jenruth

Right. Running a computer business was interesting but isolating. Contact with people was limited to answering questions and sending a "Thank you for your purchase,"email. However, I don't think I have it in me to "go postal." I have a couple of nursing references from ex-managers and a supervisor, but employers want more. I'm working on doing some volunteering, Hopefully I'll be able to reconnect with my career. I don't think acquaintances from class could answer the kinds of questions they ask. How would they know if I'm mature, dependable and trustworthy? Anyway the instructor told us up front, no refs. Something about liability? I read an article on the internet which stated that nurses have such poor self esteem, they become easily discouraged when employers throw the bureaucratic hurdles their way. With that in mind, the suggestion about bypassing HR, and connecting with the Nursing Dept. first, is great. I think Nursing should be very concerned about the way applicants are treated at their facilities. It's like, we are not who we say we are; We are who and what others say we are. Education and experience are extras. Just come to your interview with an impressive list of names and phone numbers.

Thanks for your advice. Refresher course already taken, and no, I never did anything horrible in my previous jobs except to not take a lot of crap. Very disappointing that these "in-the-box" thinkers in HR are the gate-keepers of our profession. If I ask anything about new or innovative programs like Evidence Based Practice, or anything that empowers nurses like Shared Governance and they kind of stare like I'm from another planet. What's important is, how much overtime will I work, and can I be on-call as needed. And let's not forget the very important and very 1980's, "Where do you want to be in five years?"

A huge question. Because of responsibilities at home, I have been self-employed in internet sales. I sat at my computer and processed customer orders all day, 7 days a week. My contact with the outside world was pretty much limited to anonymous emails from customers. Now, because of changes in my life situation, I want to go back to full-time nursing Trying to return has been impossible. I have experience and education which I have kept up to date, and I do get some interviews. When they hear I was self-employed, the tone of the interviewer becomes almost prosecutorial and sarcastic. IE: "So, I see you've had a lot of time on your hands"...And so on. Then, it just goes downhill. No, I haven't had a lot of time on my hands. Oddly, I never get this sort of negativity from nurses. It only comes from the HR people you have to climb over when applying for jobs. My next problem is references. I put down ex-employers. They want personal refs like from neighbors and such. I don't know that anyone outside of employers would be qualified to answer the kind of questions they ask. It seems as if my decision to be my own boss for a while has disqualified me from ever working as a nurse again.

Hi, Go to http://www.careerbuilder.com. They have lots of great info on interviewing, resumes, etc..Just follow the links. One advantage of a telephone interview is you can anticipate questions and write out your answers. Practice answering the tough questions and remember, no one will see if you have to refer to your answer sheet! Best wishes!

I can relate to all these posts. What really irritates me about these people is, while they're yelling and making a scene, they often make sure to let you know they have a lawyer. So I document very thoroughly.

The LTC industry is so broken, they don't know what else to do. The big LTC corporations are beating the customer-service thing to death. It's like a nursing home is really a hotel, and the all of the staff are "servers." Puts alot of stress on Nursing.

Ok, back to the poster who has an office person telling Nursing what to do. This has been an irritation to me since I was a new graduate. Always snippy, superior, and demeaning to the nursing staff, these lard butted, coffee-cup jockeys usually have something negative to say about nurses. They encourage gossip and ill-will among staff members. They also "know" how nurses should do their jobs. While nurses go without a meal or rest break, You can be sure they WILL take their break, as many as they can get away with. Don't ask them to fax something or make a call for you, as they will never go out of their way or do anything extra to help out. When I'm around they stay in their office. :angryfire

That's right folks. When you commit to a career in health care, holiday work is often part of it, kids or not. As a former DON, I know this time of year can be a nightmare for those who do work schedules. Let me remind you all;Those who don't have children do have a life, and taking a holiday off now and again should be NO PROBLEM. Basing decisons to grant holiday time-off only to those with children is discrimination. I'd advise the original poster to tell the co-worker who wants Christmas off, to mind her own business, then take her concerns to the boss. If having weekends and holidays off is super important, nurses can always choose PRN schedules or agency work.

For what it's worth.....There's a thread in the Nursing Activisim section of this site about nurses who don't get a lunch break. A formal study concluded that nurses who miss lunch breaks make more errors. I'm sure the same can be said for Doc's who miss lunch.

I have to laugh. Stand up to a bully and watch them go whine to management. I respond to these cowards with, "Nothing to do today?" This statement really sets them off, and often sends them squealing to some supervisor. I've been called rude, mean, etc... The poor darlings can make work a living hell for their co-workers, but they can't stand it when anyone challenges them.

Very true. It could never be completely free. What worries me about socialized medicine, is that it would remove the individual person's power of choice. Every aspect of one's healthcare would be directed and managed by bureaucrats. Noncompliance would result in being refused insurance coverage. And what would be done with people in high-risk groups for certain diseases and conditions? Such a system might refuse them any insurance coverage.

Unfortunately, every workplace has a few or more troublemakers. There are laws regarding a "hostile" workplaces or work environments. Without knowing the specifics of your situation, I would suggest you first review your employer's policies. Most employee handbooks describe practices or behaviors which are unacceptable at work. An employee should be able to carry out their duties without fear, threats, etc.. If your supervisor or Human Resource Dept. can't or won't assist you, don't just go away quietly! Speak with an attorney familiar with employee law. He or she will advise you on how to proceed. You can also contact the National Labor Relations Board. (In the phone book under U.S., Federal Govt.)

Your post really "put the icing on my Friday afternoon cake". I understand why you and your co-workers have low morale. I can't understand why this blatent abuse of nurses is still going on. Some places have really tried to make working conditions better for nurses, but many are still hanging on to old tactics. They're not going to wise up until the entire Nursing Dept.says, "We're just not having this anymore." Then what? Will they sit down and try to solve problems, or will they fire everyone for insubordination? Who will take up the slack? Agency nurses, new grads, and new nurses will be recruited with a sign-on bonus and other perks. Eventually, they will also burn-out. I've heard that the State of Pa. is having a tough time keeping nurses and doctors. Now I know why. Write a letter to your State Senator! Tell me his name, and I'LL WRITE TO HIM!!

Please don't "go to the bathroom" in your bed!

A colleague of mine, recently took a job in a large LTC center, on the 3-11 shift. Scheduled for orientation on a 30-bed Skilled-Care Unit. After an hour she agreed to work the hall alone, because another nurse didn't come in. Around 6 PM, she noticed alot of people hanging around the halls, who looked like they didn't belong there. When she asked a CNA who they were, she was told "not to pay attention", as they probably were family members. Concerned, she called and left messages with the DON. Things got so chaotic on that short-staffed floor she had all she could do with getting meds and treatments to residents she was not familiar with. A nurse working another hall told her that's how it was, and that she could "sink or swim." At the end of the shift, she found her coat, purse, and car keys missing. She never found out if anyone else had anything stolen, because she quit that night. Thankfully, her car had been parked across the road, and was still there. She had car locks and home locks changed, and had to do all the inconvenient stuff you do when your personal info is stolen. There's more to this situation, but I gave you the basics. So here's my RANT. Why do employers throw nurses into situations like this, and then whine about the nursing shortage? They can't understand why they can't keep good employees. My aquaintance said she felt unsafe and unwelcome from the start. No one from administration came to check on staffing, before leaving for the evening. No one on the floor knew she was coming for orientation. There was no secure place to keep belongings. The medication room was wide open for anyone to walk in. CNA's were on an extended smoke-break for most of the shift. In short, it was a "free for all." The "Icing-on-the-cake," was when the DON told her, she "wasn't really the type of nurse they wanted." The DON added, that having personal items stolen was her fault, because she shouldn't have brought them in the building. Even though she had her things stolen, I think she's lucky she got away without something worse happening. Hopefully, workplaces like that are the exception!