counting my chickens before they hatch

Nurses General Nursing

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OK, I know this is a common topic... but bear with me, I'll try to make it different! (plus it's all theoretical at this time!)

I might be offered a job on a medical floor, which I am thrilled about because I have been working LTC part time for the past year and a half and I am dying for a chance to work full time in a hospital (my ultimate goal is to work in an ICU or another acute care setting).

However, in the SAME hospital, I am waiting for an offer from the oncology floor - which I think would be a more challenging environment, and a position I can see myself staying in for several years. (I don't see myself staying on the medical floor for the long haul)

I know I am capable of politely resigning from the medical floor should I be offered the oncology position... but the fact that both floors are in the same hospital trips me up.

Do you think I would suffer some form of backlash if I resigned from one new position to take another in the same hospital?

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Yes -- especially if anything happens on the oncology unit that makes you want to leave there. People often get a 2nd chance, but it's less common to be offered a 3rd.

Have you interviewed for both positions yet? What leads you to believe that you will be offered one before the other or both? I think in all honestly, one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Take the job offer if you get one. You may not get the other one. You might get both, you might not get any. It is a tough market out there.

The other option is this, if you have already interviewed for both, and you do get an offer on the less desirable floor, can you call the Oncology floor and let them know you have been offered a position on the medical floor, but you were very interested in their floor to see if they know how long it might take for a decision? This is a bit pushy and could backfire on you, but well, you already have the other offer. Or another thing maybe? Take the medical floor option but try to push out the start date a few weeks. It would be easier to resign and take the other offer if they have not yet invested any time in training you. Once you start, it would be burning bridges to turn one down for another in the same hospital, not even sure HR would allow it to happen.

Thank you for your insight MJB, I had also considered pushing the start date back.

At this point I'm just planning ahead (and fantasizing) but I would never "cut off my nose to spite my face" - it's too important for me to risk losing a job on the chance of another!

In any case, I love being a nurse - I will make wherever I end up work!! :loveya:

Most facilities won't let staff move to another unit until they have worked the unit they were hired on for at least 6 months to a year.

Specializes in Emergency.

Depending on the feel you get... USE the recruiter at the hospital. Explain that you are very interested in the hospital and want to work there. Then tell the recruiter (not the managers) that you would be happy at either unit, but that you think you might like oncology better. The recruiters have an interest in placing you in an open position...and they have an interest in placing you somewhere where you will be happy- so they dont have to train another nurse in 8 months. The recruiter can be your ally, in trying to get the offers at about the same time.

When in the same hospital, you can not just resign to move to another unit. It is not the way things work. What you do is request a transfer. Once you are working on the Medical Floor, they won't be calling you for an interview in the same way, as you are already part of the hospital.

Good Luck.

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