Pros
Your coworkers will bend over backwards to help you be successful
There are many opportunities to grow in your profession
The Vandy Family isn't just a coined phrase, it is lived out by the hourly staff daily
Cons
In violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), I was told "I'm not going to be able to count your LMS learning module hours this week, because it will put you into overtime so I'm going to adjust your Kronos and put that you did them next week." The LMS were required, which is why I did them on the week I was assigned them.
When my infant was sick, rather than calling out and leaving the unit short-staffed, I called my manager to see if I could switch with a coworker to a shift later in the week to avoid getting an occurrence and was told yes. I switched shifts with my coworker, she worked my shift, and I worked her shift. I was notified later in the week by said manager that I would still be given an occurrence.
A coworker asked if I could switch and work her Thanksgiving, and she would work my Christmas. I worked Thanksgiving, and then she quit in December, and I was told by my manager that since she quit I would still be required to work Christmas as well so I had to work both holidays.
I requested time off every single week in a 6 month time span because I had over 150 hours of PTO that I would lose when I left to go back to school. I was denied all of them except 4 days. 3 of which were approved during the last two weeks of my employment. Months later I was later told by my manager that "You aren't allowed to use PTO during your last two weeks so I'm removing your PTO request." Therefore in a 6 month time period where I asked for PTO every week I was approved only 1 day of PTO and then left with over 150 hours of PTO that I couldn't use because all of my PTO requests were denied.
I was badgered constantly by my manager with emails and phone calls from charge nurses asking for us to "Be a team player" and "Don't let the unit down" and come in on our off days only to receive a generic email from the same manager stating "I see that you worked over 50 hours this week. This is a reminder that it is important for you to take some time away from work."
Our unit ran out of hand sanitizer to foam in and out of rooms. I told our charge nurse who notified EVS to replace them. In the meantime, we were required to wash our hands in the sink of the patients' rooms. A handwashing auditor came on our unit and saw me walk in a room without foaming in even though I washed my hands at the sink inside the room, and I was Veritased for the incident. In the required Veritas follow-up meeting, I was asked by my manager what I could have done differently to ensure that didn't happen again. Am I supposed to start bringing ecolab hand sanitizer from home? The entire unit ran out of hand sanitizer, I told my charge nurse, called EVS for a restock, and the EVS closet on our unit is locked. What else am I supposed to do? I was gaslighted to believe somehow it is my fault that the hospital didn't restock or order enough hand sanitizer bottles. I have patients who have hourly vitals and need to be turned every 2 hours. Am I expected to just sit around and wait until the bottles are restocked?
The staff bathrooms rarely had paper towels or toilet paper. I was actually told by a charge nurse jokingly to "just drip dry" when I finished going to the bathroom because there was no toilet paper left on the unit.
I was told I had to have Outlook on my phone and answer emails on my days off despite the fact that I am an hourly employee. I asked if we could include the time we spent reading work-related emails in Kronos to be paid and was told "No, you're not at the hospital so that doesn't count." Wage and hour laws are very clear about employers having to pay hourly workers who are required to respond to work emails on their days off. We were required to install Microsoft Intune on our personal phones that gives VUMC the ability to "remotely monitor, read, and wipe" our phones to protect PHI. So I asked my manager, since you are requiring us to register our phones with our employer and use our personal data plans to access the work network, does that mean that our phone bills will now be paid for by VUMC?" I was told no so I refused to install Microsoft Intune on my personal phone and was reprimanded for it.
While clocked out during my unpaid lunch, I was expected to answer phone calls from providers, answer call lights, and take report if a patient was transferring to our unit, which violates federal labor laws.
I would like to include more, but I've reached the maximum character limit.