New job question

Specialties Urology

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Hi my fellow nurses. Long time following the site, first time posting. I have a dilemma that I'd like to ask for some counsel. I graduated a year and a half ago and in this bad economy, I've had a difficult time getting a job. I did an internship in dialysis and finally I've got a job. But this job is about 75 miles from home, starts at 04:30 am, which means that I have to get up before 03:00 Am and drive a good deal. I love the job and the patients. Manager is not very friendly, though. I have been there 3 months, and now I am getting another offer from another big company 2 miles from my house. My issue is that though verbally, the position I was offered at the interview was full-time, when the letter arrived, the position said PRN. I spoke to the manager on the phone and she said they wanted to make sure the nurse they were to hire was the perfect fit for the team and the patients and after the probationary 90 days, based on performance they would offer me the full-time position or otherwise. This of course, was verbally. Being a young and nearly new nurse, I can't help but to be a little skeptic about promises not in writing. Is this usual? Are contracts like this or are they more explicit in terms of details and guarantees? By the way, the other job is full-time, and even if I am not as happy due to management, I'd rather suck it up and work through it and be able to provide for my house. Sorry for the long thread/rant and thank you in advance for your answers.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

If it's not in writing, it doesn't exist.

If I needed to support myself, I would never leave an existing position for a "potential."

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

Sounds like bait and switch. I find it very suspicious that they didn't discuss this with you from the start. To just spring it on you verbally seems odd to me. I would be very cautious.

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Try taking a personal leave of absence from your present job and see how it work out.

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Suspicious for sure. 90 days is always a probationary period. During that time they can get rid of you for any reason, so what does it save them to not put full time in the offer letter?

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Are they covering for maternity leave?

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Are they covering for maternity leave?

There are personal and medical leave of absence

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Specializes in Nephrology, Dialysis, Plasmapheresis.

Maybe you could just tell the offering manager, that you are willing to accept the job but only on a full time basis. If she cannot offer you full time, you will wait until she can. Negotiate that and see what happens. You may be surprised where negotiating can get you with job offers, even pay rate. But they want you to be PRN for 90 days because they don't want to pay for benefits probably and want to see if you'll work out. Sounds like a shady way of doing business. If you accept the job and then like it and become full time, it will be 6 months or more until you can start accumulating PTO and you won't get health insurance. That's not fair if you need those things! If it were me, I'd just come back and say full time or no thank you.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
If it's not in writing, it doesn't exist.

If I needed to support myself, I would never leave an existing position for a "potential."

This, this, THIS.

Many a new grad (and not-a-new-grad) nurse including myself has pinned hopes on verbal promises that never materialized. Don't quit the guaranteed job for such a promise. Let this place make an offer for full-time in writing before you jump ship at the first job.

Though if this position is now PRN, you could take it and work the minimum requirement of shifts...if they balk about you not picking up full-time hours, you could remind them that they didn't give you full-time but PRN, so that is what you are working.

Good luck whatever you decide.

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