[luckyrn05]

I just drove 2k miles for what seemed to be a decent job at a magnet hospital. Most of my experience is from a large top ten rated heart hospital. With a few exceptions, the staff is quite hostile from the start. My "preceptor" (younger, maybe half of my experience)was a rager whose idea of precepting was throwing constant bits of barely related trivia at me or querying me like I was a suspect on a "Law and Order" show. This woman was just plain nuts and mean to patients. Then she started making demeaning comments about my intelligence (I joined Mensa 1.5 years ago). She also managed to give me crashing patients 3 nights in a row. And I'm not some young nurse, either, so I usually don't get pushed around. I've been doing this 20 years at some of the worse hell-holes in my home city. It was a set-up for failure. I quit after 5 days realizing that life is just too short. Then the nurse manager unsuccessfully tries to not pay me my last 2 shifts. What are these people's thought processes? If any.

[Old_School]

Holy-Moly lucky what a freakin' nightmare. It sounds like they were all nuts and you are better off out of there. What did you do after you left? Go back home?

And welcome to the forums.

O_S

[luckyrn05]

Thanks. I am taking this down-time to regroup. I like this area, don't want to break my lease, and so I'm applying for other jobs in this area online. I wasn't even registry or a traveller at that place, and I talked to HR when I left. Everyone kept saying what a good nurse she was, but a large part of nursing is not just the technical aspect (I'm ICU), but it's how to treat patients, families, and co-workers. I wish I could have seen them at my old hospital--they all would have been fired. The real clincher was that everyone was shocked that I resigned. Whatever.

[Old_School]

[ QUOTE ]
Everyone kept saying what a good nurse she was, but a large part of nursing is not just the technical aspect (I'm ICU), but it's how to treat patients, families, and co-workers.

[/ QUOTE ]

So true. Don't forget to visit the Critical Care Board. Lot of people read the posts but there are few posters there. Your input would be appreciated.

O_S

[Aaron C.]

sounds like a wonderful experience...

[mako2004]

Sounds like a show I don't want to attend!

[Jadranko]

After over eleven years ICU all I can say is been there done that.Again an example of someone who needs to revisit the initial intentions they had to become a nurse. For me if it ain't about the love for self and others then whats the point. Welcome to visit my soapboxing on now having my license on probation for two years, very related to pissing the wrong people off. Watch your back.

[ecube]

Being a nurse is just strange at times. After all these years, it's no longer the patients, docs, or the system--it's the other co-workers. I'm starting to wonder if I should be treating people like psych patients i.e. with kids gloves.

There was a good site from England on bullying in the workplace that may still be there.

In my humble opinion, people make quick assumptions about others that are frequently erroneous. And then proceed to act upon those assumptions. And then start shooting off their mouth about these assumptions and gossiping about it as if it were the truth.

I have had nurses when I was new on the job watch to see if I was diverting drugs (I don't and never have used drugs--I don't even drink), question me about whether I was gay (I've always been straight), try to see how much money I had in my checking account when I would balance my checkbook on my break, ask me if I have had plastic surgery (no way), ask me what's wrong with me that I don't have children (I can't have children), ask me how many men I have slept with (no, I am not promiscuous), and even accuse my parents of being hippies because they recycled (they are very military).

I had a nurse recruiter at a large hospital not believe the education that I put on my resume (because she didn't understand why I didn't go to work for them first--I went to work for the county), and made me send in my transcripts (I was the only one in that group that was required to do that).

Excuse my cynicism, but I feel that anything that deviates from their typically narrow view of the world is cause for suspicion.

And if the target is on your back (even if it is for the silliest reasons), they will make your life miserable. And I have become adept at documenting these things and making sure that should the need arise, I will be prepared to leave my job and haul them (not the hospital) into court.

[Aaron C.]

Dr. Judith Briles wrote an excellent book called Zapping Conflict in the Healthcare Workplace.

Here is a link to some articles she has written on workplace issues.

Healthcare Employment Articles

Articles such as:

Becoming Sabotage Savvy
Career Moves
Communication in Crisis
Confrontation is an Art

and some of my favs:

THE BOSS FROM ****
Surviving the TOXIC WORKPLACE with sabotage Savvy

and from the book:

ZAPPING CONFLICT IN THE HEALTHCARE WORKPLACE
(opens in a PDF document)

Judith is an awesome person. I had dinner with her and her husband at a nursing convention in Oklahoma City, where she was the keynote speaker and it was a great experience. I highly recommend her books and if you have a chance to hear her speak I would recommend that as well.

In fact, I think I just might make a sticky and put it up top for everyone. She has sent me quite a few of her books and a couple of them, ZAPPING CONFLICT especially, ought to be required reading for the aspiring nursing student!

[RNA]

Originally Posted by luckyrn05

I just drove 2k miles for what seemed to be a decent job at a magnet hospital. Most of my experience is from a large top ten rated heart hospital.

Magnet status? Don't believe the hype... Try "magnet hospital joke" in Google and you will see what I mean. Here is a sample of what you will find: "Magnet means nothing except that the hospital is willing to pay for this status."

Best of luck in your job search!