation as a whiny trouble maker and you're screwing your own career. In addition, seems odd for a mere work acquaintance to nose into other people's business. We're thrown together as relative strangers & we're here to WORK. I don't really care who's doing what to whom, who is or isn't pulling their weight, etc; I just want to get the job done. Try to save your personal beliefs & emotions for those who are interested, and that's usually not in the work place. Maybe it's the hen house thing. If so, it's no wonder women don't get much respect.

It's no surprise CRNA's want to upgrade their titles. However, the level of ed/training doesn't compare with that of an MD. BTW, it seems a lot of anesthesiologists are running skin clinics these days. Apparently, they got a little too rambunctious hiring CRNA's. I would suggest other MD's be a little more careful re hiring NP's lest they suffer the fate of anesthesiologists. It may be more lucrative in the short term, but it'll come back to bite you in the proverbial ass. Obamacare will, of course, accelerate that. BTW, since when does a DO even begin to compare to an MD education regarding *quality* of education, residency, and, if applicable, fellowship? DO's, of course, will argue the point. If only I had a penny for every time I've heard, "We do the same residencies." For the most part, DO's certainly don't get the cream of the crop residencies. It's also interesting how DO's downplay the chiropractic aspect of their "specialties." It seems a certain sector created the title DO to accommodate those who didn't quite qualify for acceptance into an MD program. In my book, the only people who deserve the title of "Doctor" are DVM's & MD's. Probably moot with Democrats running the show now. Get ready for Euro style medicine.

sounds like the typical overindulged brat kid who has now morphed into a non-functional young adult. mama is still there enanbling him now. is it any wonder he's such a problem?

Sorry your kid has probs, but we didn't cause those probs. People are naturally going to assume. You'll have to deal with it GRACIOUSLY. This attitude of self-righteousness is sickening. (Not to mention the nasty attitude towards "uneducated" Walmart workers...as though they're the scum of the Earth or something.) As if anyone cares if you "take your business elsewhere." Basically, I'd be thinking "good riddance." Betting this one also feels "entitled" to HC too. You are NOT entitled to ANYTHING at OTHER people's expense. If applicable, BUY your own HC and QUIT MOOCHING off tax payers. The world does not revolve around YOU! (Where IS that puking icon?!!!).

OP, Try to get a CNA or tech position to get your foot in the door (and don't rely on *only* online apps). Also, network...nurses, doctors, HR, professional organizations, clubs, anyone/anything related to the profession who may be able to bring your name up...all the better if they have some clout. In these times, who you know can make all the difference. Also, volunteer work will help you to establish a reputation as well as helping you to network. If hospitals won't let you volunteer as an RN, try some place that WILL let you. If you're allowed to volunteer as an RN, it will also keep your skills honed. Meanwhile, also start working on additional education. LOL and lastly, don't vote Dem...Dems tend to destroy economies which is never good for workers! (Actually, this recession has been in the making for a number of yrs, but if you research it, a lot of it had to do with Dem Congress during the Bush era and before - mostly to do with their housing programs including effects on banks...once the housing market went south, everything else followed.)

OP, There are several programs that allow people to move from a non-nursing bachelor's straight into a master's in nursing - even without an RN first. One such program is an accelerated 12 month program at the University of AZ in Tucson. Since you already have an RN and AD, your options will be even wider than that. Quite frankly, I'd go for the MSN if you can get it. Shop around. Check GetEducated.com. It's a pretty good resource for checking out various educational opportunities based on criteria you select (type of program, online/in person, cost, etc).

OP, Will the hospital allow you to work some extra hours as a tech or even volunteer (just paperwork or ordering supplies, for example) in the ED in addition to your capacity in your current role as nurse? (Might get a foot in the door.) If so, it might be worth asking for some extra moonlighting hours there. ...or possibly, doing some tech, nursing, or other moonlighting work in another hospital's ED while you're still at your current hospital. Also, as other posters have mentioned, you might want to *quietly* keep your eyes open for full-time ED nursing opportunities at other hospitals. In the interim, you might want to research other hospitals regarding where their needs are in ED...and perhaps fill a needed role in ED while you're waiting for your opportunity. Get whatever additional training you might need, etc. You might even ask some Q's of people in your own hospital's ED. Think outside of the box & try to make opportunities. Best

Whatever you say, say it professionally and make it productive for the CEO and the hospital. (Remember, this isn't about venting; it's about positive, beneficial, maybe even innovative yet cost-conscious ideas that will make the hospital & CEO really shine...hopefully, it's something that will be a plus for EVERYONE) BTW, this could also be YOUR opportunity to really shine & start building a foundation for a really great career. Not many people get the opportunity to hang out with the CEO! Professional & productive... This is a good example (Perhaps YOU could even be involved or in charge of implementing such a system...if your interest lies in that direction...or suggest something else equally beneficial...if he likes your suggestion, maybe you could offer to implement it! ...could be quite a career boost...heck, maybe even leading to working with the CEO!)Ideas like the one above, or ideas pertaining to patients' families (seems hospitals are always wanting to improve "client relations"), or find out what it was that caused the hospital to get a lower rating than expected and use that as a basis for ideas, are there new efficient ways of doing things that would benefit the hospital, can you streamline something, or...the list is endless. Try to also think of things that would also work well with your own strengths...are you good at organizing, are you good at writing, do you have technical knowledge in computers/software (could lead to informatics, for example), are you good with people, and so on... Brainstorm, do some research, leg work, and preparation, talk to co-workers both in & out of your realm, find out what needs to be addressed (esp from the CEO's perspective) & come up with some specific, well-thought out solutions & answers to professionally present...maybe even come up with several ideas...basically, present solutions to whatever it is that could be beneficial to the hospital, the CEO, and all...

OP, better to ask now than risk a snowballing situation over time. As others point out, try to develop some relationships with other nurses who may be more willing to share their knowledge, in addition to asking your preceptor. Any time one gets into technical jobs, there's always a learning curve for a few yrs. Stick with it and ask those Q's...and also maybe do a little extra research in your free time in areas where you need it.