Trying to move up/transfer but management is sort of getting in the way?

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

Needing a place to sort of vent because I have really mixed feelings with the nasty butterfly in the stomach feeling. I wasn't sure where to place this exactly, but since this does involve management, who are also my "colleagues" and involves relations so to speak, I figured I'd post it here. Post might be a little long...but here goes:

I had the opportunity this past summer to apply and interview for the start of a pilot program for the new PICC line RN team (under radiology and critical care directors) at my hospital, but did not get the position because my manager on my unit at the time said that she could not afford to lose a full time RN (we've had issues with shortage of nurses, what's new right? but our director has known to be one that has a hard time letting nurses transfer. Bummed out, heck yeah I was.

5ish months later, this pilot program finished with great successes but had to adjust staff and hours. 3 weeks ago, yet again I had the opportunity to apply and interview for the FT position where one of my colleagues who was in the pilot program ended up leaving and told me about opening and recommended me.

Found out a few days later that I did not get the FT position, but that a per diem position "may be available for me" according to the CC director. They wanted all candidates (4 of us) to do the PICC training in the mean time which I started last week. Side note, I'm FT and work 3-12 hours nights. Our training for last week was 11 hours, so it put me way over 40 hours that pay period; however, the director of critical care assured us that training hours are separate (I haven't looked into the policy regarding scheduled hours, FT hours, training hours, etc, I may go to HR later to find out the lines regarding that). I called in sick this past weekend (which I'm still "safe" and I do not violate any attendance policies).

I literally just got a call an hour ago from my department director saying that she was not aware that I was training for the PICC position and she just found out today from payroll as my hours went overtime. She proceeds to tell me that I cannot do a PD position while being FT as it'll incur over time ours. I did not mention this to her but there are numerous nurses in my hospital that work FT and work PD in another department, but I do not know the logistics regarding hours of PD and FT and how/if/when they conflict. She didn't say I couldn't do training exactly, but the way she was referring to that I can't do the PD made it seem like I couldn't even do training (which as mentioned earlier, training hours are supposed under a different category in payroll). She also proceeds to tell me she noticed that I called off this past weekend (which has NOTHING to do with the topic of FT/PD/PICC position) and again, goes back to saying I cannot do a PD while FT; HOWEVER, she does tell me I can do the PD position if I am part-time (which I have had my name on the part time list over 6 months now). I asked her, "oh well if the training has to hold off until I'm part time, any idea when the part time would be available" and she tells me some time in January (working here for 4 years, I know nothing is ever set in stone). She says that training has to definitely be put on hold because of hours but she will talk to the other director about what's going on.

Overall, my director seemed/sounded pretty upset about me training. I know she knew that I applied for the FT and didn't get it, but I did NOT know that SHE didn't know what I was training. I had the impression that everything is A-OK if I'm going through training. Right now I'm in an icky limbo. This PICC line training and position is a RARE opportunity and I'm afraid I might lose this opportunity to nothing that I seemed to do wrong. Despite calling off this past weekend, I have a feeling my director will bring it up when she talks to the other director. Even though I do not break any attendance policies for calling off (I only call off If I need to, I was truly sick this past weekend), I feel like my director is trying to find a way to not let me train for this PICC position because she knows I'll leave in the future when a FT spot opens (which I obviously will, but not any time soon as the FT spot is already taken). The other issue is that my director brought up the issue of part time. It seem like she was also using that as leverage to get me away from this PICC opportunity but again, wasn't so happy when she brought up me calling off. Worst case scenario, I get striped from the PICC line opportunity AND the part time position for nothing I don't think that I did wrong. Fellow colleagues have told me that I got to wait it out until they figure out what to do, but if it goes to the worst case scenario, do I go up to HR? I don't like HR, I've never been to HR either lol. Thoughts? And thanks for reading this wall of text...

[JKL33]

It doesn't seem like your department's budget should be affected. You should clarify what the official policy is regarding this and regarding working FT + PD.

Hopefully you conveyed during the phone call that you had no idea that everyone wasn't in the loop on allowing you to train. Things shouldn't have happened that way and mostly the other director dropped the ball.

Practically speaking, it was very poor timing for a call out; I would have expected a manager/director to have questions and not necessarily be pleased given the larger context. Did you have an opportunity to explain that you don't have some inappropriate MO and aren't planning any future call-outs, and that you were actually ill over the weekend?

Bottom line, the rationale for not giving you the job in the first place was not appropriate. If they can't figure something out, start up a larger search for an IV team position or another position that interests you.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think the person who messed up here is the Director/Manager who offered you the PD position and training. They should have worked out the financing with your FT Director. It's as if they were "poaching" her employees and shifting the cost of their overtime into her budget. That is really "playing dirty" and your Director has a right to be angry about that. Unfortunately, you got caught in the middle, not realizing exactly how things work.

If your payroll systems are like most systems, they are computerized -- and the computer is set to pay you overtime for any hours over 40 in a given week, regardless of which department you are working in for those hours. So, if you were to work PD hours early in the week ... and then your CC hours end up being the last hours of the week that you work ... the overtime is paid out of the CC budget, not the department where you worked in the beginning of the week. It's hours 41, 42, 43, etc. that are paid the overtime rate, not hours 13, 14, etc. Do you see that? That's a big problem for you CC Director. She gets stuck paying you at the overtime rate because you worked hours 41, 42, 43, etc. on her unit.

I have known people who have done things similar to what you want to do. It can be done, but it requires that special arrangements be made -- and maybe extra manual manipulation of your payroll information for every pay period. Somehow, those extra hours that you work for the PD job need to be the ones for which you are paid overtime, even if they come at the beginning of the week. To not make those arrangements with your CC Director was not right -- and the PD Director owes the CC Director a big apology. If she wants to hire employees from other departments to work in hers as well, she needs to make the appropriate arrangements with the Payroll Department and with the employee's full time (or part time) Director.

While you are not to blame the PD Director's mistake ... not telling your Director that you were accepting a job in another department makes you look bad. Calling in sick makes the situation look worse. Your CC Director is not sure she can trust you now.

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

Thanks for some insight. So the CC director (the one I was training for) mentioned to me that the training is gonna be on hold for now in which I responded to her text that I would have to wait until I'm part time in before I can train and go for the PD position which is what my director told me on the initial day of this issue. I spoke to my manager earlier and who wanted to touch basis with what happened. Told her exactly what happened and she reaffirmed to me that at our facility, we cannot do FT and PD together. She said other nurses that are doing PD on top of their "regular" job are definitely part timers which is allowed. I asked her about my part time status but she said she doesn't know where I am at on that issue but I mentioned to her that our director said some time in January and so my manager said if that is true, that's good news and we just have to wait and see. My manager also reassured me that the attendance is fine regarding the call-off, but it was initially brought up because it doesn't look good when you're training for another position while calling out in your main job. This I totally understand, but I was truly sick and it was just bad timing for the call off. Overall, it seems it was a huge miscommunication but particularly the CC director's fault as @llg mentioned. I definitely feel at ease now that everyone is on the same page, but still unsure of the thoughts of my director. I just really hope that the "part time some time January" holds true.

@ llg, that's the thing. The PD job was never really given to me nor did I accept it. I initially did not get the FT PICC position which my director knew, but the CC director (the CC is the PICC director) wanted me to do training. She never fully offered me the PD job, also she mentioned to me over the phone in the first week was that a PD position may be available. Also, I was training with 3 other candidates. But maybe my director took the situation that the PD job was already accepted by me but it wasn't offered yet.

Anyways, things seemed to be cleared up for now. I just have to wait until January to see what's up. Thanks again for listening.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I'm sorry if I messed up a little with some of the abbreviations, CC, PD, etc. I may have been a little confused about who did/said what and when. But it looks you understood what I was saying and that the communication is now better between all parties involved. That is what is important. Hopefully, now that everyone knows what is going on ... you can figure out an arrangement that will work well for you in the long run. I'm happy to read that things are moving forward.

Good luck!

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

Just wanted to give an update. Looks like things aren't turning out as bad as I thought. My director just offered me a part time position which means I'll soon be in contact with the PICC team director in regards to continuing training (she had put it on hold until further notice prior). Thanks again for reading/listening! ?