Recommendations from disaffected managers/co-workers

[Kiwi, BSN, RN]

I've got a year before I apply, but I'm just wondering about recommendation letters...

From my personal experience... I've worked as an aide in the ICU, and while I was there, a nurse wanted to go to CRNA school. She was (in my view) a nurse who worked hard, minded her own business, cared for her pts, etc. She wasn't in the "clique", if you know what I mean. When the clique / nurse manager found out that she wanted to go further her education, they acted very cold towards her. She eventually got accepted to the University of New England's program-- Her husband is a resident MDA there. I can't imagine them writing a decent recommendation for her. Even after she left, they continued to speak ill of her.

Has anyone been in this situation when applying for anesthesia school? Did you feel as if you would not be evaluated fairly by your manager/co-workers because they were disaffected toward your goals/ OR (as lame as this sounds), you weren't in the clique? And if so, what did you do to receive a fair recommendation for your hard work?

[apaisRN, RN, CRNA]

I was concerned about this too, because I'd had run-ins with the interim manager over health problems. Then we got a permanent manager who is amazing and wrote me a better recommendation than I could ever hope for. Luck was on my side.

I wonder if you could talk to the schools about it? You can't be the only person in this boat. If your manager is angry about you leaving - and some are - naturally they won't have anything nice to say. You hope people won't be that petty but sometimes they are. Maybe you could substitute someone else, like a senior nurse in the unit with a CCRN and lots of experience? Or someone who precepted you and so knows you really well. Someone whose opinion they'd respect.