I disclosed my disability and now they won't answer my calls

Nurses Disabilities

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So, here is a question for you guys... do I ignore it? Do I go talk to them? Do you think I'm making too much of a fuss? I'm at a loss but it sucks.

Here's the story quickly. I graduated school and about a month later, while waiting to get my ATT for the NCLEX I was able to meet a hiring manager for a major hospital that I have always wanted to work for. She seemed really interested in me and gave me her information/ and was happy to talk to me. She even mentioned that if the right job came up I could be 'hired' with the caveat I get my license.

So, one time I contacted her and she actually had a job that said they weren't hiring new grads but she knew that wasn't absolutely set in stone and told me to apply! So I do and I'm invited into an interview only to learn that they changed the shift times and is that ok? Well... no its not. I didn't really explain that time and she was really apologetic for not telling me before I got there. Then, after a few more conversations on the phone, I sort of explain without saying exactly whats up, that I can't do rotating shifts. I thought she sounded understanding but then it was like, a wall went up.

And now its been 6 weeks with some actual possible jobs and I have my RN now. She won't answer, won't take messages, won't respond to emails. At first I thought it was because of holidays but she still won't respond or pick up. She was so helpful before, always responded, usually picked up the phone... I just don't know what to do. Should I go talk to her in person or just let it go? It's my dream hospital and I feel like I screwed up any possibility of working there.

Thanks for any advice guys.

The job originally said it wasn't rotating but when I showed up to the interview I was invited in for, they had changed it but she didn't tell me that before I got there. She apologized of course, I think she thought it wouldn't matter because for most people it wouldn't.

I didn't (and wouldn't have) applied for a job that had requirements I couldn't meet and then try and make them accommodate me.

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I do have a disability which makes it dangerous to alter sleep habits too much. Only night shifts are still worrisome, but rotating day/ night is basically setting myself up to fail.

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Ouch guys. : ( For people giving advice on a thread for people who have disabilities you are pretty quick to jump to the 'oh she just doesn't want to work hard/ mess up her sleeping habits'. Part of the reason I stupidly thought I should explain myself was to make sure the hiring manager understood I wasn't just being entitled or something. I'll keep it to myself next time since most of you suggested it, but /this/ is exactly why I thought I should try and give her a reason. Thanks for making me feel like crap all over again. I hope you give the next person asking for advice the benefit of the doubt when they say they have a health issue.

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Ouch guys. : ( For people giving advice on a thread for people who have disabilities you are pretty quick to jump to the 'oh she just doesn't want to work hard/ mess up her sleeping habits'. Part of the reason I stupidly thought I should explain myself was to make sure the hiring manager understood I wasn't just being entitled or something. I'll keep it to myself next time since most of you suggested it, but /this/ is exactly why I thought I should try and give her a reason. Thanks for making me feel like crap all over again. I hope you give the next person asking for advice the benefit of the doubt when they say they have a health issue.

Ummm, nobody said this. And you received quite a few neutral responses with the information you sought.

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I apologise Wuzzie. You and a few others gave me a solid response from an outside perspective which I appreciate. After that there seemed to be quite a few people commenting about my issues not being a disability or that rotating shifts aren't a big deal. Maybe what I wrote was confusing. I got my answer- looks like I screwed up time to move on which is helpful- I needed a kick in the pants to give it up and just focus on other hospitals now.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Ouch guys. : ( For people giving advice on a thread for people who have disabilities you are pretty quick to jump to the 'oh she just doesn't want to work hard/ mess up her sleeping habits'. Part of the reason I stupidly thought I should explain myself was to make sure the hiring manager understood I wasn't just being entitled or something. I'll keep it to myself next time since most of you suggested it, but /this/ is exactly why I thought I should try and give her a reason. Thanks for making me feel like crap all over again. I hope you give the next person asking for advice the benefit of the doubt when they say they have a health issue.

I don't think people were being unreasonable in their answer. We just were not clear on the nature of your disability. If you had said something like I suffer from narcolepsy and can't do rotating shifts due to medications or something we would have had more information to go with.

Hppy

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I apologise Wuzzie. You and a few others gave me a solid response from an outside perspective which I appreciate. After that there seemed to be quite a few people commenting about my issues not being a disability or that rotating shifts aren't a big deal. Maybe what I wrote was confusing. I got my answer- looks like I screwed up time to move on which is helpful- I needed a kick in the pants to give it up and just focus on other hospitals now.

Apology accepted and just a bit of perspective. You would not believe the number of people who post on this forum trying to come up with a way to get out of rotating shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts, holiday shifts. Some to point the of outright lying about a disability. I honestly think most of the posters were just trying to figure out what your story is and nobody intended to make it sound like you were trying to work the system. I'm sorry you got the bait and switch on that job. I'm sure you were really excited so it must have been tremendously disappointing. Good luck on your hunt for the best position for you!

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

My misunderstanding too. From your original post it wasn't clear you had a bona fide disability that prevented you from rotating shifts. Your actual condition is none of my business.

There are many fine nursing jobs that don't require rotating shifts. Pre-Op and Day Surgery nurses at my hospital don't work ANY nights. EVER.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I got my answer- looks like I screwed up[/Quote]

I wouldn't say you screwed up. If they made you an offer for this position you would have two options: 1) do rotating shifts or 2) disclose that due to your health condition, you are unable to do rotating shifts. This info would have come out at some point; you can't just take the job and say nothing

but only show up during the day, right? As the position is for rotating shifts, they would have had to rescind the offer since you couldn't accept on their terms.

I hope you find something soon!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

The basis of "Reasonable accommodations" is that nobody is worse off by providing you with accommodations. The problem with the scenario you've provided is that working night shift is an established health hazard for everyone regardless of one's health history. So expecting someone else to work nights instead of you is by definition not a reasonable accommodation.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I'm sorry you didn't get the job you wanted, but I believe you are over-stating things just a bit.

You said you were not interested in rotating shifts. That is a far cry from disclosing a disability. Plenty of nurses reject rotating shifts for plenty of reasons: they don't want to mess up their sleeping habits, they need to accommodate spouse's or children's schedules, they take public transportation which doesn't run 24/7, they want to be able to maintain other commitments like school, second jobs, volunteer positions, etc.....

As a hiring manager, I would tend to assume a candidate was declining a rotating shift job for one of these reasons, not because of a disability.

So please, rest assured you can move on with your confidential information. I doubt anyone in HR gave it a second thought.

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