RN Diaries (The Price of Working in Calif)
September 27, 2008 by caroline2311
Where I work now is okay. Okay to me is an I’m-not-really-happy-working-here kind of feeling. Maybe because I have worked in quite a few hospitals in my nursing career that I could compare and make authoritative comments about the hospitals where I have worked.
I currently work in Calif. Parang Pinas where I work. There are a lot of Filipino nurses. Kulang na lang are the Filipino doctors. Actually, I noticed that there are more Bombay MDs (which I pronounce “bom-bye” not “bom-bae”) in the US. Wish there are more Filipino doctors coz I truly believe in our own Filipino doctors. I have worked with them during my Makati Med days after graduation and I was so impressed. There was nothing like them. I guess it’s the Filipino blood flowing in them that they are most fulfilled when they treat the health of their own people IN OUR OWN COUNTRY.
Second (and super tinding inis ko) characteristic of working in Calif is that the managers are very rude parang Pinas. I constantly moan about this at work but no one seems to understand. So now, I am moaning in my blog space (WHAT THE F@#&!). I often ask my colleagues why the managers in Calif are like that.
Example, I needed to undergo TB Screen Test every year. But this time, I was exposed to a TB patient without precautionary measures. So did a lot of other RNs. Anyway, I got an e-mail from my manager… “Caroline, you need to go to Occupational Health for the TB Screen Test. OR ELSE WE WILL SUSPEND YOU!” I printed a copy and passed it around. I told everyone, “THIS IS HARASSMENT. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND RUDE.” Everyone just laughed at me. (Well, they did not really laugh but it felt that way.) So I had to explain myself harder to them… “You know, she didn’t have to say she will suspend me coz even if she did not say that, I’m gonna do it anyway because THAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY not because I don’t wanna be suspended. She is treating me like a toddler. She did not need to threaten me with suspension.” Tapos my colleagues said to me, “Caroline, that’s the way managers really are.” Sabi ko, “Where’s our dignity? Is it totally extinct now? We loose our dignity na nga with our patients. Tapos our managers are even treating us like crap.” So no comment na sila. They’d rather drink coffee than discuss this sad reality. All the more I felt like I was working in a 3rd world country. Then I told my colleagues that this does not happen in Florida. If they even just have a hint of harrassment in their communications, OW! Patay sila, they will be accused of being RACIST. In England, that e-mail will be considered BARBARIC and will be subjected to administrative investigations and I will even get a public apology.
Oh well, I guess I have to tolerate all this kase my family is here naman ni Calif and they pay top money here naman… BUT I’M STILL SOOO NOT STAYING HERE FOREVER!!!
I’m with you on this one, hon. That was harsh, it wasn’t handled professionally. I think they could have handled that situation in a better and acceptable way but what’s done is done and we learned our lesson. Next we’ll know what to do, right? I hope you will find a better working environment and better bosses very soon, hon. This is just not right and you deserve better. (Then again, maybe you should just move here, hahaha, I just had to say it). Love you.
Cheer up now, hon.
~Nora
I’ve always wished I was there coz it’s so beautiful in Victoria and I got the huge bonus of being with you. But a daughter-in-law has to do what a daughter-in-law has to do. We’ll still be there every year hun! (cross your fingers)