Culture of Idiocy

This is not a pleasant post so if you are expecting good feelings ... stop now.

**GRIPE ALERT** GRIPE ALERT**GRIPE ALERT**

So I haven't been writing for a while because of school wrapping up, studying for boards, and starting a new job as a graduate nurse.

I've been looking forward to working at the local hospital for quite some time now. During my junior year I applied for a nurse aide position. At the beginning of my senior year I applied for a nurse extern position. In February, I applied for a graduate nurse position. After each application I followed up with the H/R department to see where my application was in the process.

"We've filled our nurse aides positions."

"We tend to hire [local university] nursing students for our extern positions."

"We can't find your graduate application."

So with some unexpected intervention from a friend of my wife's (she works for a hospital in the same system as the local one) I was able to get an interview and I accepted a position.

Eating Their Young...
All of the this past week I have been in orientation. I am the only male in the class (not unexpected) and I am the only graduate nurse (everyone else are RN or LPN).

Now you might think I am being paranoid but I have been singled out at every opportunity during orientation. Each training session begins with a very poignant reminder from the instructor to me (in front of the entire class):

"Now [you] will not be able to do any of this until [you] are licensed."

Fair enough. Understood. Gotta get the legalities out of the way.

But then the reminder is repeated before each topic throughout the day. Like, I'm an idiot?!

Today was the last of four days and I have reached my limit. Our schedule was disrupted as we were invited to come hear our friendly CNO make a presentation. This meant we returned to our training room 10 minutes before going home. The (recently hired) 'nurse educator' whipped out a twenty-five question exam to finish before going home (half clinical math and half NCLEX).

I have to admit I panicked a little. I was expecting a clinical math test (no problem). I wasn't expecting NCLEX questions. In addition, the 'nurse educator' walked outside people into the room while we were taking the test and loudly talked to them and asked us several times:

"Aren't you done yet?"

So I turned in my test and watched as she quickly graded the tests. She handed a few back and as she did I couldn't help but notice there were one or two RNs with 4 to 5 questions marked wrong in red ink. As the nursing educator finished mine she stated:

"[My name]? What floor do you work on? I may need to go speak with your manager."

During the whole process of grading and handing back she never called out anyone else.

She handed my test back and I missed three... out of 25!

Oh. And I answered the additional two ER/ICU/CCU mcg titration math questions correctly (so that is out of 27).

Bad Culture
This hospital has recently brought in a new management team. I was hoping to be part of that change in culture. But you know. I am not going to be part of a culture that is only interested in maintaining the 'status quo'. Let them still favor only one of seven area nursing schools. Let them continue with the reputation of second class care (I've lived here since 1989... I can give you an earful).

Yeah. This has been a week of harassment. And this has been a week of discrimination.

I'm turning in my resignation tomorrow.