New Grad Quitting After Less Than a Year (advice!)

Nurses New Nurse

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Hello everyone, I need some advice!I'm a new grad, I just graduated in September and was offered a job right out of school in an area I really love. The hospital is great, conveniently close, etc. I love it and could see myself staying here indefinitely...but I can't. I only live here right now because my wife is finishing up her master's in social work. She will be finished next May and already has a job offer (they paid for her schooling so she can't turn it down) all the way on the other side of the country. Which means this May, I will be leaving my new job. I feel horrible about it - as a new grad, I will be on orientation for most of this time. The hospital is paying a lot of money to train me, and I'm going to leave as soon as they start to see a return. My contract doesn't say I have to stay, but I just don't know what to do. Staying is clearly not an option unless I want to leave my wife, and I don't. The hospital has no idea I plan on leaving next year, and I feel no one would have hired me if they knew that. Had anyone asked if I planned to stay, I would have told them, but no one did. Anyone have similar experience? I feel like they will hate me when I leave and might even write me bad recommendations for a new job. Bt honestly I don't know what else to do - I couldn't have just not work these 8 or so months waiting on my wife to graduate, I needed to make money and start paying back my loans and didn't want to forget all of my nursing.

You can either leave when your wife does or let her go on ahead and stay another 4 months to get your year in.

People do things such as that all the time, particularly those in military families. It's very doable.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Specializes in ED, LTC, SNF, Med/Surg.

Honestly, do not worry about it. Before I became a nurse, I worked in the wonderful(sarcasm) field of business management. Turnover is common in EVERY industry, ESPECIALLY health care. As long as you are professional, you have no worry. Be sure to give at least 2 weeks notice, and let them know the circumstances - ie you have to move out of state for your wife's job. Be an exemplary employee in the mean time. That way you can use them as a reference for your next job. And when they ask you in the interview for the next job why you left DO NOT say anything bad about your former employer, merely explain the situation. The new trend in employment is for people to have many different jobs in their career span. The days of being with a company for 25, 30, or 50 years are pretty much extinct. Employers now a days expect multiple job titles and experience from applicants.

In the end, give a full two week notice that you have to move for family reasons

and say nothing to no one in the meantime... (silence will be golden in your case)

You will not be the first! No worries... Your family comes first.

Best of luck to you.

Take Care~

Specializes in Med/Surg, Neuro, ICU, travel RN, Psych.

I think it all depends on your manager, honestly. It's not like you are leaving because you did your one year and are looking to advance like so many people do. You are relocating. I'd give a month notice, tell them your wife's job has relocated her across the country, thank them for giving you an opportunity and call it a day. Your manager will either be understanding due to the circumstances, or she won't. Ask your charge or a colleague if you could use them as a reference just in case. Either way, HR can still verify employment.

Your wife's goal is to graduate in one year but allot can happen in one year, enjoy your newjob.

Specializes in neuro/med surg, acute rehab.

this also happened to me - as a new grad a hospital hired me and I loved the job and worked for them for just 7 months after completing my orientation. . .then my spouse was transferred to another state and I had no choice but to leave. I told my boss the truth, gave 4 weeks notice so they could hire someone else, thanked them for the opportunity and left on good terms.

Three years later I moved back to the area, contacted my old boss and she hired me back to the same floor!!

It happens all the time - you have to do what is best for you. Learn all you can, make connections so you have references and leave without any guilt.

Specializes in geriatrics.

Sometimes life happens, and this is one of those times. Obviously, you need to be loyal to your wife, so the choice is clear. It's not as though you're simply walking away. You have a valid reason for leaving. Tell prospective employers you had to relocate. Most reasonable employers will understand relocation, vs quitting because you didn't like/ couldn't handle the job. Don't even worry about it.

The hospital you work for would do what's best for them--with little or no regards to what's best for you. Give an appropriate notice and move on. Don't break up your family over a job, that shouldn't even be an option.

Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.

Isn't is nice that we employees are soooo considerate of our employers:), but when its time to surplus and let us go they got no heart about it:madface:. Dude do what is best for you and your wife. I totally REJECT the idea of giving an employer 1 month notice:no:, If I was a manager I would fire you after hearing that story:madface:. If the policy is 2 weeks then give 2 weeks notice do to relocation, legally they dont need more than that.

If you got NO kids I would suggest a temporary seperation just to ENSURE that the wife's job is actually ROCK solid. I heard of people moving for a job, then all of a sudden..it like they (the employer) backs out and you guys will be left eating dirt and living ont he streets. Seriously a lot can happen to a company between now and May, If she aint got a signed written contact for employment its just an offer and the employer is under no legal obligation to hire her based on an offer.

Also consider letting your wife move and ACTUALLY start of with this company first, see how it goes and you follow her a month later... I know couples with kids who have done this:yes:, but If your marriage breaks up in a month, then you dont need to be married.In this economy you gotta be smart and look out for you and your family..to heck with the employer. Your secondary plan would be to start looking for a job in the same area when your wife's job will be at. By the way..who will be earning more you or d wife? that is also something I would consider and be aware of changes in costs of living, but you probably already looked into that. Good Luck!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, Neurology, Rehab.

Hi, you never can bank on the "tomorrow's" it may never come or just maybe, maybe your wife may be offered something totally different close to where you live, you never know. Just continue to work and thank God you got the chance to get some experience. Yes I have been in that situation. But I did not feel too bad about it. When the time came for me to leave, it was ok and yes I did get a good job reference. They can't lie and give you a bad reference just because you left. If I were you I would just continue to do the best job I could and when the time comes for you to leave everyone will wish you the best!!:up:

How much notice does a facility give you when they fire you ? Keep it in focus and realize that you will probably have many jobs during your nursing career. They days of the loyal employer who rewards your hard work are over. A seasoned nurse is more likely to be replaced for a cheaper new grad these days. Do what is best for you and your family without regrets.

If the hospital decided, three years from now, to lay off RNs would THEY give a crap about YOU and all the time YOU invested in the place? Give a proper notice and quit guilt free.

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