Help! I knew this would happen!

[sweetcheekers]

I graduated from a two year program in July and applied for numerous jobs at my local hospital a week later. I sent two online applications/resumes. I followed up by phone a week after sending the second one. A week after this call I hand delivered a resume and spoke with Human resources. They said they would check into a surgery position I was interested in to see if the director of surgical services was interested in a new grad. They never got back to me. At this point I grew VERY frusterated and applied for other positions in other facilities. I got a couple calls and went on two interviews. A nearby hospital called me for a second interview. I felt that I might recieve an offer so I decided I better make one last attempt at this local hospital so I would know I had exhausted all hope. I called the director of surgical services and left a message and sent a resume to her directly. I waited and did not hear anything for almost a week. In the mean time I was offered a position at the second hospital which I accepted due to the fact that I was beginning to fear not finding employment before my $$$$ ran out. So, just Monday I accepted the position. Tuesday I took the drug test, and gave them a start date of Sept. 26th yesterday. Wouldn't you know it, the local hospital called today (the director of surgery) and said she was going to retrieve my application from human resources and speak with them about "getting the ball rolling." I didn't say anything about having accepted another job because she barely gave me a chance to say anything, and I also was unsure of how I want to proceed. The job I accepted is an OB positon which I prefer to surgery, but the schedule for the surgery job is days with no weekends or holidays accept on call every fifth weekend and rotating holiday call. I also would get 30 hours a weeks for the surgery job and am only going to get 8-24 hours a week for OB for now (I do have the option to cross train to med surg so I could get additonal hours there.) The OB job is nights which sucks, but I feel priviledged to have the chance because both hospitals RARELY hire anyone into OB without 2 years med surg experience. The other drawback to the OB job is that it is 20 miles away and the other is only a few blocks and with gas prices that is $$$$$. I'd make a few sents less an hour for the OB job (before shift differential) but they are giving me a sign on bonus and a loan repayment that I don't think I would get for the surgery position. I just am sooooo confused. I kept saying this was going to happen. First no one calls. now everyone calls at once. I also am a very loyal person and hate to back out on a committment. I don't want to burn any bridges because the area I live in is small, and if one doesn't work out I want somewhere else to go. I think if I changed my mind on the offer I've accepted they might remember it and I would possibly not have the chance to work there again. Any advice? I don't want to be unprofessional by quitting before I start and I'm not sure which position is best for me anyway. HELP!!!!

[Dixielee, BSN, RN]

My gut feeling from reading your post is that you should go with the OR job. That is the one you really wanted, it had better hours, more hours, closer to home, etc. Even though you have verbally accepted the other position, things don't always work out the way you think they will. If you decide to take the OR job, the professional thing to do is make a call to the HR person or the OB director, whoever you talked with, tell them something came up and you will regretfully not be able to take the position, and follow up with a formal letter declining the offer.

You are under no obligation to explain any further, and they will not have spent any money or time in training you for a job you really didn't want in the first place. Everyone wins.