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!

Everything RN34TX just said, IN TRIPLICATE!. Does anyone have any idea how many nurses leave jobs because of abusive families? LOTS! The big "profiteering" nursing homes especially, are terrified of losing business, but could care less about losing nurses.

"Glorified nurses aide." That's exactly how I felt when I enrolled in an LPN program over 20 years ago. While there is definitely a place for LPN's in health care, I felt it was too restrictive. I quickly withdrew, and signed up for college courses which could be applied toward a BSN. It took more time and was more expensive to get a BSN, but I never regretted it. It depends on what you want out of your career, and where you plan to practice. Where I live, LPN's have no problem finding jobs.

Some hospitals and facilities in "Right-To-Work" states are making attempts to improve working conditions. However, it's "business-as-usual" in most places. Unfortunately, that means Right-To-Work for less, without dinner or rest breaks, accepting mandatory overtime, etc..And also, being fired anytime, for any reason.

Every nurse in these states should fight for unionization. Employers in Right-To-Work states can arbitrarily hire, fire, change the rules, reassign duties without consulting the employee, etc... You name it, they can make a nurses work life a living hell, in the name of Corporate Compliance. In a way, it's like modern day slavery. Employees are valueless and expendable.You are free to quit, but it's the same everywhere in these states. How did these Right-To Work laws ever come about?

This is a dangerous situation. Instead of fixing the outmoded and broken down healthcare system, they further complicate the lives of nurses by hiring UAP. No matter what new designation of healthcare worker is created to ease the nursing shortage, RN's are still ultimately responsible for the actions of UAP and LPN's. This was made very clear to me when I was visited at work by a State Board of Nursing official. An LPN made an error and I was blamed. When I protested, pointing out that she was licensed and had 10 years more nursing experience than I had, they said "Too bad...you're the RN, and you're responsible." So, I am ultimately responsible for the actions of everyone even those minutely involved in patient care on my floor, excluding other RN's. Unrealistic, unreasonable, and not worth it.

I agree. When you can't think about going back to work without feeling ill, It's time to GO! A bad job situation steals your lifes energy. It's amazing what a positive difference a job change can make. New people to work with, new place to excercise your skills, and learn new ones. A new place for your light to SHINE! Good luck!

I have to agree with you, Angel337. Forget Retail! I returned to nursing last year, after 3 years in another career. I can tell you the grass sometimes isn't greener, just different. I would never advise someone to leave nursing. It's a very personal and difficult decision to make. For me, leaving had a positive effect. Other professions aren't without problems. There are bad bosses and troublesome co-workers, everywhere. Competition and jealousy in the workplace is the way of the world today. I learned that the worst thing you can do on any job, is keep silent when something is wrong. Keeping quiet is thought to be the "professional" thing to do. It's the quickest way to achieve "Doormat" status, no matter what job you have. I returned to nursing with a different attitude. I don't agree to anything without careful consideration. I set limits on what I will accept, and I don't run away from problems as I did in the past. Bottom line is, we teach people how to treat us by what we accept. Nursing has accepted too much. Too bad they don't have mandatory Assertiveness Training in all nursing programs.

I'm not rich. Worked my way through a very difficult BSN program as a CNA. After I got my RN, a supervisor said, "How could somebody like "you" have their BSN?...Guess you had nothing else to do." DUH! Back then I said nothing. I was shocked. These days I have plenty to say. Oh if I could only see her again. But even BETTER than that was the time I was eating in a fast food place, reading a copy of RN. A man across the isle leaned over and said; "Would you like to be a nurse someday honey?..It's not easy you know." Like who the hell else would be reading a professional nursing magazine? :chuckle QUOTE=SharonMH31]Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. It's a reflection on them not you and I honestly don't get upset anymore. In fact, it can be fun clearing the air; the look of surprise is quite entertaining sometimes.

When I was a DON a few years back, I was bombarded every day by nurses telling tales; Pointing out the faults and "stupidity" of their coworkers, especially new hires. New nurses would work about a month, then leave without much explanation. I got so sick and tired of the line of complainers outside my office door, that I decided to check up on the tattlers themselves. Their work was always incomplete. Meds were not signed off, documentation was never finished, etc.. You name it. When I told them to clean up their own act, a very heated exchange took place. They threatened me with the NLRB, ACLU, State Board of Nursing, etc. After that, I did rounds every day and checked everyone's work, so not to appear biased. Thankfully, they quit and went somewhere else, saying "I hadn't heard the last of them." We were so short-staffed at the time, you would think they would have welcomed and helped those new people.

Too bad if you're on her s@#$t list. Hang in there; You did the right thing. If the patient had been injured, guess who she would have pointed the finger at. She needs a reality check, on how a patient's safety is more important than her "power trip." Glad you documented well, as I'm sure she is whining to someone, and trying to make you look like the bad guy. Who's in charge around there anyway? Time for a meeting. Sorry if I sound harsh; I have no time and no patience for crap like that.