Unable to Advance my RN Position

[Volley88]

Hello everyone, I am stuck in a career dilemma. I want to leave my current job for a possible better opportunity, but the job advancement for my unit is within hands reach. I agree with my peers to wait it out.” I just need an outlet to vent.

My Scenario

I have been working as an extra help” RN 1 for more than 15 months and found out I cannot advance to RN 2. My hospital policy states any RN who has been employed by the facility is given the opportunity to advance to RN 2 after 1 year of the same unit. I applied and I was denied. I made a formal email with my Nurse Manager and asked what I could do to make myself applicable. She expressed that I am more than qualified and she would have approved my request. Unfortunately, the policy only applies to employees who are receiving hospital benefits.

Extra Help” is similar to per diem, but with more shifts per pay period and without hospital benefits. I chose to work at this position because I was a New Grad living in competitive market and it was the only job offer at the time. I did not have many choices after applying across the state. It was a paid RN acute hospital care experience without having to go to a SNF/LTC. I am, however, able to advance into a benefit position as I continue working.

In the past year, I have been applying to all benefit RN positions in my facility. I have been very frustrated after seeing those positions, for my own unit, given to newer nurses who were hired months later. The most disheartening was witnessing a nurse completing orientation, receive the benefit position straightaway, and then resigning from the hospital after only 3 months.

I am the most senior extra help RN in my unit (not saying seniority should play factor). The seasoned nurses are aware of my situation and are advocating for my advancement. They are in full agreement that I should have been benefited after my probationary period as they did in the past.

All I can do is just wait. My entire unit has been very supportive and my nurse managers expressed I am the priority for the next benefit position opportunity.

Thank you for reading.

I would love words of encouragement.

[Volley88]

Background: I have a BSN. I am Telemetry and CAPD certified. I am fluent in Spanish without a Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Did you ask your manager why less senior nurses have been given benefited positions?

[Volley88]

Did you ask your manager why less senior nurses have been given benefited positions?

Yes. My manager does not select just any employee in our unit. It is up to nurse recruitment to provide a list of candidates and she re-interviews for the position. Seniority does not play factor. I have not been on the list all year.

I have contacted nurse recruitment about my concerns and how to improve myself. I always get the same answer, "You need more experience."

I normally would have let it go knowing some newer nurses had work in SNFs or was a CNA prior to becoming RNs. BUT lately new grads have now been benefited; which triggered writing this post.

[JKL33]

my nurse managers expressed I am the priority for the next benefit position opportunity.

I can only say how I personally would handle it. I would talk to NM one more time asking for constructive criticisms and any recommendations for impoving my personal execution of nursing functions. During this conversation I would express that I am interested in and committed to exceeding all goals that would allow me to be the next one chosen. Then I would work super hard on this.

If I'm then not the next one chosen, I personally would take that as if they had told me to my face that it's never going to happen and I would seek other employment.

[Libby1987]

You aren't considered an internal employee? Even my temp employees are considered internal and can be preferential if they are qualified with excellent performance.

[HalfBoiled, BSN, RN]

Interesting. I completely understand your predicament. This has happened twice in my experience.

1. My hospital is unionized and my colleague went straight to the union and made a case. He was offered full time at the end of the following month.

2. Another colleague completed his chemo certification for the specialized unit. An orthopedic medsurg unit offered him full time benefits (benefit position was his #1 priority), whilst his home unit didn't. He told management and they worked out something with nursing office. Turned out management did not lose out on the nurse they spent much time and resources from his training. He was benefited the next week.

[Volley88]

I can only say how I personally would handle it. I would talk to NM one more time asking for constructive criticisms and any recommendations for impoving my personal execution of nursing functions. During this conversation I would express that I am interested in and committed to exceeding all goals that would allow me to be the next one chosen. Then I would work super hard on this.

If I'm then not the next one chosen, I personally would take that as if they had told me to my face that it's never going to happen and I would seek other employment.

Thank you. I have another meeting with my NM later this week. I will readdress how I can make myself more applicable next round.

You aren't considered an internal employee? Even my temp employees are considered internal and can be preferential if they are qualified with excellent performance.

Extra Help is not considered internal at my hospital.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Your manager doesn't really have your back or she would have used her influence to get you a benefited position! I would start looking elsewhere to other hospitals as you now have nursing experience. For some unknown reason you are being held back and it looks like you need to apply somewhere else. Benefits are important, the longer you let this continue the worse off you will be as it leaves you without health insurance, PTO and retirement benefits. Also being kept as RN I is detrimental to you when applying to other jobs. The sooner you get a new job the better off you will be! Don't wait any longer. Your manager is making excuses. I find it hard to believe your manager could not give you a benefited position if she really wanted to!

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I do not know how old you are or what you make, but these can be factors in whether or not you get moved up.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Pardon my ignorance, but are you in another country? I've never heard of an RN 1 or RN 2.

[operations]

Don't you see you are getting played? They weren't "forced" to leave you in this position. They chose to. And now they are making every excuse so you accept their choice easier.

How did the other employees get into this position? They must have had benefits to begin with, because that is the reason you are given for not being a candidate. Which at least makes sense. If you will happily continue on receiving no benefits, that's less money they have to lose.

Did your boss guarantee you in writing the next benefit position? When will that be? And how can she say you don't qualify because of your status and offer you a future position? Why do you suddenly qualify then, at this ambiguous time in the future, and not now?

You need to pursue this further. You do not need to be lead on by this buisness who is enjoying the fact they don't have to pay you benefits and get excellent work and loyalty from you.