How NOT to get a job at a busy hospital

Over at the Being Veruca blog, healthcare professional/respiratory therapist Mommy A has a description of how a desperate job seeker interrupted her lifesaving work to ask pointless questions.This leads to her posting on How Not to Get a Job.

First, let her set the scene:

It is 3 AM. I have been busy as all hell because A) people keep trying to die in the hospital and we have had more codes than I thought possible in one shift. And I have the main ICU.

Tip: Don’t call the busy ICU floor in the middle of the night if you’re looking for a job. The conversation could go like this:

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Moron:”How many patients do you have? Right. now. How many units of the hospital are you covering? And how many therapists do you have there tonight?”

Me: “Well, we have 4, which is standard at night. I have the MICU, and I am covering all of the patients in that unit. There are 10 ventilators running up there right now and…..”

Moron: “OH MY GOD! Do they always work you like that??? I heard they did. I work at XXXXX now and I only have 2 treatments to give before 8 in the morning. That’s what I’m used to. I don’t like to work a lot. Or very hard. Ewwww. And a ventilator? I hate running vents. I haven’t run a vent in 10 years.”

Me: “Ummmm, we are usually pretty busy here. And since there are only 4 therapists in house at night, all of us may be asked to handle a vent or an intubation, even if we aren’t assigned to an ICU…” (Okay, now I think I may be being punk’d. Where’s Ashton?)

Moron: “Whatever, I guess I can try it. Where do I fill out an application?”

I had to give her the website where she can apply online. And I had to tell my boss this morning that if anyone calls who works at that hospital, to please not hire them. Who? Who really tries to get a job like that? Especially in our current day where even healthcare professionals are having difficulties finding jobs. I mean, when I applied for my current position, I called. But when I called, I spoke with the director of my department and simply asked, in a polite tone, if they had any available positions for a registered therapist. He asked me a few questions about my experience, and before I had even completed an application, HR had called me to schedule an interview. I actually completed the application and submitted my resume at my interview. But I was polite. And professional. And was eager to work. And motivated. Really.

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Notice Mommy A’s reaction: She told her boss not to hire. Her call is a better model for getting a job in a busy hospital.