want your opinion

live4today, RN · Dec 8, 2003

Drive the extra ten miles for the better job. :nurse:

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2003

Sounds like you have the power. Put your case forward, exactly as you stated it to us, that you really want this job, you're enthusiastic, etc. If they decline, resign and move to what you feel might be greener pastures. Ask for what you want, you might get it.

BarbPick · Dec 8, 2003

tweety is always right , seriously, he hits the nail on the head. Devils advocate, it never hurts to have a full year of med surg expereince. In OB you don't care for "sick people" a few go sour from time to time, if you feel you have the instinct from 6 months, then by all means, play poker, you do hold the ace in your hand.

Barbara

Jim52_RN · Dec 8, 2003

The way you layed out your position in your thread is the way I would handle the interview. I don't think bringing up other job opportunities would help. Just stick with what you have to offer, your qualifications, and your desires. Good luck.

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Dec 8, 2003

Weezie -- At the upcoming meeting, I'd try to point out to them that the existing guideline of one year is generally a good one. From there, I'd: (1) lay out the various reasons why in my case it would only result in unnecessary delay; (2) address the rationale behind the rule and fully explain how the move will satisfy it; and (3) try to convince them that the accomodation would serve to bring about a win-win situation for the facility and me.

If I really preferred to stay, then I'd also demo my intention to agree to provide a reasonable period (e.g., 30 days) for the administration to recruit a successor.

To improve our chances, we need to come off as totally open, caring, and professional in these encounters.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Let us know how it goes.

BarbPick · Dec 8, 2003

Larry,

Are you available to negotiate contracts? If nurses were sports stars, You would be Jerry McGuire. Nice to see.

Barbara

erjulie · Dec 8, 2003

HEY-

Ask 'em for the job. If they say no, go to the next (union) hospital for more money, etc. I've always advised new RNs to work at the biggest place within managable distance. It will give you great confidence when you go to a smaller place. Good luck! Bottom line: nothing is written in stone! Do what you want to do.

weezieRN · Dec 9, 2003

had my 6 month evaluation and did ok(average for new Rn) only things to improve on was delegation and how to speak appropriately to supervisors.( NM who was taking her turn as evening supervisor called to call me off the 11-7 shift at 10:15 due to low census ----low census meaning a total of 16-18 pts if i remember right with 2 rns 1 lpn and a tech. I still ran my butt off that night with a patient getting a couple of units of blood and postops with ngs and drains etc and the normal confused crawl out of bed incontinent type). She told me I spoke inappropriately to her when she called to call me of when all I said was "I'm coming in, I'm already ready 5 more minutes and she would have missed me anyway. To get to the point I asked about the ob position and she said I'm still not out of the running(yeah right) that they were willing to bend the 0ne year thing if it came down to me being the only one left for the position. From what my nurse manager who will soon be Don I am #3 but according to the ob manager I may even be furthur down the hill than that.(ob manager will soon be retiring with a new successor) So whom should I believe? They all know and are aware of great intent on getting to ob from the time i started, they give me the need for med/surg backround .............. I have heard so much of that I could just throw up at this point. I am asking them for the bottom line tomorrow and then I will let the other facility know of my decision. The other postion is 3 12's on the weekend paid for 40 union, yearly union raises, I will get more of a shift diff and weekend diff more time off and in 6 months i will be making with diff $3.27 dollars more an hour. I will also have the ability to transfer from day one if i bid on a job meet qualifications and no one with more seniority is interested,its mine. So I am probably going to turn in a letter of resignation within the next few days, so what do you think greener pastures or suffer for another 6 months if not years for an ob position at this facility??????

CCU NRS · Dec 9, 2003

You have already made up your mind to me.

you can always change it of course but the money thing seems to be a very real considerationa and Union positions are more secure usually.

Larry G you do make very good points in all things we should attempt to be professional, courteous and prepared.

pieWACKet · Dec 9, 2003

You say: "How can I let them see my side for someone who is ready willing and able to do the job with greatenthusiasm for the profession I feel i would be a great assest to their floor and have a lot of ideas for improving their ob department."

All of this sounds good for me in opting for this job except the last part. Its not that you may have good ideas, it is that it will sink your chance immediately if you say "I have alot of ideas for improving your department". It implies to the manager, who you are seeking to hire you, that you feel the department is mismanaged and perhaps cast you as a troublemaker in the making. In any study of succesful change, it NEVER works for a newcomer NOT hired to initiate change [ie a new manager brought in for that purpose] to try to initiate change without a period of accomodation in which they become a part of the group, trusted by the group, with credentials based on experience of HOW that unit runs. NOONE appreciates it, despite all the best intentions.

As an aside, I must agree that one year of med surg is not a bad idea before a specialty area. I ABSOLUTELY HATED my first year of nursing in Med Surg. Actually, I think i switched at 10 months to Neonatal Intensive Care. At 6 months, i just would not have had the efficiency skills, neither the basic instinct for multi system challenge in patients that Med Surg provides.

Still, here's the scoop. Your ace is the offer for another job in another hospital that you say will give you the job you want. Tell them that, instead of how you want to change that department.

And make your choice too based on union vs non union. Well, I'm one of those nurses. I've worked in nursing 20 years, in union and non union, and I prefer union. If your effort for OB is that you want, say to become a Midwife, then it isn't as important, you just need the requisite years to get into midwifery school. But if your goal is bedside L and D, think carefully regarding ANY facility in this regard, for you may be staying a while and when your desires for change, which you obviously have, are met with dull stares, take it to the union, and see to it the concerns are negotiated into the next contract and deal with the needed change that way. That's the beauty of a union.

BarbPick · Dec 9, 2003

I used to hate it when I was orienting someone and they said "when I was at Mount Sinai we did it this way" and I wanted to beat them silly because this is not Mount Sinai