Cancel Vacation for Job?

[motor_mouth, MSN, RN]

Here's my situation: I am in my senior practicum and have been offered a position after graduation/passing the NCLEX. The (possible) issue is that I have a vacation planned for February (10 days) that is halfway paid for already. I couldn't get the unit manager to say that she would still hire me, though she said that there is a lot of time left to figure out how to make it work.

I don't want to cancel my vacation (a celebration of graduating and hopefully also passing the NCLEX) but also don't want to lose a possible job opportunity because of it either.

Thoughts?

[fridgelight]

It depends on how the new grad job market is in your area and on how much you want to work in the position offered. Is it the floor or specialty you really want?

Personally I would cancel the vacation and eat the loss if they cant work it into their schedule because it sounds like your all set. Jobs in my neck of the woods are scarce for new grads.

[HarryTheCat, MSN, RN]

It depends on how the new grad job market is in your area and on how much you want to work in the position offered. Is it the floor or specialty you really want?

Personally I would cancel the vacation and eat the loss if they cant work it into their schedule because it sounds like your all set. Jobs in my neck of the woods are scarce for new grads.

Fridgelight gave you some advice. HR departments are flooded with resumes, sometimes hundreds for one opening. There are literally thousands of new grads out there right now who are having a tough time finding their first jobs. If you do decide that your vacation is more important than your career, you'll make some other new grad very happy.

[OneHappyRN]

I was in the same boat. I had already booked our vacation, but went on the interview anyway. I was offered the job, but told them of my previous plans - I told her that I would cancel my vacation if it meant me losing the job offer. The Mgr told me that she totally understands that people have lives outside of their work and that I would still only be on orientation - since it was previously planned, she told me to enjoy my vacation. :)

I would sit down and explain the situation again and tell her of your willingness (if you are willing) to cancel your vacation, if you need to, but that it's already been booked....

[motor_mouth, MSN, RN]

I am fortunate in that most of the people in my program will have jobs before they graduate, whether from networking and/or from their practicum site. This is the only direct job offer I have though I have another indirect offer depending on what is available when I graduate and pass the NCLEX. I just didn't want to wait for the latter job, which is actually my dream job, when I have another option that needs a decision faster and is still with the patent population I like.

It's not that I think my vacation is "more important" than a job, but the vacation has been planned for almost 6 months now and I think it's really important to have a break after nursing school. After having a total of I think 10 weeks off during my entire program, this vacation was supposed to allow me to recharge and prepare to start working again.

I have an email in to someone at my school asking when the earliest we could take the NCLEX is, as that is something else the unit manager wanted to know. When I get that information I will again bring up the subject of the vacation and see where it goes. I also need to know whether I should be looking for other jobs or not.