Fishy interview-need advice

[Curious1alwys, BSN, RN]

Hi all,

I need your feedback. Pretty please.

New grad-I went to an interview today for an RN position in acute rehab. 60 beds, freestanding facility. Pt/nurse ratio is 8:1 most days, sometimes 9 per the nurse manager. But this facility also uses LPN's...but not all days. So....wouldn't my workload be higher than 8 actually if an LPN was on board? Anyone know how this works? She tried to explain but it was all over the place and I don't get it-not at all like the hospital. She said that she thinks I would like it much more than I thought, that it is not like "what you are thinking". Hmmm. guess I looked susupicious, lol. I would get 4 weeks preceptor training-no classroom-more if I needed it.

It was a very strange interview. I don't know the turnover rates of this facility but the interviewer didn't even ask any real questions about me. Just basics like when I graduated but nothing they usually ask ("give me example", strengths/weaknessness, etc). In fact, she went right into whether I wanted full time or POOL right at the beginning of the interview. POOL would be 3 shift per WEEK requirement (like full time), so it would be more like pay-in-lieu of benefits. I did not think new grads could get these jobs! Anyhow, the pay difference is $13.00/hr!!!! Is that typical? Jeez, if so, their benefits sure must be good, lol. There has to be something she isn't telling me, right? I don't need bennies so I am somewhat interested but this seems too good to be true.

It was just fishy. Not enough q's about me, quickly laying out for me the pay, etc. She didn't offer the job but asked if I wanted to go get drug tested today. I told her that I would call back tomorrow with my decision and come pick up the form for drug testing tomorrow afternoon if I decide yes. As far as the type of patients, well, it seems like I'd get enough experience as a new grad here-all kinds of diagnoses. Some IV meds. Dressing changes. Hanging blood, even, sometimes.

This is only my second interview as a new grad so I just don't know what to make of this. The POOL/in-lieu rate is $36.00/hr, with 3 day/wk committment. Why would she offer me pool? She said I would get POOL level 3 (3 shifts per week commit-so it would be like FT for a new grad) but they do have levels 1 and 2, so I assume that once I was trained I could move to those if I needed to (a major plus for me)...Full time benefited new grad rate is 23.90, BTW.

How does this job sound, really?

HELP. Clue me in if you can.

[RN1989]

You DO NOT want this job! They are desperate for staff and you will be thrown to the wolves.

Never have I seen a new grad eligible for pool. Pool positions mean that the unit is understaffed and you are coming in to help. This often means that they may be understaffed by several bodies and they are only getting YOU. You will be walking into a problem every day and without experience behind you - you can get in over your head and not realize it. Very few staff/charge nurses pay much attention to what the pool nurses do and you are left on your own to sink or swim. When you are pool, you are expected to function with little to no assistance from others. A new grad will have too many questions that need answering simply because you have not come across many things yet - duh- you just graduated and can't possible know everything.

Acute rehab with an 8-9:1? Is this days or nights? For days that is WAY too high unless you have a team and have an LPN or a CNA with you and they only have that team with you. Frequently the CNAs end up with way more than 8 patients each. That leaves you with not only recently very ill and/or high acuity patients needing nursing care but a lot of physical work. You will be spending large amts of time getting patients to and from BSCs which is time consuming. Lots of time assisting repositioning which is time consuming. Lots of pain meds for ortho rehab patients. Lots of time helping patients with ADLs in prep for going home - again, time consuming.

If they utilize LPNs it is likely that you will end up being asked to perform functions for them that they cannot do - IV meds, care plans, admissions, etc. That will add to your load as well as increase your liability.

If they had few questions about you and were more willing to tell you the pay, the schedule, and offer a drug test - they need you bad. Something is wrong with them and they either cannot keep staff or everyone else knows what is wrong with them and is steering clear. I have taken jobs like this before - with the exact same scenario as you described. I took those jobs for the money. Since I was experienced I did not have the educational issues you have. But I also hated the jobs and my feeling that something was wrong was very correct and those jobs were horrible. Please learn now that MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING. The more money they throw at you along with wanting quick decisions and fast-track hiring process means that things are bad and you really don't want the job.

You of course have to make up your own mind, but my experience says to flee from this job and save yourself a lot of heartache and protect your license.

[clee1]

Situations like this abound.

As to the personal Q's, they probably don't care. You are a nurse with a license (a "warm body"). You'll either cut the mustard, or you won't. If you don't, you'll be out of there so quick it'll take a week for your gluteus maximus to catch up.

They are willing to pay you $13 per hour to do w/o benes; because it costs them closer to $20/hr for your benes.

With a high staff turnover rate, and considerably high pay rates for new grads, I'd be VERY leery of this position. Think about it: why would they pay a new grad so much, with attractive pool options, if they weren't desperate for help? Why are they so desperate for help with pay rates like they are quoting you?

I'd ask around about this place in the local nursing community. You'll likely find out that it sucks bigtime.

[leslie :-D]

i agree, it sounds like a desperate situation.

run...in the other direction.

leslie

[Poochee]

Wow, been there done that. And it sucked the above posters are straight on target. I lasted 6 months with abt 6 years of experience.

one word RUN!!!!!!!!!!

The position probably wouldn't be soo bad, but places like that are chronically short staffed, and guess who gets left to hold the bag??

[CHATSDALE]

youu can't realize now how much you need to learn as a new grad

as was said before the staff nurses are pretty sure to be overloaded and unable to help much

a cna and a lpn forget it

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Pt/nurse ratio is 8:1 most days, sometimes 9 per the nurse manager. But this facility also uses LPN's...but not all days. So....wouldn't my workload be higher than 8 actually if an LPN was on board?

LPN's are nurses (thank you very much) and should be included already in the nurse/patient ratio.

LPN's in this type of facility do most meds and txs. You would be care planning, doing admission assessments, running to do the assessment on any falls or incidents, etc. You would also be pitching in with the LPN's depending on your workload. We LPN's can do everything with an IV but start it, and everything else but hang blood. We can not initiate teaching and can not assess although we can gather all of the information necessary for the RN to do her stuff and can monitor anything the RN starts, such as a transfusion, as well as reinforce teaching. You don't have trained chimpanzees to supervise. You have actual nurses, albeit basic nurses.

All LTC's are desperate for help and none have ever interviewed me in the usual sense. You go in and they see if you have a pulse and can walk. In fact, in this area, neither did my med/surg spot. The facility is fabulous.

Honestly, the interview doesn't sound fishy to me for the type of facility it is.

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

they must have a high turn over staff ... i would run from that job..

[grandee3]

Is this a Long Term Acute facility? If so LTAC's are great to work for, the pay is usually higher, only a few docs to deal with. But, the acuity is extremely high. Lots of tube feeds, lots of piggybacks and wound care.

And, ratio can be 7:1 (at least that's the way it is here in New Orleans)

I remember many nights having 5 or 6 pts and no less than 20 piggybacks to hang during my shift.

I worked LTAC pre Katrina for 6 years in Chalmette, La. It is no longer standing and to be honest I wish everyday that I was back there. We used to sit around at night wishing the place would "burn down" or something (just our way of joking to take the pressure off). Now, our little family and our patients are spread all over the country and most of us are at area hospitals.

As far as going into something like this as a new grad, I do not recommend it only because you need the experience of a hospital for at least a year, then you can go anywhere.

Good luck in whatever you do.

[Sassybottom]

Honestly, I would be cautious about taking the job ... 4 weeks orientation for a new grad in float pool sounds kind of dangerous.

However, if you are confident in your skills, a fast learner, and the patients are not too acute ... maybe you would fit in. You would definitely be hitting the ground running.

I would stop by the unit and maybe talk to a couple of the nurses on the floor and a get a sense of the unit. Or, I don't know see if you could shadow a nurse for a day.

[Bala Shark]

There is a shortage of nurses..Maybe that is why you got the job really fast..

I know agencies are like that in the interview process where they dont ask too many questions.

[deeDawntee, RN]

Don't take the position. Listen to your intuition, it is telling you that something is "fishy", trust your gut and find something else. That extra money will do you no good if you end up losing your license or making an error due to poor staffing and under-training. Not worth risking your career over. Positions with good money will be there after you have the best possible new grad experience you can find for yourself.