Nursing in Georgia
Oct. 2nd, 2003 05:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bookofmirrorsBeen meaning to post this for a couple of days.
I'm placing it behind a cut-tag for length at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
walkingbear's request.
The other night, I was talking to the nurse that was orienting me to midnights at my part-time (and now only) job. I was telling her about getting fired from Mariner, and how they seemed to fire good nurses at the drop of a hat, and how I'd seen them do it to many people, blahblahblah, and that I just wasn't USED to that sort of thing. Keep in mind I worked at the same place for 7 years in Illinois, and I'd still be there now, if I weren't here.
So, she starts to tell me things. Apparently, she's from New York, and she also sees some issues in nursing here. She's been in Georgia for 5 years, and in nursing all that time. I've been here 3 years, but have only had 3 nursing jobs (including the one I have now) which, I don't think, would add up to one year combined of being a practicing nurse in Georgia.
She told me that Mariner isn't the only one. That the nursing industry in Georgia is just LIKE that, period. That if I stay in this business, I will constantly find myself hired and fired from jobs, and I can just keep moving through the system. This is SOP here. Healthcare places EXPECT this. Most likely, it's because Georgia is a right-to-work state, and they have a different mindset than states that don't have this law.
As I was listening to her, things finally started to make sense. That would explain why I have seen people in the medical jobs I've worked down here fired for things that were completely minor. It also explained something else. Nurses at work were often talking about how people move through the medical community here. Basically, they said that people go from job to job and constantly keep running into each other in different settings, sometimes years later. At the time, I thought it just meant that Georgia nurses were fickle, or liked variety, or both. But hearing what I've been told, I see it in a totally different light. These people aren't moving around on purpose. They're being fired and rehired. And I've heard more than a few stories about people being fired from somewhere, and rehired at the same place, because since they've left, the previous administration has been fired, too, and the new administration hires them back.
Personally, I think this is an EXTREMELY fucked up system. I mean, what about continuity of care? What about keeping good nurses who make non-critical, non-life-threatening honest mistakes? I'm not even talking about me. I'm talking about the half-dozen or so nurses I've seen fired in as many months at Mariner, and the stories I no longer have any reason to doubt. Seems like it's a pain in the ass for both the people in charge of hiring and firing to have such a high turnover, and also seems like it's a pain in the ass for the staff who have to keep moving around and getting oriented to new places all the time. Funny thing is, I haven't worked at one place (not ONE!) in Georgia who would pass an inspection in Illinois. Color me spoiled.
One of the things she said she did in order to deal with this situation was to never have a full time job. She has 2-3 part time jobs, where she fills in. The money for being a prn (as needed, for those of you who don't speak nurse) nurse is extremely good, and no one owns you. You can pick and choose your days off, and you can pretty much work as often as you want, since there's almost always a shortage. This way, if/when she gets fired, she's already got at least one other job that she just picks up more hours at, and she can find another part-time job at her leisure. Which was kinda what I had in mind when I took the part-time job at Mariner, except that I thought the hiring/firing thing was a Mariner thing, not an industry thing.
The downside to this, of course, is lack of stability, but you'd get that anyway, apparently. The other, MAJOR downside is lack of benefits. Which means I'd have to get benefits viablckwngdorcl if/when he gets some, or have to do private insurance. Anyone know any good/reputable/affordable ones?
So, I'm thinking that's probably what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna check out jobs at ParaQuad and a few other places as I see fit. And I'm gonna learn to live life without a "steady" job. In the past, I have shied away from doing the prn stuff like hell (note: that was originally typo-ed as "porn"... which I'd have no problem doing!), 'cause I hate not having something steady. But... I dunno. Never having to ask for holidays off? Just being able to say, "No, I don't feel like working today?" with no consequences whatsoever? Well, y'know, other than not getting the pay. Might be liberating.
It's actually a bit of a relief. Now that I understand how Georgia works, I understand better how I've been fired from so many jobs since I've been down here. I mean, yeah, it was still ME doing it, and I placed myself in this situation, so certainly I'm responsible, but now I understand why I found myself suddenly terminated from jobs for what appeared to be almost no reason. It's not just nursing. Don't worry, I'm not writing all those experiences off... I'm just looking at them in a new light and incorporating new information.
Anyway, wish me luck!
I'm placing it behind a cut-tag for length at
walkingbear's request.The other night, I was talking to the nurse that was orienting me to midnights at my part-time (and now only) job. I was telling her about getting fired from Mariner, and how they seemed to fire good nurses at the drop of a hat, and how I'd seen them do it to many people, blahblahblah, and that I just wasn't USED to that sort of thing. Keep in mind I worked at the same place for 7 years in Illinois, and I'd still be there now, if I weren't here.
So, she starts to tell me things. Apparently, she's from New York, and she also sees some issues in nursing here. She's been in Georgia for 5 years, and in nursing all that time. I've been here 3 years, but have only had 3 nursing jobs (including the one I have now) which, I don't think, would add up to one year combined of being a practicing nurse in Georgia.
She told me that Mariner isn't the only one. That the nursing industry in Georgia is just LIKE that, period. That if I stay in this business, I will constantly find myself hired and fired from jobs, and I can just keep moving through the system. This is SOP here. Healthcare places EXPECT this. Most likely, it's because Georgia is a right-to-work state, and they have a different mindset than states that don't have this law.
As I was listening to her, things finally started to make sense. That would explain why I have seen people in the medical jobs I've worked down here fired for things that were completely minor. It also explained something else. Nurses at work were often talking about how people move through the medical community here. Basically, they said that people go from job to job and constantly keep running into each other in different settings, sometimes years later. At the time, I thought it just meant that Georgia nurses were fickle, or liked variety, or both. But hearing what I've been told, I see it in a totally different light. These people aren't moving around on purpose. They're being fired and rehired. And I've heard more than a few stories about people being fired from somewhere, and rehired at the same place, because since they've left, the previous administration has been fired, too, and the new administration hires them back.
Personally, I think this is an EXTREMELY fucked up system. I mean, what about continuity of care? What about keeping good nurses who make non-critical, non-life-threatening honest mistakes? I'm not even talking about me. I'm talking about the half-dozen or so nurses I've seen fired in as many months at Mariner, and the stories I no longer have any reason to doubt. Seems like it's a pain in the ass for both the people in charge of hiring and firing to have such a high turnover, and also seems like it's a pain in the ass for the staff who have to keep moving around and getting oriented to new places all the time. Funny thing is, I haven't worked at one place (not ONE!) in Georgia who would pass an inspection in Illinois. Color me spoiled.
One of the things she said she did in order to deal with this situation was to never have a full time job. She has 2-3 part time jobs, where she fills in. The money for being a prn (as needed, for those of you who don't speak nurse) nurse is extremely good, and no one owns you. You can pick and choose your days off, and you can pretty much work as often as you want, since there's almost always a shortage. This way, if/when she gets fired, she's already got at least one other job that she just picks up more hours at, and she can find another part-time job at her leisure. Which was kinda what I had in mind when I took the part-time job at Mariner, except that I thought the hiring/firing thing was a Mariner thing, not an industry thing.
The downside to this, of course, is lack of stability, but you'd get that anyway, apparently. The other, MAJOR downside is lack of benefits. Which means I'd have to get benefits via
blckwngdorcl if/when he gets some, or have to do private insurance. Anyone know any good/reputable/affordable ones?So, I'm thinking that's probably what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna check out jobs at ParaQuad and a few other places as I see fit. And I'm gonna learn to live life without a "steady" job. In the past, I have shied away from doing the prn stuff like hell (note: that was originally typo-ed as "porn"... which I'd have no problem doing!), 'cause I hate not having something steady. But... I dunno. Never having to ask for holidays off? Just being able to say, "No, I don't feel like working today?" with no consequences whatsoever? Well, y'know, other than not getting the pay. Might be liberating.
It's actually a bit of a relief. Now that I understand how Georgia works, I understand better how I've been fired from so many jobs since I've been down here. I mean, yeah, it was still ME doing it, and I placed myself in this situation, so certainly I'm responsible, but now I understand why I found myself suddenly terminated from jobs for what appeared to be almost no reason. It's not just nursing. Don't worry, I'm not writing all those experiences off... I'm just looking at them in a new light and incorporating new information.
Anyway, wish me luck!
-
- blckwngdorcl's Laughter
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Thanks
Date: 2003-10-02 12:24 pm (UTC)Welcome to Georgia. We are not in a 'right to work' state and with the minor exception of the laws regarding discrimination, you can be fired completely on a whim. The boss can walk in one morning, draw a name out of a hat and fire that person with little to no repercussions.
Sucks at times, but it's really the only viable way to do it. The more unionized and socialist states that are 'right to work' make it nearly impossible to get fired, but also makes it nearly impossible to fire an incompetent moron as well. That does not make for successful, growing and strong businesses.
Welcoem to the real world. :)
Re: Thanks
Date: 2003-10-02 09:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-02 03:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-05 10:58 pm (UTC)