Well this past Wednesday, things changed. I wasn't feeling all that great as I had a really bad headache. Not a migraine, mind you, but just a really bad headache. We had a staff meeting and as always the HUM started off the meeting with announcements. Part of that is getting a list of who's accepted new positions around the state. I've never understood that part of these meetings... why do I care that some inspector that I've never heard of has taken an assistant warden position at a facility that I'll never go to? But while she was droning on and on and on, she listed a name that I recognized. It was a nurse supervisor at the last facility I worked at. She was taking a HUM position at a different facility. That means my previous facility now had a nursing supervisor position open.
Interesting.
Now the HUM there used to be my nurse supervisor, and she's been trying to get me back there since I left. I've always joked with her that the only way I'd come back is if it could be as a nurse supervisor. Well... here we are! She has a nurse supervisor position open, I'm looking for a job nearby as a nurse supervisor. It looks like a match in heaven.
But then we get back to the fact that I don't want HER leading my career. Ideally, I'd want a nurse supervisor position to be in one of the facilities here in town so I don't have to worry about the drive, worry about what that will do to my lease, or in this particular case, worry about going back to supervise nurses who trained me when I was a brand new nurse. So I put the tidbit of information aside and went on with my day. I mean after all, the department of corrections doesn't exactly move quickly and if I wanted to pursue this job later, it would be open for awhile. Hell, it probably wasn't even open yet if it's just being announced that the other nurse supervisor is leaving to take the HUM position.
Fast forward to the end of the day, and the med room nurse comes out and asks who is going to stay late with him. Its only HER and me. I had just had my weekend on and I had stayed late the Friday before my weekend, all for late medlines. I had talked earlier with the other nurse on our shift (she had gone home early that day) and found out that there was no late medline on Monday (my day off) but SHE stayed late anyway because she hadn't gotten her documenting done. Tuesday was the other nurse on our shift... so it's HER turn. That's just plain and simple easy math. None of us want to stay late, so we take turns. He or she who has gone the longest without having to stay late because of a late medline, gets to stay late that night.
So, I looked over at HER and threw her a bone and made it so that she could do that math and figure out that it was her turn. I reminded her that I had just stayed late Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and asked when she had to stay late last.
Monday.
She actually said that. She said she had to stay late Monday. I fumed for what felt like hours, but was probably only a couple seconds, then rephrased the question. I asked directly, if she had to stay late on Monday because of a late medline. Of course I know the answer to this already... no, she didn't have to stay late because of a late medline. But she didn't know that I knew that... so she answered the same way. I asked again, emphasizing the part about her staying late because of medline... and she again answered that yes she stayed late because of a late medline on Monday.
My face must have shown what I knew, as her expression immediately changed and she started to sputter something off. But I was just done with the conversation. I looked over to the med room nurse, who had no idea what was going on beyond us honestly figuring out who was staying late, and told him that I would stay late as SHE had stayed late because of a late medline on Monday, and because she had stayed late because of a medline after I had stayed late because of a medline, it was my turn. I turned and finished talking to him while looking right at HER saying "And it's not like she would lie about something like that, so it's my turn and I'll step up and take my turn".
It was then that I knew I'd be taking the nurse supervisor job at my former facility.
She bold faced lied to me. I gave her several chances to back out of it, and she held her ground. I then boldy declared her lie out loud, and she made no move to correct it and make up for it. I'm working with someone who has stabbed me in the back. Sure, it's a minor thing and it's just an hour of overtime.. but a lie is a lie and being stabbed in the back is being stabbed in the back. I already know she lies in her charting, I already know she lies to medical providers, so how long until she tries to lie to a provider and chart something that sets me up for something worse? Something legally worse?
Nope, I'm done. I will not continue to work with this woman. She's poison to my career and to my soul and while I hate leaving my co-workers to her, I have to protect myself and I have an avenue out.
I wrote my former supervisor and my hopefully future HUM and asked her about the position. She seemed pretty excited in my interest and confirmed that it was available. She told me to apply for it as soon as it was available on the state website.
The nice thing about this position is that there is no union transfer rules in the way. There isn't anybody that can 'bump' me because of seniority. Unless there's someone that the HUM wants more than me, this is my job to have and all I'm waiting for is the process. The job has to be listed, I have to apply, my application has to make it's way through the pipes and land on her desk, she has to wait a pre-determined amount of time to allow for other applicants, I have to interview (as well as any other applicants), then she selects her choice. If it's me, HR then goes through and double confirms everything on my resume and my licence (funny, since I already work for the state.. but okay), then I have to work out how to extricate myself from my current job. As it's not a union transfer, I'm more or less quitting, so the amount of time will be between myself, my current HUM, and the warden. But I have a good relationship with both of them and figure giving them to the end of the then current pay period will be good enough.
I know that over confidence often leads to problems, but I am very confident that this is all but a done deal. I went out and bought a new shirt and tie for the interview. I've brushed up the resume and cover letter. I've updated my references. I'm making plans on how I'll do this and not kill my car lease. I'm even starting to plan on what my next car will be since I won't be able to have a new car... used Mercedes anybody?
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