I notice some students or others seem to think that because they've heard about a nursing shortage, that means that they will get a day position in their dream unit, and be welcomed with open arms as if they are the reserve troops come to save the day.
I don't think that's really the case. You still have to take the less desirable shifts, prove yourself, be accepted by your co-workers, and earn respect. Yes, there are toxic units, and those ones are probably more in need of extra help, so you might be more likely to get a job there.
If you are a newbie, you still have to 'pay your dues' in some way, that's usually the way life works in many arenas.
After being hired, she told our director that she only wanted to work weekend nights. While this isn't "normal" desired hours, it was for her. She was ****** enough to quit because her request was not accomodated. You can't just "make up" a position, any position that's created needs a lot of approval! All of the money put in to her orientation, and that's the thanks we got because she didn't get what she thought she deserved. *ugh*
While I have no problem with someone wanting to work specific hours what so ever, that needs to be brought up in the interview, NOT after orientation. That is bad business on that new nurse's part. If I want specific hours, I have no problem telling "the powers that be" that that is what I want. I wouldn't, however, waste my time OR theirs doing the song and dance of getting orientated before making it known. She should have applied for a PRN position, not a full time one.
I'm sure I'm gonna take heat for this, but this is really what I think:
The huge majority of nurses are women, and you can't put a bunch of women together and have anything good come from it.
There, I said it.
I know, lots of others WANTED to say it, but *I* did. Remember me fondly.
lol brave post in a "room full of women" :) But I agree with you unfortunately (even being one of "them") One thing about this profession that has me apprehensive is being around so many women after having been in the IT industry all my life. I'm still in nursing school and already the cattiness and bickering and drama and backstabbing has me disgusted and isolating (that crabs in a bucket thing really comes to mind here).
Thankfully I've reached a point in my life that I don't care anymore what other people want or say or think of me, unless they pay my paycheck or share my blood. But I still think we should be nicer to eachother and take better care of ourselves and eachother. :) I just don't get my panties in a wad about it anymore.
*not that I think negatively about women or hate women or am anti-feminist or any other nonsense... I just know that in many cases, in my 15 yrs of working its always been tougher to keep things from taking a negative turn (personal attacks, gossiping, backstabbing, etc) in those places where I worked with mostly/all women. But I am optimistic. This time it WILL be different.
I don't see the problem. I want night shift weekends... What's the big deal? You get nice differentials and have the whole week to yourself...
Why is night shift the crappy shift? After being in nursing 9ish years I am pretty sure that the Day shift is the crappy shift IMHO.
As to the "I want it now attitude." Um you oldies (but goodies :) ) started it. We are just the culmination of what you built. Of course we want everything NOW. This is America. Please, you can't turn on the water, stick the hose in the house and then complain because everything is wet...
As to the "I want it now attitude." Um you oldies (but goodies :) ) started it. We are just the culmination of what you built. Of course we want everything NOW. This is America. Please, you can't turn on the water, stick the hose in the house and then complain because everything is wet...
Hijack maybe but OMG you are so right! Who is the one that raised all these youngins to think that the sun rised and set on their little fannies? Its all about "self-esteem" and giving the kiddos everything we never had. We surely can't tell them they are acting like a knuckle head no matter how stupid their actions are. Presents just for holidays and birthdays? No way anytime we go to Walmart there will be gifts, lots of gifts! Work part-time for extra spending money? Absolutely not their "job" is to do well in school.
Thank you so much for being TRUTHFUL! :redpinkhe I posted this tongue-in-cheek, although some didn't take it that way. I didn't mean that women couldn't achieve anything good enmasse. I meant what she said below.
I've worked (in my previous "life") in places that only had men working there (engineering areas and fabrication), no problems. I've also worked in places where MOST of the employees were men, with a couple of women. Get more than two together and they "pick" on the third one. That has just been my observation.
Now I work in an environment that is almost ALL women. Guess what....
if a nurse comes around that most of them don't like, they don't last very long. (Usually they aren't a very good nurse anyway...)
lol brave post in a "room full of women" :) But I agree with you unfortunately (even being one of "them") One thing about this profession that has me apprehensive is being around so many women after having been in the IT industry all my life. I'm still in nursing school and already the cattiness and bickering and drama and backstabbing has me disgusted and isolating (that crabs in a bucket thing really comes to mind here).
Thankfully I've reached a point in my life that I don't care anymore what other people want or say or think of me, unless they pay my paycheck or share my blood. But I still think we should be nicer to eachother and take better care of ourselves and eachother. :) I just don't get my panties in a wad about it anymore.
*not that I think negatively about women or hate women or am anti-feminist or any other nonsense... I just know that in many cases, in my 15 yrs of working its always been tougher to keep things from taking a negative turn (personal attacks, gossiping, backstabbing, etc) in those places where I worked with mostly/all women. But I am optimistic. This time it WILL be different.
I am an "older guy" and I laugh to myself when I listen to my friends complaining about how the new generation is all messed up. (Personaly, I am very happy with the way my son turned out.)
I think alot of us "older guys" should take a deep breath and admit that the so called ''self centered kids of today" are a product of our generation and whether we want to admit it or not, they are alot like we were at their age.
Hijack maybe but OMG you are so right! Who is the one that raised all these youngins to think that the sun rised and set on their little fannies? Its all about "self-esteem" and giving the kiddos everything we never had. We surely can't tell them they are acting like a knuckle head no matter how stupid their actions are. Presents just for holidays and birthdays? No way anytime we go to Walmart there will be gifts, lots of gifts! Work part-time for extra spending money? Absolutely not their "job" is to do well in school.
:chuckle :chuckle :chuckle
Well.....I'm young enough to NOT have raised these self-indulgent brats, thanks, but old enough to be annoyed by them at every turn! My husband also has to put up with the Gimme Kids in his field; it's everywhere. The 22 year old who is late, leaves early, text messages during meetings, misses deadlines (hey, I was BUSY), and then wonders why everyone else in the office is TICKED. Sorry to you 22 year olds who DO do a good job, but you have to admit, there *IS* a trend. You can deny it, but sociologists would beg to differ.
My kids are still being raised and you can BET that what I see in the world around me (in the form of those 20-30 year old Gimme Kids) definitely shapes how my hubby and I approach it. They want money? They do chores, jobs. They want stuff? Earn it. I don't care what Johnny's mother gave him.
The Gimme Kids, as I call them, aren't the doing of my age group, LOL...I didn't birth 'em, didn't raise 'em, and sure as heck don't have to carry the blame for 'em! So, I guess I'm allowed to complain :)
I feel the same way- I am loyal to no one but my pts and myself.
And good for you that you have done so well for yourself.:wink2:
But you worked for it- and took atvantage of the opportunties which came your way. You did not expect to be handed everything on a silver platter by simply gracing your work-place with your presence.
The point I've been trying to make in my posts is that there are a lot of new grads who have no experience as nurses, yet think they are qualified to manage and supervise nurses with many years of experience. They aren't. And to those who say "well, if admin feels they are capable then what's the problem?"
Well, admin are the idiots who think nurses are customer service reps/waitresses. They are largely responsible for screwing up our healthcare system. What the hell do they know?
And if a nurse really has to have a M-F 8-5, no major holidays job, then she needs to go to work in a clinic, or some other place where that is feasable.
She should not go to work in a hospital or LTC, then have a whiny fit because she actually has to take turns getting holidays off, and might actually have to work more holidays than others, due to lack of seniority.
I am by no means categorizing all young new grads, but a large percentage of them just don't get it.
I was recently in a new employee orientation with a number of young, new nurses. Most of them were BSNs- they made sure that everyone knew that, right off the bat. They had the "I am far superior to any ADN nurse no matter how much experience and skill they have, because *I* have a bachelor's degree" attitude.
Many of these nurses paid no attention whatsoever during the orientation- they spent the whole time texting. Then during break (from which they were always back late) they'd ask some of us older nurses "Did they go over anything I need to know?"
When I am on the floor with these nurses, they text, talk on their cell phones, and sit at the nurses' station BSing w/ docs and residents while the rest of us are working.
They have this whole "It's all about ME" Happy Bunny attitude.
They want to wear "cool" scrubs, and look cool with a scope around their necks, and make the "big" bucks, but they're not willing to walk the walk.
Now, this I agree with. One of the main reasons I went to the OR out of school was the fact that you don't work every other weekend and holiday.(One 4 hour call shift for a major holiday and 1 call shift for 1 minor..about every 5th or 6th weekend, you're on call) We do take call and I'm aware that I cannot avoid this, as much as I would like to some nights! It also helps that we are union and while seniority counts for something, it's not everything.
I also find the texting thing annoying. Also the "look at me, I'm a BSN" attitude. Anyone with brains knows that the diploma nurses(there is 1 program left in my state) really kick butt!:wink2:
piphi2004: we have 'self scheduling' and trust me, most people want the same 9-5 shifts, though there are always many exceptions to the rule. my 'self scheduling' means i put down what i want but most likely wont get it. the problem is not when people want a great job or have goals, its when they cry when they dont get it and they expect to get something amazing right out of school. "i made this point in my comment above" and why not go with the newbie? well if thats all you go with then whos gonna train the newbie besides more newbies. its the blind leading the blind. this is true...but can't say that it doesn't happen. most of the people who oriented me had over 20 yrs experience and it made all the difference in the nurse i became. you wouldn't be saying that if you had stayed with a company for 20 years and they were giving new grads the same salary as you. i muyst say...this sounds snippy. but...being open minded i can see your point. there is no growing 'with' the company. also, you dont want others to 'overgeneralize' about you [color=#a0522d]**but you are saying that it is sad if you can't leave your job because you can't make a career switch if you are older.
what i met was it is sad for nsg (s) to stay in a field that they are unhappy with, trust me i understand that we all have obligations (whatever they maybe) that keep us stuck in an unhappy situation...but still it is sad!!!! the generalization comes in point....not all 23yr olds want instant gratification....look...i'm sure we will all pay our dues one way or another, never said it was wrong...people just nsg get soo caught up in the idea...that some are bitter when newer nurses advance ahead of them. we have to learn to support each other (without being vindictive)old/young/new/experienced. that's the bottom line.
well.....i'm young enough to not have raised these self-indulgent brats, thanks, but old enough to be annoyed by them at every turn! my husband also has to put up with the gimme kids in his field; it's everywhere. the 22 year old who is late, leaves early, text messages during meetings, misses deadlines (hey, i was busy), and then wonders why everyone else in the office is ticked. sorry to you 22 year olds who do do a good job:bow::bow:, but you have to admit, there *is* a trend. can only speak for myself. i had a child young, single mom, worked full-time through college and take my job very seriously. i am a nurse...i work in critical care, a guardian over patient lives (ok a little dramatic but you get the point!!) i take the job very seriously. it's sad that people don't see more of the hard working 23yr olds. i still think it's unfair to pick at certain generations...but i guess you guys have been around longer than me...so you know more (joke...please don't take that serious...trying to lighten the tone).you can deny it, but sociologists would beg to differ.
my kids are still being raised and you can bet that what i see in the world around me (in the form of those 20-30 year old gimme kids) definitely shapes how my hubby and i approach it. they want money? they do chores, jobs. they want stuff? earn it. i don't care what johnny's mother gave him.
the gimme kids, as i call them, aren't the doing of my age group, lol...i didn't birth 'em, didn't raise 'em, and sure as heck don't have to carry the blame for 'em! so, i guess i'm allowed to complain :)
thanks for acknowledging that there are youngins that do work hard.
My parents used to tell me that they "worked hard so I wouldn't have to." Imagine my shock and anger when all of a sudden they expected me to work hard.
It took me a LONG time to figure out how to be responsible on my own. That is 100% their fault. What parents don't realize is that this sets you way behind.
Were I am at in life now should have been reached at about 24. Bad parents handicap their children.
Shame on you bad parents. You know who you are!!!!!!
gottal love you for keeping it simple and real. thanks for the post...!!!
i think the generational gap with nurses comes from the changing face of nursing period. i have been a nurse for almost 15 years and it is completely different than when i started.
mom and brother(10 yrs my senior) are rns and almost dropped dead when i announced that i was not going to do "at least a year" of ms for $8.00 an hour right out of school. my mom then thought i should get a nice state job, do 30 years, and get a nice retirement. id rather eat dirt. i saw one hospital get sold 3 times in 1 year while i was in school and i got a lightbulb moment. nursing was becoming a business. sad but true.
i opened and ran a peritoneal dialysis unit right out of scool for twice what my counterparts were making and then due to a deperate situation at an army hospital i got a travel nurse internship in tele. and yes i hauled my cookies off to tx from fl to do it with all expenses paid, a free apartment, day 1 benes, and they were thrilled to see me. so what? how does that affect you?
my mom thought i was crazy all these years and now she has retired from her 30 years with the state as an rn. what did she get? a letter stating that her $18 per payperiod insurance would now cost her $500 per month, a cheap wood-like plaque with her name misspelled on it, and a whole $768 per month to live out of. she was heart broken and crying. thats scary when you've always seen your mom strong and sure. as an lpn i have been making twice as much as her for the last ten years and saving for my own retirement.
the days of be loyal to your employer and they will take care of you are gone. i think the younger set sees how cutthroat the world (not just nursing) has become and they are acting accordingly. every other profession seems to see it but us. you think docs, lawyers and others have that altruistic,martyr mentality that we do? puhleeze ! the facilities take advavtage of it.
i love my job and my patients but i am an "eight and skate" girl. i give my all for those 8, 12, or 16 hours but when i punch out you are a distant memory to me. it keeps me sane, happy, and very well paid. welcome to the world of nursing. the business world.
sorry for the long post but my biggest point is whats it to ya? why do you care soooo much about my goals and wants? why does it bother you to the point that you have long threads about it? attitude and believing that you will get what you want are a big part of getting it. i have always gotten what i wanted because i know how to get along with any group of coworkers and can make any boss love me. no whining, no wavemaking, no excuses, and perfect attendance. that has gotten me everywhere i have wanted to go.
:bow:, but you have to admit, there *is* a trend. can only speak for myself. i had a child young, single mom, worked full-time through college and take my job very seriously. i am a nurse...i work in critical care, a guardian over patient lives (ok a little dramatic but you get the point!!) i take the job very seriously. it's sad that people don't see more of the hard working 23yr olds. i still think it's unfair to pick at certain generations...but i guess you guys have been around longer than me...so you know more (joke...please don't take that serious...trying to lighten the tone).you can deny it, but sociologists would beg to differ.
missjennmb
932 Posts
While I have no problem with someone wanting to work specific hours what so ever, that needs to be brought up in the interview, NOT after orientation. That is bad business on that new nurse's part. If I want specific hours, I have no problem telling "the powers that be" that that is what I want. I wouldn't, however, waste my time OR theirs doing the song and dance of getting orientated before making it known. She should have applied for a PRN position, not a full time one.