HELP!! Orientation going horribly, but have interview for better job. what now?

[lpn2rn81]

Hello everyone, I dont' know if any of you guys have read my other thread that I posted, but I'll just give a basic summary :)

I'm a recent RN grad, and for the longest time couldn't find a job, so I basically took the first offer that came my way.

I'm on my second week of orientation, but I am doubting i will stay here. There is a lack of support for the nurses at this hospital, constant short staffing, lack of supplies, way too much paperwork (even the veteran RNs that work here complain about all of this..) and this is not my area of interest. I was basically misled about the job i would be doing, and none of the new grads this unit hired in the last 6 months have stayed! The PRN nurses are doing full time hours practically, and the place is miserable, even the physicians don't want to stay. If you all need more details, just check out my other thread about 'Orientation and job NOT what was promised...'

ANYWAY... I have an interview for a hospital I used to work at (which has a better reputation than the current one i'm orienting at, and has a lot better nurse retention rates and patient satisfaction scores, etc), but on a different floor than the one I used to work. This interview is for a hospital that is only 1 mile away from where I live, versus 30 for the hospital I'm currently at. Overall, guess I'm trying to say that I'd rather go back to this 'good' hospital I used to work for.

However, when I filled out my online application and resume, i didn't list the current job, because at the time I applied, I had only been at this 'job' one day, and honestly thought i would have quit before the week was over, it was that bad!

Am I in trouble now? If I go into the interview, what do I say if they ask me about 'current or most recent job'? Do I need to 'fess up and admit that I am in the process of orientation, but the job is not a 'good fit', hence the reason for wanting to work at the 'new' hospital?

If i do have to admit that I'm working somewhere else, how do i explain why I want to leave the job during orientation already?

AND, I am scared because from the threads I read, employers can 'find out' if you worked other places, and if you don't list them on your application, you can be fired/not hired because of omitting this info........ but it's too late to go back and 'list' this current job on my application..... How do i figure this mess out????

I hope I made sense with how I worded things here!

I appreciate any input, because my interview is next week! Have any of you been in a similar situation, and how did you handle it?

Thanks!

[netglow, ASN, RN]

If you feel this job to really be a threat to your license and a danger to your patients and you need to quit, then do so. I have done so. You just need to be honest, short and sweet about it in interviews. Yes, it is a catch 22 as sometimes these places are well known for being horrible, and as karma would have it, you also don't want to be seen as someone that was OK with working there for an extended period of time.

There is no for sure course of action, you just have to do what you feel is right for you and the situation.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

I would mention that you took a job at X facility, but when you interview with Y facility, don't talk about why you want to leave X, talk about why you want to work at Y. Play up THAT part. You've worked there before, you like a, b, and c about Y facility. I think mentioning the commute is OK, when you talk about it in terms of, it eliminates potential attendance issues due to a long commute (car trouble, weather, etc). This tells them that those things won't be a concern with you.

They can find out where you're working now, so I wouldn't hide it. You also may need to give notice at X (on orientation, they may not require 2 weeks, but you can't bank on that). You took the job because you needed a job, but it was always your desire to work at this other place. That's not bad. Don't even mention the working conditions whatsoever, they don't need to know that. What they need to know is that you want to work there, and why.

[mazy]

thanks for the list of potential scenarios!

I still am confused about how to proceed from here. Assuming I get the interview but perhaps don't get the job, do i need to list my current job on future apps and interviews?

How would I explain leaving current job so soon?

Any of you ever left a job so soon due to horrible conditions?

If so, was it easy to explain in an interview and still get hired somewhere else?

I don't want to give up on my nursing career, I want to find a supportive work environment where I can practice nursing in confidence and give quality care.

Thanks for all your insights and tips, everyone!

I love Allnurses!

I guess I'm not quite sure what you are looking for here. You've got two threads going simultaneously, and many, many people offering very specific suggestions on how to proceed. I don't mean to be critical or mean, I just don't understand what it is you want at this point.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

thanks for the list of potential scenarios!

1. I still am confused about how to proceed from here. Assuming I get the interview but perhaps don't get the job, do i need to list my current job on future apps and interviews?

2. How would I explain leaving current job so soon?

I don't want to give up on my nursing career, I want to find a supportive work environment where I can practice nursing in confidence and give quality care.

1. Yes. You do want to show your experience, even if it wasn't what you hoped for.

2. "It just wasn't a good fit for me" If pressed, "there is a high turnover rate, and I hope I can find a supportive environment where I can be learn to deliver the highest quality of patient care."

But, don't be negative, don't complain about the other place