As many of you know, I'm sort of in limbo as far as nursing is concerned. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not recognize the status "graduate nurse", therefore I can't practice nursing until I pass NCLEX-RN and receive my license from the Board of Nursing. Other states allow persons who have graduated from a school of nursing to work as nurses in that 'twixt and 'tween stage between getting the degree and passing the boards. Add to the mix the fact that the job market for new grad nurses absolutely sucks in the Boston area, and you're looking at a few months (at least) before I can work in earnest as an RN. Yes, there is still a nursing shortage for experienced nurses, but there's slim pickin's for newbies. There are so many nursing schools in the metropolitan area that supply has exceeded demand. That's not the case elsewhere in the country. In the southwest (like Phoenix, one of my favorite cities), I could probably get a job in several hospitals, at a competitive salary, even as a new graduate.
So, knowing that I will most likely become an RN months before working as one, I asked my supervisor what the hospital's policy was of me continuing to work as a PCT (patient care technician- an unlicensed position) once I get my license. Her response:
She said that if I come forward and let them know that I am an RN, I can longer work as a PCT, but if I keep my mouth shut...
Thus, an ethical dilemma. One of the principals of ethical nursing behavior is veracity, which includes not intentionally deceiving or lying (particularly to patients) in the course of nursing practice. That's on top of the potential legal ramifications. For example, RN's are obligated to report abuse to minors, the handicapped, and the elderly, even if it's only suspected. What am I obligated to do if I'm working as a PCT with a nursing license? There are hundreds of scenerios where my failure to act could set me up for a lawsuit.
Lawyer: "You should have known better as a nurse".
Me" "But I wasn't the patient's nurse, only the PCT".
Are nurses nurses 24/7? Or do you get to hang up the cap at end of the shift?
Why don't I quit my PCT job? Well, I sure as hell don't work there for the money. My hospital, like most hospitals, have a policy of hiring preferentially from within. So, by virtue of being on the payroll, I would (theoretically, at least) be toward the front of the line when/if an entry-level RN position opens up. BSN programs tend to graduate in May and December, so by the end of the summer, the mad rush of fresh graduates should abate, and the odds of getting a job in a reputable hospital will increase.
Thank God for my other degree. Though it would kill me somewhat inside to don business casual clothes again (yuck!), realistically, I can't hang around the house all summer doing nothing. I can make some good scratch as a temp accountant. Plus, as a temp, you get to leave work when the whistle blows! You can't do that as a full-time professional.
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