Trying to request for transfer. Advice needed.

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Hi everyone.

I'm a foreign educated RN just recently started working in the US. I signed a contract of over 2 years with my current facility, who petitioned me to come to the United States as a nurse. Most of my previous work experience was in hyperbaric/wound care, and I am passionate about the specialty and have been looking at getting wound certification (once I get to the US) ever since. However, I am now assigned in a stepdown unit despite my lack of experience in this area. I am completely uncomfortable and not confident working inpatient as I have not done so for at least 6 years. I already expressed this and my desire to keep doing hyperbaric/wound care to the coordinator but all I get are vague answers with no assurance.

I am just overwhelmed by this new assignment, and it's not helping that I am not motivated because of my lack of interest in stepdown (or any inpatient setting). I am getting depressed because I know exactly what I want, but feel so helpless. I am still in my orientation period, and it seems like the unit I am in is short staffed. I have talked to a few people who advised me to just speak to my manager about this, but Im not sure how she will take it. I do know I would absolutely love to be transferred to hyperbaric/wound unit and get my clinical hours for when I start my certification program, but I don't even know what to say or how to ask my manager, especially knowing the unit needs nurses.

I would appreciate any advice on this. Please help.

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Specializes in NICU.

Is your manager in charge of both the step down unit and the hyperbaric/wound care unit? If not, then just apply to a job opening when it is available. You do not need your manager's permission to transfer units.

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3 hours ago, NICU Guy said:

Is your manager in charge of both the step down unit and the hyperbaric/wound care unit? If not, then just apply to a job opening when it is available. You do not need your manager's permission to transfer units.

There's a different manager for hyperbaric/wound care unit. I am new to the US and do not know how things work here, just like you saying I can just transfer without my managers permission. In all my previous facilities, transfers required permission, so now that I am here, Im still learning the system in the US.

I have been applying for an open position for wound clinic nurse, I did get a reply, but as soon as they found out I am an "international nurse already hired by the hospital", they immediately refer me back to the international talent coordinator (the same person who I have been telling about my concern regarding area of assignment). I am so confused and don't exactly understand why I can't just work in the area that I am interested and passionate about and actually have the work experience. I feel like I am being forced to work in stepdown just to fill in their nursing need. Just now, I saw on glassdoor and indeed the same job post for hyperbaric/wound care nurse for their clinic and was posted just 3 days ago, and I meet the basic qualifications.

I don't know what to do. ?

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Any job that is slower paced is going to be highly sought after. It has been my experience that 'newbies' , new hires, nurses with no connections get sent to these high stress units. You are expected to 'do your time,' in exchange for the money they spent orienting you. At my hospital, they won't even allow a transfer to another unit until I have worked 1 year for the floor that hired me.

I am on telemetry, 1 nurse to 6 patients. High stress, impossible amount of work. And I'm stuck there for a while. Our wound care jobs require a certain amount of hours in med-surg to become certified. Then, you sit for a test. I realize you have experience, but they may require you to put in your clinical hours here, in the States, before they will consider you.

You have two choices: stick it out or leave the institution. I doubt they are going to allow you to just slide into a job that many people would also prefer. I'd love to work in wound care, I think they set those requirements up to avoid getting tons of applications.

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On 2/21/2019 at 8:42 PM, Persephone Paige said:

Any job that is slower paced is going to be highly sought after. It has been my experience that 'newbies' , new hires, nurses with no connections get sent to these high stress units. You are expected to 'do your time,' in exchange for the money they spent orienting you. At my hospital, they won't even allow a transfer to another unit until I have worked 1 year for the floor that hired me.

I am on telemetry, 1 nurse to 6 patients. High stress, impossible amount of work. And I'm stuck there for a while. Our wound care jobs require a certain amount of hours in med-surg to become certified. Then, you sit for a test. I realize you have experience, but they may require you to put in your clinical hours here, in the States, before they will consider you.

You have two choices: stick it out or leave the institution. I doubt they are going to allow you to just slide into a job that many people would also prefer. I'd love to work in wound care, I think they set those requirements up to avoid getting tons of applications.

This may be the reality in most institutions and it makes me feel even worse, because what you just described seems to really explain why I am in this situation. I spoke to the wound care nurse and she said they do need nurses, and that those who she had in the clinic all run out the door screaming coz they dont like it; and she was very excited to have me especially because I wanna get my WOCN certification soon. Seems like the unit isnt so sought after here.

I hope we can someday move out of the high stress environment and pursue our passion.

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9 hours ago, ThinkerBelleRN said:

This may be the reality in most institutions and it makes me feel even worse, because what you just described seems to really explain why I am in this situation. I spoke to the wound care nurse and she said they do need nurses, and that those who she had in the clinic all run out the door screaming coz they dont like it; and she was very excited to have me especially because I wanna get my WOCN certification soon. Seems like the unit isnt so sought after here.

I hope we can someday move out of the high stress environment and pursue our passion.

We have plenty of openings in wound care here too. They just aren't hiring for them, probably because people like us keep applying without meeting THEIR requirements.

When I asked, I was told 'be sure you really love wound care, or you'll burn out.' And I'm thinking, are you kidding me? Just being able to empty my bladder when I need to is enough to make me love wound care!

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47 minutes ago, Persephone Paige said:

We have plenty of openings in wound care here too. They just aren't hiring for them, probably because people like us keep applying without meeting THEIR requirements.

When I asked, I was told 'be sure you really love wound care, or you'll burn out.' And I'm thinking, are you kidding me? Just being able to empty my bladder when I need to is enough to make me love wound care!

Maybe your facility require wound certification prior to hire? Most postings I see just want med surg experience, and certifications to be done within a certain period after hire.

I am looking at moving to another state, so I am just worried that the next facility will be the same and will want to keep me at a job I don't like.

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