Who should get the job??????

[rn4babies63]

I have worked at our hospital on L&D for 11 years. The first 4 years I was full-time, then I went casual to do mom/baby home visits. However, I maintained my casual status and am pretty high up in seniority now. Here's my question. The hospital policy has always been that whether your are part-time or casual, if a full-time position was posted, the most experienced nurse would get the position. If 2 were equally experienced, then senority would determine who would get the position. I have currently applied for a full=time position on my unit. Everyone else is under me in seniority (at least by 4 years, including 3 new grads). I have maintained all of my competencies on the unit and worked many, many weekends over the 6 years I was casual. What is your hospital's policy on this? Does experience/seniority count even if you are casual/per diem? I remember waiting about 1 1/2 years to get full-time because casual nurses, above me in seniority, applied and got the job. Now my manager seems to think it shouldn't be the same for me. I appreciate and value your opinions!

[Jolie, BSN]

What really matters is your institution's and/or unit's policies.

My personal opinion is that rather than seniority, actual hours of service should be considered. A nurse with 20 years' seniority who has only worked 2 shifts per month should not (in my opinion) have preference over a full-time employee of 15 years. (Not saying this is the case with you, just an example from my unit).

[ukstudent]

I agree with Jolie, what does your units policy say, or is it up to the manager. One manager might hire with an idea to years seniority and another to full time people.

I work in a union hospital and it is spelled out, agree with it or not. A job posted for 40 hrs/week goes to the most seniority in the hospital. These seem to be mostly day shifts, so a person from another unit will get the job over someone in the unit if they were hired by the hospital first. 36hr/week jobs, mostly night shifts are given to the person on the unit with the most seniority. Weekend only shifts, go to hospital hire date.

Luckily I wanted night shift because if I wanted days it would take years to get. Everyone gets hired originally for rotating shifts.