To confront or not to confront, that is the question

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Long story short, I was denied a position with less hours. A nurse with 13 years LESS seniority than I was given the position.

Would you ask your manager about it? This was also done in a manner against union contract, I asked the union about it. OR would you just cut your losses and move on to a possibly better position elsewhere?

:angryfire

Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
In a nutshell, the manager jerked you around because she was pretty certain she could get away with it. Her job is to staff the unit, not necessarily to play fair or follow the rules. She must have believed that you would stick around even if denied the change, while the other nurse wouldn't. Simple as that.

I once worked in a very understaffed NICU. I was promised FT 3-11 when I was hired, but those hours were given to someone else, and I was placed on 12 hour rotating shifts against my will. After working them for about 6 months, I was literally ill and close to going crazy. Since we were soooo understaffed, no changes in status to lesser hours were being permitted. There were several experienced nurses with far more seniority than me who were waiting for status changes to PT. I had no children, few financial obligations, and a well-paid husband, so I went to my manager and told her that if I didn't get the hours I wanted immediately, I would quit. Suddenly, I was working M-F 3-11, and all the other more senior people were still awaiting their schedule changes. Our nurse manager knew that none of them had the luxury of quitting, so she continued to jerk them around.

It's not right or fair, but that's the way it is. If you can afford to quit, then confront her. If not, then don't.

I totally understand what you're saying. I was told by the union that the contract rules...clearly this is an issue of favoritism. Some of the posters here don't get it, it has nothing to do with the quality of nursing care you give, it's the point that the unit is short-staffed and you're right, the other nurse probably thratened to quit if she coudln't reduce.

Well, I'm trying a new hospital next week, they have a more flexible per-diem position. It's not right to be jerked around after 16 years, I've never been a difficult employee, always working as scheduled and overtime sometimes, too. My reasons for cutting back were apparently too personal compared to going back to school.:madface:

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.

Do you still work in the NICU?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Correct me if I'm wrong, having never belonged to a union and all, but I thought that was the WHOLE POINT OF UNIONS; to protect seniority and enforce tight and controlling rules.

If those rules are subject to management intepretation, and you don't feel you can, what's the word, grievance the decision, then why are you paying dues to a useless organization?

I always thought one of the principle side effects of union was entrenched seniority. You say the union agrees with you. Ergo, they will support you, right? Otherwise, what good are rules that aren't enforced? And what good is the organization that bargains for such rules but doesn't follow through to ensure that its worth the paper its written upon?

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Do you still work in the NICU?

No, I'm a work-at-home-mom now. Hubby's schedule doesn't permit me to work without relying on childcare, which I'd rather not do. I anticipate going back to work in the next few years, but reading about working condidtions like this make me very leary. When the time comes, I'm seriously considering out of hospital jobs, which is a shame, because I absolutely mother-baby and NICU.

Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
Correct me if I'm wrong, having never belonged to a union and all, but I thought that was the WHOLE POINT OF UNIONS; to protect seniority and enforce tight and controlling rules.

If those rules are subject to management intepretation, and you don't feel you can, what's the word, grievance the decision, then why are you paying dues to a useless organization?

I always thought one of the principle side effects of union was entrenched seniority. You say the union agrees with you. Ergo, they will support you, right? Otherwise, what good are rules that aren't enforced? And what good is the organization that bargains for such rules but doesn't follow through to ensure that its worth the paper its written upon?

~faith,

Timothy.

You are right about everything you said. I don't care for paying union dues because usually the union does whatever thay want.

Yes, seniority plays a big part in everything...but I was told otherwise when a nurse goes back to school. I am figuring this out before I decide to quitecause I've found a more flexible per diem shift elsewhere. It's hard to leave a job after so long, but when the people I work with stay forever, ihave little chance of getting holidays and weekends off for a very long time, even after 16 years.

Unions can be a pain...however they did say I could grieve this, but Like I said, the new job offers more anyway.:D

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