S/O of 'just not that into you' - want feedback from other nurses as to what happened

[klone]

I am a nurse who is only trained in OB, and for the past few months I've been looking for clinic work and/or a job that has more "bankers' hours". I applied for a job as an infusion nurse at an infectious disease clinic. Going into the interview, I was lukewarm as to whether it's something I'd be interested in and I thought it would get boring and tedious after a while. During the interview, I totally changed my mind - the job seemed very interesting and I would be able to learn some really valuable skills (wound care, PICC line insertion), and the clinic environment seemed really nice. Everyone had been there for a really long. I decided that I really wanted the job, but because my experience is only OB (which, granted, I have a lot of experience with IV starts and IV infusion, but no PICC line experience), I figured that I only had a slim chance of getting the job.

The interview was with the clinic manager (non-clinical) and the nurse manager. They told me that they wouldn't be making a decision for another 2-3 weeks because the nurse manager was going on vacation for a week and they weren't going to hire anyone until after she got back. They assured me that "no news is just no news". This was on a Monday.

On Tuesday, I wrote out a thank-you card and mailed it to the both of them at the clinic's physical address. The following Monday (so one week after the interview) the card was returned to me as undeliverable. My first thought was "Oh, crap! They're going to think I'm rude and never acknowledged them!" So I decided to call the clinic and just let the office manager know I had sent them a thank-you but it came back, and to let them know that I'm very interested in the position. So I left her a message on her voicemail to that effect. Five minutes later she called me back and said she was really glad I had called and that she was going to touch base with me that day anyway. She said that they still were not going to be making any decisions for another week or so, but that I was on the top of their list, and she wanted to talk to me to gauge my interest level in the position. I said that I was very interested in the position. She then asked me my salary requirements, and when I told her, she said "Oh, good! That's exactly the range we had in mind as well." She then asked if I would be interested in coming in for a few hours to shadow one of the RNs to get a better idea of what the position entails, as they want to make sure the person they hire is a good fit. I said I would LOVE to come in and shadow an RN, and we agreed that I would come in that Thursday after lunch.

So I showed up promptly at 1pm on Thursday, and checked in with the receptionist. She informed me that the office manager was out that day. I explained that I was there to shadow the nurses. She called to the back office, and I could overhear her side of the conversation, and I gathered from her words that they didn't know I was going to be there, and really didn't have the time for me. I approached the reception desk again and said to her that if it was a bad time, I could come back another time. She was very apologetic and explained that the nurses were getting slammed at the moment and it really wasn't a good time for them. I said no problem, I would call the office manager and set up another time to come in.

The following morning I was kind of half expecting the office manager would call me back. When I hadn't heard from her by 10am, I called her, and the receptionist said she was out of the office until 3pm. I left a message on her voicemail, basically saying "I'm sorry it didn't work out with me shadowing the nurses yesterday, I understand they were really busy and it wasn't a good time. I would love to come in another time, and I'm available tomorrow or early next week, just let me know." She didn't call back that afternoon or the following day. The weekend came and went and on Monday I hadn't heard from her either. Tuesday afternoon, I finally bit the bullet and called back to leave another voicemail message, just saying "Hey, I just wanted to touch base and find out if you still were interested in having me come in for a few hours, or if you had decided on another candidate. Please give me a call."

That was about three weeks ago. I never heard from anyone from the clinic again. I'm kind of just sort of bummed out and confused about it. I have since accepted another job that I'm very excited to start, but I feel like I went on a date with a great guy who seemed really interested in me and he wants to make all these plans with me and then just never calls me again.

I know it has nothing to do with the references I gave, as I know they all would give good referrals. So I'm just totally at a loss as to what happened. Any ideas?

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

And I would totally understand and be okay with that. It's the complete lack of communication, after they all but offered me a job, that annoys and puzzles me more than anything else.

I said that I was very interested in the position...She then asked if I would be interested in coming in for a few hours to shadow one of the RNs to get a better idea of what the position entails, as they want to make sure the person they hire is a good fit.

Yes, but it stalled at that point. You never know how many folks they also had shadowing. In their mind it's "She came in for an interview, we had a followup phonecall & were going to do a shadow experience but it never happened..."

My gut feeling is they are disorganized, & may not have even filled the positon yet. In any event, they do owe applicants the courtesy of a followup call, email, or letter.

[kids]

So I'm just totally at a loss as to what happened. Any ideas?

My best guess would be that the Nurse Manager vetoed you for a more qualified applicant and the Clinic Manager isn't terribly organized.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Klone, I totally feel that "no call after the hot date". I myself just had an extremely hot date.

Thing is that, if it is a specialty that you haven't done before, you kind of cannot help feeling you want to "gear up" for it... do a little reviewing etc. in case you get an offer and you need to start pretty quickly. But, you do really know better than to do that. It is soooooo exhausting. You take it somewhat to heart if you think you might want to work at a place and, if you have interviewed at some real loser places just prior.

[RosesRN]

Hi OP, be persistent! Get back in front of their face. Show them and tell them you want the position still. Good luck!

[NurseHopefulInOH]

That exact thing happened to me at a surgical center. I came back to "shadow" and meet the employees. The Drs there talked to me like I was already hired. I called and e-mailed when I didn't hear anything back and she said we will def let you know sometime soon! I ended up calling 2 more times with no response. At least let ppl know you have chosen someone else!! Just shoot a e-mail at the very least but I guess they just don't care! rude imo

[Jules A, MSN]

At the very least it is rude! Congratulations on your job.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

Maybe the office manager is the one they don't like. She could be on her way out the door, so anyone she made nice with would either be considered tainted or the rest of the people in the office wouldn't even know about them.

And she's not going to call you back to say, "I'm on thin ice here, so I can't give you any information until I find out if I still have a job."

I'd say there's about a 90% chance that this discombobulation has nothing to do with you.

Congrats on getting another job. You really didn't want to work at an office that's this mixed up.

Something like that happened to me. It was for an OB clinic, I had a great interview, great raport with the manager, I followed up with a Thank you card, she said that I would hear from her come Friday as that is when they would make any decisions. Friday came and went, so Monday I called to inquire and come to find out the Manager who I interviewed with she was let go on Friday:uhoh3:

Of course I didn't get the job and I would have never heard back because the manager never told anyone she was interviewing

[klone, MSN, RN]

Hi OP, be persistent! Get back in front of their face. Show them and tell them you want the position still. Good luck!

I would not take it now if it was offered to me, as I already accepted a job with another facility. So getting in their faces about it would serve no purpose other than satisfying my curiosity and I have too much self-respect to continue to pester them (same way I would not want to keep calling the guy who never called me back after the hot date).

[klone, MSN, RN]

And thank you to everyone for the well wishes on my new job! It's with a very well-respected facility, doing something that I think will be extremely interesting and will look great on a resume, several years down the road. Plus, I really really like the women I will be working with, which is so important to me in being happy in a job.

[wyogypsy, RN]

Either they are not interested in you or they are extremely unorganized. I would be hesitant to work there if they did offer the job at this point! If it is that bad before you get hired, you can only imagine what it is like on a daily basis.........