Should I stay or should I go?

[Dani_Mila, BSN, RN]

Seeking Advice 🤔

I work at a 23 beds cardiac/ stroke step down unit. We recently have a high turnover of nightshift staffing with 4 nurses leaving, 3 of them were charge nurses. There are 5 of us left who are experienced and can be trained for charge nurse role. There was a discussion of making the experienced nurses charge nurse trained. I was at first OK with it because I think it's just fair and we could help each other out when we work together, but I was still very adamant not to be in charge nurse role due to bad experience at my previous job.

Well, I found out that 2 of the other experienced nurses won't be trained as charge due to them having FMLA and history of multiple call outs, so my manager thinks they are not reliable and won't be successful. I was very upset when I found out about this because in fairness none of us want to step up to do charge nurse role. The unit is stressful as it is. I feel like our manager literally rewarded them because of their bad behaviors. And, I. My defense, if they can be exempt then why can't I? On top of that, there was no formal notice of "Hey, we will train you to be charge nurses beam cause our unit is short!" Instead, I found out through Kronos that my manager scheduled me to be trained immediately without notice. I was panicking and stressed out for the entire 2 days off that I got.

I emailed my manager about it and she claimed that she sent out an email to me and the other 2 nurses. My coworker checked and she didn't get any email and so did I. I was super stressed out that I felt like I need to leave the unit because I feel like I'm being forced to do something I'm not comfortable with and have been adamantly been refusing to do for 3 years. So, I decided to apply to a different unit (Surgical) on a whim. This surgical unit has 13 beds. They normally do general surgery like new colostomy, ex lap, fractures/ joint, etc.

I had a meeting with my manager and there were some clarification involved which made me wished I spoke with her first. However, she still encouraged me to be a charge nurse even though I told her multiple times that I don't want the role. She claimed it will help my professional growth 🙄 (more like you don't have anyone right now). She stated she was concerned because I'm not stepping up with leadership. She also found out that I applied to the surgical unit and she got a slightly upset about it to a point that she got a little sarcastic. Anyways, she told me to think it through. She said she will offer "adequate" training and even mentioned that I attend a workshop about charge nurse role provided by the hospital to help with my anxiety.

Well, fast forward, I just did my interview with the surgical unit manager. My first impression of her was really good. I feel like she listened really well with my concerns. She knows I don't want to be a charge nurse, but like all managers do, she asked me if I want to be a charge nurse in the future. I said I like to try, but not anytime soon. Honestly, I should have been more transparent and told her a flat no. I get nervous during interview that sometimes I ramble or blank out. To be honest, I'm don't  think I am a charge nurse material and I don't want that added responsibility and stress. Also, the position is for nightshift with dayshift rotation as needed. She emphasized "just in case" there's shortage during dayshift. She stated she doesn't forsee any rotation soon because they're adequately staffed during days. I told her I like my nights and would rather stay in nights. However, I heard most of the new job postings are like this where they prefer their new hires to be flexible for rotation and not strictly days or nightshift. From my understanding , it is not mandatory, but she wants flexibility. I have to actually clarify this with her since this might be an issue. The position is literally marked as "Morning shift, no rotation". She told me to really think about it. She said that I will hear from her soon.

This unit is definitely going to be different from my unit. My unit is so chaotic, high stress level and really short staffed. My manager has been trying to hire people specifically for nights, but no one is applying and from what I heard she's planning on hiring more new grads. On the other hand, I heard there was no issue with surgical unit and my former coworker who is now a charge nurse in that unit had raved about how it's less stressful. She also said she has no issues with the manager and she encouraged me to take the job if offered.

Honestly, I like my unit and the type of patients I get. It's busy, challenging and you learn a lot of things. However, management is the issue. A lot of people are leaving because of it. 40 staff have left in 3 years under her management, we counted. I like to stay, but I feel like I will eventually get forced again to be trained to be charge since she'll have new people coming. I feel like the expectation will also be high since she doesn't have a lot of experienced staff that's left. I'm concern that this refusal may end up biting me and will be the cause of termination. I really don't want to be her next target. I'm open to learn and work at a different unit, but I'm concerned that I might get bored or I might not like it. Also, that whole dayshift rotation thing may be an obstacle.

What do you guys suggest? Sorry for the long post!

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

 If you decide to leave, you will hopefully get to experience working on a well-run unit. That's a big thing.

In your current unit, you initially agreed to become a charge nurse but then changed your mind. You can't be forced to take a new job and must maintain your boundaries, but is it possible you're giving your manager mixed messages? 

Likewise, it is unfair to tell the surgical unit manager you'd "like to try" to be a charge nurse when you don't want to.

The flexibility issue with the rotation schedule on the surgical unit is worth clarifying. If you're set on night shifts, make sure that's locked down before you make any decisions. Clarify the rotation schedule with the surgical unit manager to get a clear understanding of the flexibility required for day shift rotation. If night shifts are important to you, make sure there's no ambiguity around that.

You could look at the surgical unit as a stepping stone. Even if you're unsure about it, a change might be the best thing for you right now and give you perspective. You can always reevaluate later if it's not the right fit.

Best wishes, Nurse Beth

 

 

[Marshall1]

My only advice is this..If you don't want to be a charge nurse or move into management then don't do it. Even if someone else thinks/says/believes you are charge or management material - if it doesn't appeal to you then it doesn't appeal to you. You owe no one an explaination.

I very recently accepted a management position. I've done management before, I have zero desire to do it again but for various reasons I moved forward in accepting the position - even though I knew it was a mistake.  Like you, I tend to stumble over myself in interviews and agree to things out of nerves that in reality I am not interested in. Anyway, the closer the start date got the more stressed out I became as I knew the position would end up being short term because it was not a good fit. Instead of powering on, I recinded my acceptance of the offer and accepted a position that is  more aligned with my personal/professional interests at this time. This is a win for me and a win for the potential employer with the management position that I didn't come on board as it would've been a stressor for them given I was not the type of nurse they really need in the position. 

Please keep in mind no matter how nice/understanding a boss is, at the end of the day the boss works for the company and has staffing and other  needs that have to be addressed so always, always advocate for yourself. 

 

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

If someones getting overlooked for a job role based on taking leave, that is absolutely insane. 

Stuff comes up, people cant be at work every single day of the year. 

[Dani_Mila, BSN, RN]

Tenebrae said:

If someones getting overlooked for a job role based on taking leave, that is absolutely insane. 

Stuff comes up, people cant be at work every single day of the year. 

Exactly 💯 This is why I got so mad. She literally only has 5 experience nurses who can do the job, yet she chose the ones who works hard and barely calls out. How is that fair? The other two doesn't want to do it and by not making them do it seems like rewarding them. I told my ANM about it and she even agrees on making everyone get trained. I had a meeting with my manager and I told her that if I knew working hard and showing up to do work can lead to this kind of punishment I would have called out more often then. She was like 😮. My manager is known for rewarding bad behaviors. This is why most of her charge nurses are leaving because she does not care.

[xbananachipsx, BSN, RN]

Marshall1 said:

My only advice is this..If you don't want to be a charge nurse or move into management then don't do it. Even if someone else thinks/says/believes you are charge or management material - if it doesn't appeal to you then it doesn't appeal to you. You owe no one an explaination.

no matter how nice/understanding a boss is, at the end of the day the boss works for the company and has staffing and other  needs that have to be addressed so always, always advocate for yourself. 

 

echoing same ideas. don't feel forced/cornered to do something you do not want to do. if it's not in your job description I wouldn't do it. your mental health, your happiness, and your license is what you want to protect. 

[MochaRN424, ASN]

Hello, if I didn't know any better I would swear you were speaking of my unit. I currently work on a Mother Baby Unit and they too are trying to not only force Charge but NAN and floating to NICU where there have been some issues (it was in the news). I have watched well qualified knowledgeable nurses get pushed out or just flat out tired of management and their tactics and are leaving for other positions. Just the fact that your manager became sarcastic because your looking at another unit is poor behavior and to me speaks why you may want to do some deep soul searching as to what you should do. I don't understand why managers are so nasty when someone feels the need to change or grow? It's like they feel they can continue to mistreat and have difficult expectations and expect people to sit back and accept it. At least you have the opportunity to go elsewhere but will you again be placed with the same request to be charge? I have been looking to leave as I too am tired of where I am and the constant feelings of anxiety because your not sure what your walking into for the night. Mental health... peace is everything I am just hoping that I will find the best opportunity so I too can move on to something else. Wishing you the best!