Shall I take this job?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have a quandary. We just moved to Portland, OR, not realising how totally saturated the market is out here and how hard it is for new grads to get a job. I have applied to every residency program, and every job I can at OHSU - around 50 jobs total since beg-April. I am still waiting on some residency positions from one hospital, but have not even received a call for an interview.

We got word that my husband may be let go last week, so I applied to a post-acute rehab facility. They called me to interview and offered me a job. Unfortunately it is five 8-hour shifts, 2:30-10:00pm (which means I wouldn't see my kids after school), $27/hour (with no shift differential), no PTO for the first year, as well as a 2 year commitment. I can move to days/part-time after a few months, which I am considering, but the commitment is pretty daunting, and I would like to start applying to hospital positions after a few months of experience. I am torn! I am not desperate for a job, as my husband is still working full-time (currently not yet let go), but am concerned that it is going to take so long to get a new grad job here.

What are your thoughts/advice? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have to let them on Monday whether I want to take it or not.

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Probably to start getting some nursing experience, not to mention build up a financial buffer for when your husband is let go

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Specializes in Pedi.

What happens if you leave before the 2 years is up?

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From what I understand, it's just a commitment, and not an employment agreement. I don't get any bonus or an incentive for staying the whole two years. I'm researching if that even counts for anything, which it sounds like it doesn't. It sounds like I can just leave when I like (my sis-in-law works in HR, and said that no one can really make you stay when you don't want to).

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As a new grad living in a similar saturated market, I would still say no way. I would not want to be locked into a contract with a rehab. Also the no shift diff and the pay is still low for Portland. Definitely not. I have seen my classmates hold out for hospital jobs and it has panned out. Most of them got hospital jobs within 4 months and starting within 6 months of pinning. Hold out if you can, or in the least go to a SNF without a contract of 2 years.

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Specializes in Pedi.
From what I understand, it's just a commitment, and not an employment agreement. I don't get any bonus or an incentive for staying the whole two years. I'm researching if that even counts for anything, which it sounds like it doesn't. It sounds like I can just leave when I like (my sis-in-law works in HR, and said that no one can really make you stay when you don't want to).

If that's all it is, they will have no recourse if you leave prior to 2 years other than maybe marking you as ineligible for rehire. When I was a new grad, my offer letter included something along the lines of "because of the time we invest in training a new grad, we will be requesting a 2 year committment" but that's all it was. There was probably a line somewhere else in it that said "your employment is considered at-will and either you or we are free to terminate it at any time."

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Would you consider one of the smaller communities in Oregon outside of Portland? Many hospitals outside Portland have a more difficult time attracting nurses. Starting wages at a union facility is going to be more in the $33/hour range.

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Hi, I would, I guess - it all depends on travel time. I have three kids, and don't want to have to commute super far. What communities are these? I'm not sure where to look..

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Salem, Astoria, The Dalles, Albany, Corvallis

Since your husband may be let go, can you relocate?

OHSU is not the only health system. Did you try Providence, Legacy, Tuality?

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Thank you. :) We just moved here (with 3 kids), so we don't want to relocate again.

I've applied to the Prov, Legacy, Adventist, PeaceHealth residency programs, and OHSU regular jobs. I didn't know about Tuality - I will look into them.

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The way I look at it, the sooner you start the job, the sooner the two year commitment is over. It will give you time to reconnoiter and do a focused job search, maybe settle down from your husband's job situation.

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It is far less than ideal, but this is nursing 2018. Things have changed a lot.

In the teaching world where I came from, you would not believe the horrible first jobs people took.

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