So, I have been at my job for seven months now and I applied for a transfer to my dream unit. My application was rejected, so I emailed the supervisor to touch base to see what more I can do to become a competitive candidate. I had talked with her before and have even went as far as to do what she suggested: join the specialty's organization, volunteer on a routine...she said she would sent off my resume.
Now? She is saying that the manager is recommending TWO years of med/surg experience to even be considered even though I have done EVERYTHING that the supervisor has asked and that unit has hired so many new grads. She says that med/surg is great and blah, blah, blah. But let's face it: how can working with sick adults help with premies? It doesn't. This is the same person who told me she only spent one year in med/surg prior to switching to my dream specialty.
I am livid. I feel like I am being strung along, and that I have absolutely no future whatsoever at my job. I have since started filling applications at other places.
I am half-way done with the residency program with more than seven months of experience, and I am damn sure not going to stay another 17 months in hopes getting something that I probably won't get. I have been at this hospital for damn near five years, and I am furious. I get waiting to a year-mark, but two? Hell no.
At this point, what should I do? Should I leave the hospital and try to get on somewhere else? Contact her after the residency program is over (I will have almost 14 months of experience) and say that I am ready to transfer? I would hate to leave this institution as I am almost vested and it has great benefits, but I don't want to reward this stringing along behavior.
Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.
Absolutely no to leaving before vested. (who are you hurting?). Finish the residency. Consider that that your manager is not letting you go because you are an asset to your unit and the NICU manager can't really say that. Remember, everyone's dream job wasn't a dream, some are nightmares.
I'm with not2blue...I moved heaven and earth to get into my dream specialty despite all the red flags telling me it was wrong. I enjoyed the specialty but the unit was toxic and management incompetent...it's not always greener. Good luck and I hope you can find what you're looking for.
Nobody can tell you how to feel or what to do. It doesn't sound like she values you for reasons you may not even be aware of. Hiring people is somewhat of a subjective process because we are human beings. You could (a) finish out your residency because its not a waste of time, then reapply, or (b) finish up and go where you might have a better chance. Start looking near the end. Then if you get another offer AND she accepts you, you have a choice ( assuming there's no contract to stay). Take charge of your future. I've trained countless new grads and seasoned RN's.Drive and intelligence often level the playing field. In other words, some new grads turn out to be better nurses in a short period of time. You're correct. Med Surg irrelevant for NICU. I assume you already understand the hospital infrastructure, now it's time to focus on the medicine and nursing of newborns.
And in kind of a backhanded compliment thing managers can find ways to block a transfer if they just don't want to lose you either because you are just that good or simply because their staffing is low enough that losing you could be an issue.
Personally I would go with the you are just to good to lose theory.
Ah well, staffing is bad at my place. At not even eight months, I am already half-way up the seniority chain...that is how high the turnover is. Hiring is also very slow to pick-up and every single new hire is a new grad. Just recently, I was forced into a charge role (full assignment) with NO training and the only nurses besides me were also new grads. I was stressed out!
2 years of med/surg experience with adults will do little to prepare you for the world of NICU, honestly - my hospital routinely hires new grads that are passionate with the specialty because it is so so so specific. So I'm surprised by that comment, because I find it to be simply untrue. Two completely different worlds. Did you interview with the other floor at any time? I missed that part. It could be, and I hate to say it, that they are simply uninterested in hiring you and don't have the guts to say that. :/
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
In my mind, I know that I should wait at least until September of next year. By then I will be fully vested and have used up all my vacation time to go to places I want to go to. But my irrational, emotional side is just furious about the situation right now.
I have only read to this post. Based on what I've followed of your career, and the fact that you were not hired on as a new grad in the department where you WORKED as a tech, my gut is saying that you pissed someone off, and you are blackballed from that department. I fear that unless management changes, you will not be hired there. Give it a full year (or until next September when you're fully vested) and then start applying at other hospitals. I would not pin all your future career aspirations on this unit. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, and I could very well be totally off-base, but that's just my impression.
I would stick out your residency and get your vesting. You are building good nursing experience.
I read through this and I have to ask, are you an AD RN or BSN? If you are an AD RN and they hired BSN's I can see that being a reason. It's great you've worked at that facility for several years, but often times just being in an organization that long to me does not serve you well when trying to move up the food chain. Many only see you as your first job and do not value your new skill set you learned. This a huge problem in the VA system where tech Susie gets her RN through the VA program. Susie gets hired as an RN - Susie may get a slight bump in her pay, but not huge. Then Susie gets her MSN and doesn't see a bump in grade/pay. No her friend in school Peggy gets an MSN and then gets hired on at the same VA and is hired in at a higher grade level than Susie who has spent years working in the same facility. The moral of the story is sometimes you gotta walk out the door and come back in for people to see you and respect you as you are now not who you were.
My advice:
Finish the residency and get your vesting. Then if you still can't get your transfer get a different job and you can always come back and probably at a higher pay rate and commanding more respect.
nurseactivist
247 Posts
Absolutely no to leaving before vested. (who are you hurting?). Finish the residency. Consider that that your manager is not letting you go because you are an asset to your unit and the NICU manager can't really say that. Remember, everyone's dream job wasn't a dream, some are nightmares.