Good news and bad news at work (the same news)

[chaim]

First the good news.

I seem to have a very good shot at being selected my psych hospital's "mental health worker of the year".  Generally such a thing would look great on a resume both for future jobs and for grad school.  In this case it would be even more so since this is one of the top psychiatric hospitals in the country.

Generally, I probably have about as good a chance as everyone so I wasn't thinking about it, but yesterday at work one of the therapists on my unit told me that she and several of the therapists who work there are actively working for me.  They are trying to get all the therapists and doctors on the unit to vote for me.  Ours is probably the largest unit on the hospital.  Even if I only get an average number of nurses and fellow mental health workers voting for me I should have a good chance if she and those working on this get even half the therapists and doctors on the unit to vote for me.

The bad news?

I have to stay, not just at the hospital but the unit, until the selection and possibly award are completed if I want to have a chance at selection and putting "mental health worker of the year" on my resume.  My unit is horribly managed, the worst in the hospital.  I already have applications out and can't wait to get out.  If I don't have a new job, in or out of the hospital, that would be a promotion I had planned to leave for the same job in another unit by the end of the summer at the latest.  There is also a financial reason I wanted to go elsewhere or try for a promotion.  My hospital has a terrible tuition reimbursement plan (under $1K a year) and I took a large pay cut to go there (my first mental health job).  I was hoping to take my degree in psych and a year of experience at a top psych hospital and try to get more money and/or a job with decent tuition reimbursement (since I'll be going to grad school soon).  Also, it may mean putting off grad school a bit- scheduling at the hospital is unstable (some days, some evenings, some 8 hour days, some 12hr days- plus occasionally being "mandated" to do a double) and the other jobs I'd look for (either an internal promotion or something more social work or education related) would be a day job making it easier to schedule courses.

Now I have a choice.  Stay in a tough situation but have a good chance at an honor that would look great on a resume and may help with grad school or I can leave for better scheduling, tuition reimbursement, pay, and/or work environment.  I'll probably wait and tough it out just in case, but it puts a crimp in some plans (and I was really looking forward to moving on- either internally or elsewhere).

[Preacherman]

Chaim - you can't eat an award.  That simplifies the choice, no?

[chaim]

Preacherman, that is true.  While I make (barely) enough for my needs right now, more money would certainly be nice.  Knowing that I wouldn't have to put off grad school any futher would be nice (I'm about to turn 36).  A more stable schedule would be nice grad school or no grad school.  However, being honored "mental health worker of the year" in one of the top psych hospitals in the country, out of a couple hundred mental health workers, would look terrific on the resume and on grad school applications.  Short-term I'd be better off leaving or trying to get into a new position at the hospital that was a promotion.  Longer-term though I'd be better off if I got the award.  If it was a forgone conclusion that I'd win I'd definately stay until the process was complete.  The only reason there is any question is because there is no guarantee that I'll win- the therapists trying to get this for me may not convince enough people to vote for me (some therapists or doctors may vote for someone else or may decide not to bother with filling out the form to vote, who knows what the nurses and mental health workers on my unit will do- especially with some of the mental health workers not liking me since my work ethic makes some of them look bad), another unit may unit behind one of their mental health workers and he/she may win, etc.

[Tallpine]

I dunno ... working in a mental hospital would drive me crazy.

[InfidelSerf]

Is there any chance that they are trying to bait you to stay?  
Could word that you were unsatisfied and looking to make a move, made it to the powers that be?

It's possible that the offer of such award is simply a ploy to keep you around.

If that is the case I say make the move when you can.  No doubt with some time you may be eligable for said award with a better unit.

Then again I have to completely agree with Tallpine.  

Your a better man than I for committing to that line of work.  (pun inserted for Preacherman )

[Stand_watie]

How do your opportunities look if you don't get the award? The same as they are now? Do you have a wife and kids depending on you? If you are  your only responsibility, and there is no loss from staying, other than temporary hardship, I think that, award or not, the knowledge that you gave it your best shot and the discipline of following through are their own reward                                                                                                                                   .

[lee n. field]

Now I have a choice.  Stay in a tough situation but have a good chance at an honor that would look great on a resume and may help with grad school or I can leave for better scheduling, tuition reimbursement, pay, and/or work environment.

Leave.

[Antibubba]

My unit is horribly managed, the worst in the hospital.

Think of it this way, Chaim-you're in the running for "Best of a Bad Lot"  

Veloce expressed my thoughts: Perhaps they know your thoughts and are trying to entice you to stick it out a little longer by offering a benefit they pay noting for (as opposed to tuition reimbursement or better pay or a better schedule).

If someone makes a good offer, go.

[RocketMan]

Chaim,

Do what's best for your mental health.

[chaim]

Is there any chance that they are trying to bait you to stay?

It is possible but unlikely.  While I haven't been completely closed lipped about my dissatisfaction and desire to leave (whether for another unit in the hospital or another employer altogether), heck, I've even used my current manager as a reference, and people on the unit do talk, the mental health workers and nurses (the people I work with directly) don't usually speak with the therapists.  I'm pretty much the only one who talks to the therapists when it isn't necessary for the job and I haven't really raised my dissatisfaction with them.  Also, it was one of the therapists who brought up trying to get me to win "mental health worker of the year" not the doctor that runs the place or the nurse manager or any of the nurses who are the manager's assistants, and the therapists don't have much of any say in running the unit (in fact, some of the nurses I work with look down on them since they aren't doctors or nurses).

How do your opportunities look if you don't get the award? The same as they are now?

Right now since I don't have the award my opportunities are the same as if I wait and don't get selected, actually they'll be just a tad worse if I wait.  There isn't really seasonal hiring in mental health so I should find similar opportunities now, a month from now, or a year from now.  If I go for an education related job (hours, tuition reimbursement) then I kind of need to look now, but I don't know how realistic that is since I'm not certified as a teacher (my degree is in psychology) so what I can get doesn't pay well at all (possibly lower than my current position).

The award will be helpful in giving me the edge on other candidates when I apply in the future, and mental health worker of the year at one of the top psych hospitals in the country should look good when applying to grad school (and I need everything I can get- psychology is a VERY competitive field for grad school admissions).

Do you have a wife and kids depending on you?

No, I'm single.  The woman I'm dating right now makes decent money and doesn't care what I make (she's even mentioned that if we marry she wants to support me while in school so I can go to grad school full-time and finish faster instead of working and going to school part-time) so money isn't a factor there in any way.

Now, I have had some new financial considerations come up since I posted this.  My expenses seem to have increased over the weekend (a student loan I thought was in deferrement until winter, at which point I'll hopefully be back in school to keep it deferred, came due again unexpectedly) plus there is a chance I'll need to move in a few months.  If both situations (or even one) doesn't change I may need to move on the job search sooner than later anyway just to manage my current financial needs.

My unit is horribly managed, the worst in the hospital.

Think of it this way, Chaim-you're in the running for "Best of a Bad Lot"

Antibubba, this is "mental health worker of the year" for the hospital.  While the unit is poorly managed and we do have some terrible mental health workers (some are lazy, others are mean to the patients) we also have some very good ones.  At any rate, as I said, it is for the hospital not the unit- this is one of the best psych hospitals in the country and the other units are VERY well run with top notch staff.  Those will be the people I'll be up against.