When do they get a return on investment?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

You are reading page 5 of When do they get a return on investment?

Specializes in Public Health Nurse.
No, it's not. My dilemma is that I feel bad about leaving the job so soon after starting it and was interested to know how long an employer feels they need a new hire to stick around for it to have been "worth it."

Ooops, sorry for the misunderstanding.

General concensus seems to be, you owe them nothing...I stand by that, but do the responsible thing, advise the nurse manager is not a good fit for you, hey, you may even be transferred to a unit that may be best suitable for, who knows. If not, be professional (you appear to be by your querry), give your two weeks notice and say ciao.....I have always felt this way >> leave the front door with your right foot out and head up, the world is small, you never know when it detours you back to square one :smokin:

Good Luck.

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Not including a job on a resume isn't a lie. Resumes aren't supposed to be comprehensive job histories but targeted marketing documents specialized to the position you're applying for.

But job applications often ask you to list all of your employment for the last X number of years. An omission there would be a lie -- and cause for immediate termination at any hospital I have ever worked at. (And I have worked at several in different parts of the country -- and I have personally known people to be fired for leaving out pertinent details on their applications.)

Just because it hasn't happened to you personally, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

To others on this thread who seem to think orientation is free education- I beg to differ. I received my education from a University. I paid them for that. My employers provide orientation (and even as a new grad at the height of demand I never heard of a six month long orientation) in order to ensure I am competent to perform my duties to their specifications while meeting various regulatory requirements. They are not doing anything for me that they do not do for all employees in order to be in compliance with various and sundry regulations from the governmental and accrediting agencies that oversee the facility. Its not that big a deal.

Many places provide orientations that are 3-6 months long. It is often necessary in specialty areas that are not taught in detail during school. It's pretty standard for sophisticated ICU's, OR's, ED's, etc. Even experienced nurses get a a couple of months of orientation unless they have recent experience in that particular specialty.

Apparently, you are not working at such a facility. That's OK. But don't assume the rest of the world is the same as your particular corner of the world.

As an increasing number of hospitals are trying to minimize their losses from expensive orientation programs, we are seeing more and more contracts required -- contracts that include committments to "pay back" the employer for some of the orientation costs if the staff member resigns within a certain length of time. Other hospitals are paying "training rates" (less pay) during orientation and others are simply not hiring nurses without a lot of experience.

The job market has changed dramatically in the last 5 years -- and we need to keep up with those changes. It will probably continue to change, but nobody knows exactly how.

But job applications often ask you to list all of your employment for the last X number of years. An omission there would be a lie -- and cause for immediate termination at any hospital I have ever worked at. (And I have worked at several in different parts of the country -- and I have personally known people to be fired for leaving out pertinent details on their applications.) Just because it hasn't happened to you personally, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Sure, but that's not a resume. I have seen applications that require a comprehensive job history but most of the ones I've seen (and I was a new grad not too long ago, so I've applied just about everywhere in the area and wider region) don't require a comprehensive job history.

gypsyd8

1 Article; 276 Posts

Specializes in TELE, CVU, ICU.

Like I said, the idiots in HR are not going to know where you worked unless you tell them.

But job applications often ask you to list all of your employment for the last X number of years. An omission there would be a lie -- and cause for immediate termination at any hospital I have ever worked at. (And I have worked at several in different parts of the country -- and I have personally known people to be fired for leaving out pertinent details on their applications.)

Just because it hasn't happened to you personally, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Altra, BSN, RN

6,255 Posts

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

I agree with whoever posted the statement that a resume is a "marketing document". However, when asked as part of a paper or electronic application to list every job held for whatever period of time ... a job seeker would be wise to answer the question as asked. Omissions are easily found during the verification/background check process.

As I've said a number of times here at AN ... a $5 credit check gives a potential employer a wealth of information about you, including current and previous addresses and current and previous employment, and that is the reason that credit checks are a typical part of the hiring process. No one gives a rat's butt about how many pairs of shoes you've charged at Macys ... but they care a great deal if you have not given the complete information that they have asked for.

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
Many places provide orientations that are 3-6 months long...

Correct.

Six months orientation at my MICU, and I still didn't get to experience everything I wished I could've.

SE_BSN_RN, BSN

805 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.
Agree with ya LLG.

We as managers need to do more to ensure the overall environment is good and remains that way.

We lost an excellent, experienced nurse this month for a dumb reason. She continued to get piled on with work at changeover, without getting the needed help. She had previously notified management of the prob, but was ignored for months.

In essence, we "handed over" a great employee to another facility.

She was smart, knowledgeable, likeable, courteous, a pleasure to work with, and lightning fast. What a shame.

It's a bummer your facility had to learn this the hard way. I had an employer like that. One who could care less about the workload. It was, and still is, all about their profit, as usual, with every business. Too bad it was learned at the expense of a good employee, and now the facility has to spend more money to hire/orient a new employee. Did they fix the problem so it won't happen again?

SE_BSN_RN, BSN

805 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.

Thank you Havin', I was afraid no one would read my post since it was so long (I tend to write and write....LOL).

I am glad someone understood my point. I like stability and familiarity, I want to stay in a job for several years, my record with past employers indicate my commitment and my dependability. I am professional and reliable. I just want the same consideration, as it can be seen, at the end of the day, I was indispensable, first my hours were cut then finally laid off, it did not matter how many years I was there , the letters of praise from the patients to the office, or that I never once called in sick in all of those years (yep, as unbelievable as it sounds), in the end it was what was best for them not me. I would not have minded staying there longer, even with the working conditions, giving me the chance to take my time and find a job that I like, and I would have given them enough notice, I told them repeatedly I would not leave without making sure someone was trained properly and in fact I did just that. Now I am afraid the desperation of finding a job will be too tempting and I will accept the first job that comes into my lap, and that is exactly what I do not want to do. There is no nursing shortage in South Florida, so that will be my challenge.

Oops, I am doing it again, I will stop writing here...LOL

I am reading, and I agree with you, too! I'm sorry this happened to you. Happened to me, too. The company, no matter what it is, will always look after their bottom line first. Always.

SE_BSN_RN, BSN

805 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.
No, it's not. My dilemma is that I feel bad about leaving the job so soon after starting it and was interested to know how long an employer feels they need a new hire to stick around for it to have been "worth it."

Well, don't feel that way. (I am not dismissing your feelings), I am saying that if, even after (or before) you finish orientation, the employer can terminate you. They do not take your feelings into consideration when they terminate you. If they know you are leaving they could have someone in mind for your position anyway. And, even if they don't know, they always have a #2 candidate they can call.

SE_BSN_RN, BSN

805 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.
Thank you....I love the way you see it.

A patient would be lucky to get that "extra care" that they unfortunatly do not get as the big shots who are cutting corners and overwhelming the nurses with ridiculous patient-nurse ratios. They are concerned on patient feedback and are mortified when is not positive, well how about proper staffing?

I know the trend now favors the employers, but I go back to what I have already said...it is as important to me to chose well where I work as it is for them to chose well who they want working for them, it is a two way street, and is about time we the "employees" get to also make that choice before signing the dotted line - but welcome to the real world ;(

Yep. I would love to know more about my future employer than just what I see/hear on TV, or by word of mouth, or wherever.

You know, I am on both sides of this discussion. I felt awful leaving my tech job because I was not there but a little over a third of a year and I really liked it and it taught me a lot. But that being said, there are many factors why nurses (and techs/nursing assistants) leave these jobs. Personally, when I was hired, I was told by my boss she would work with me as far as scheduling when it was time to start school back up and then the time came and she didn't. Also, I had a particular nurse that hated me from day one (before I made newbie mistakes, I walked through the door my first day off orientation and this nurse already found stuff to pick at me for) and the hatred just continued until one day at lunch, I happened to take lunch at the same time and she told me "it's not only what your patients say about you, but what your co-workers say about you that can get you fired". I was like okay, finished my shift, and put in my two week. My boss wasn't there and so, I slipped it under her door. I did my two weeks and left. I miss that job because even though I did make mistakes and was slow, I was starting to get the hang of it and could have quickly inproved and learned a lot. Plus, I enjoyed taking care of my patients. But I was not going to take the threatening anymore. I was too new and naive to report her to manager and HR. Plus, being a nurse (and school) was more important to me and I needed flexibility.

So, that's the part that makes me agree with BrandonLPN. I gave my two week. But I guarantee if this "lynch mob, throwing people under the bus, being so hateful to new nurses and techs" attitude went away, you would get plenty of new nurses/techs staying and turn over would be lower.

+ Add a Comment