Resume question - leaving job after 8 months

Nurses General Nursing

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So.. hypothetical question:

Say there's this nurse who has 1 year, 10 months experience in an urgent care (1 year, 2 months were spent as a CNA, but CNAs perform the same duties as RNs in said clinic -so the experience is essentially the same) and she has been working in an ER for 8 months, while remaining PRN at the urgent care. She isn't terribly fond of the ER (or hospital setting in general, for that matter) but needed/wanted the experience that the ER offers. Does it look bad on a resume if said nurse leaves this ER job at 8 months to return to the urgent care full time? I know that jobs with duration less than 1 year is not ideal resume material, but does the longevity at the urgent care make up for the lacking 4 months in ER?

Obviously, the concern over the resume isn't about finding another job, as that is already secured. The aforementioned nurse would like to apply to NP school in the near future (to a program that does not have specified experience requirements) and wants her resume to be appealing/competitive. In this specific scenario, would the 8 months in the ER job (vs. 1 year, 2 years) be a turn-off?

Thoughts and feedback appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN

5,879 Posts

So.. hypothetical question:

Say there's this nurse who has 1 year, 10 months experience in an urgent care (1 year, 2 months were spent as a CNA, but CNAs perform the same duties as RNs in said clinic -so the experience is essentially the same) and she has been working in an ER for 8 months, while remaining PRN at the urgent care. She isn't terribly fond of the ER (or hospital setting in general, for that matter) but needed/wanted the experience that the ER offers. Does it look bad on a resume if said nurse leaves this ER job at 8 months to return to the urgent care full time? I know that jobs with duration less than 1 year is not ideal resume material, but does the longevity at the urgent care make up for the lacking 4 months in ER?

Obviously, the concern over the resume isn't about finding another job, as that is already secured. The aforementioned nurse would like to apply to NP school in the near future (to a program that does not have specified experience requirements) and wants her resume to be appealing/competitive. In this specific scenario, would the 8 months in the ER job (vs. 1 year, 2 years) be a turn-off?

Thoughts and feedback appreciated! Thanks in advance.

You cannot claim the entire time worked at the urgent care center as nursing experience. You can only claim time worked with a nursing license as "nursing experience." Be sure to correctly state that 1 year and 2 months at the urgent care clinic was in the role of a CNA.

Skip the hypothetical stuff.. this is an anonymous forum.

" CNAs perform the same duties as RNs in said clinic -so the experience is essentially the same) " CNA's do NOT perform the same duties. The CNA works under the direction of the licensed professional.

The aforementioned nurse best get their information straight.. before they try for NP.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN

1 Article; 4,094 Posts

Specializes in Oncology.

Resume concerns aside, you're doing yourself a huge misfavor leaving an ER position so soon. Getting an ER position as a new grad is a great accomplishment. At 8 months in, of course you don't like it. You don't know it. You're a novice. A total newb still. Give yourself at least 18 months and see if your opinion changes. You're not going to learn much at the urgent care, especially if you're essentially doing things cnas can largely do. That will put you at a huge disadvantage if you go on to NP school.

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