Help! Need advice with tough situation.

[Nurse7970]

So I'll try to make this as brief as possible. I have been working at a small hospital (think 75 beds) for the past five weeks on a med surg floor. I was hired before I graduated (new grad here) and was extremely grateful for the hire on my one and only interview. I figured hey what the heck you can always use med surg experience and I'm not picky and I figured my first choice specialty is insanely hard to get into right out of graduation in my area! So I accepted and have overall had a pleasant experience. Absolutely ADORE the people I work with! Such a wonderful crew! There's some negatives to the way the floor is staffed and overall policies, but hey, no place is perfect.

Soooo, my preceptor from my clinical preceptorship (in my first choice specialty) called me and told me she put my name in for a job interview and told her nurse manager how amazing I was and she thought I would be perfect. So if I wanted it just to go and apply and she'd tell her nurse manager. Down side? I could possibly be interviewing for a temporary position only lasting til July! They have one full time one that the nurse manager told about when I expressed concern. The couple employees there that I know have told me that the hospital doesn't really rid of temporary employees once hired if the need isn't there for the specific job they are working in come the temp date. They just relocate them to different department. Which I'd be okay with. Love the hospital!

So I guess I'm just kind of at a place now where I'm thinking am I insane to even be thinking of giving up a full time job for a possible dream temporary one?! I have bills! I am not a risk taker!

Also, Does it give you a bad reputation to leave a job, if following resignation protocol, in a situation like this? I am not a job hopper and have only worked at two places other than this since I was 15 (with no work gap) so I'm very uncomfortable with how this works. Also the small hospital i work for is owned by a health company that owns a ton of hospitals in my area. I don't want to burn a bridge. Even if I never return to their company, I want to be looked at as a respectable person and show them the respect they deserve if I am to get and take a job.

Thank you for any insight. :)

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Stay where you are. You are in the Garden of Eden and there's an apple calling your name - don't pluck it. Stay.

[JBudd, MSN]

You have a sure thing in a tough market with people who gave you a chance even before you graduated, with people you "adore". And you would leave this why?

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I would stay right where you are. If you work with good people, you are getting some clinical experience, and you need all this for you to look to your future practice--I would not chance getting into a less than desirable situation.

It was lovely of the person to give your name, and if you were not already in a full time job, then it could have been a godsend.

However, lots of things come to play--in July, when by most union contracts or policies state temporary employees have to end their temporary status, if an internal nurse that has seniority decides they want the job that you could be transferred to, then you would be out of luck. In other words, you would have no seniority, therefore, not guarenteed an alternate position. And may end up back on a Med Surg floor that may be less ideal than what you have now.

You can do one of 2 things. You can either ask if it is feasible to do per diem at your choice unit--after all, if they were going to train and orient you for a temporary position anyway there's little difference in training you per diem for perhaps future permenant job openings, OR you can have discussion with the NM of your choice unit on what it is you need to learn/do in order to be considered for a full time permenant position in the future.

Then do what you can to obtain what you need. (ie: IV certification, ACLS, PALS...etc) If you are wanting to certify in the specialty of your choice, be sure that you tell the NM that. I would even buy the certification book and start looking through it, look it up online--just so you are prepared. Most NM are honest in what they need to make their unit work. You are in a position now to learn all of this with very supportive co-workers.

Most specialty units would like some sort of other experience. Sometimes it is M/S, or ER. (and if it is ER experience, then see if you can cross train or float to the ER where you are now).

Soak it all up where you are, and keep in contact with the NM where you want to be. Networking is never a bad thing.

[elkpark]

Especially in the current economy and employment climate, I would not leave a job I'm reasonably happy with for a temporary position, even in my preferred specialty, with no guarantee of ongoing employment. I would thank the former preceptor v. enthusiastically and explain that my hesitation is because of the temporary nature of the position and I would looove for her to think of me if/when there is a permanent position in the future. She and the unit's nurse manager won't hold that against you (or, if they do, that's not a situation you want to get into, anyway).

[akanini, MSN, RN]

You're so correct, elkpark. Why leave sure for unsure? It logically doesn't make sense. I've been in this situation twice and I've never left a permanent job for a temporary one. When you work agency/temp, the vendor can always say not to give you anymore work/shifts. The permanent position I had was 1199 union.

[furelite]

The grass is usually not greener. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.....there's a reason people came up with all these sayings. They are words of wisdom.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

"I could possibly be interviewing for a temporary position only lasting til July!" Does this mean you are not sure if it is is temporary?

Interview .. be honest regarding your concerns about the temporary status and see what develops.

Then go for it. Stay contingent at your current hospital.

No guts , no glory.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

The grass is usually not greener. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.....there's a reason people came up with all these sayings. They are words of wisdom.

THIS.

I'm on the side of staying where you are at...I rather be considered for a permanent position, rather than run the risk, IMHO You are also in an ideal place and have a professional fit right now.

I saw keep swimming in the pond that you are in; if a per diem position is possible at the other job, as another poster suggested, then consider that while keeping the job you have.

[Argo]

I agree, interview, see what it's all about. Maybe the grass is nicer and maybe not. You will not know unless you look. I would not leave a good job for another good job. It would have to be great.

"I could possibly be interviewing for a temporary position only lasting til July!" Does this mean you are not sure if it is is temporary?

Interview .. be honest regarding your concerns about the temporary status and see what develops.

Then go for it. Stay contingent at your current hospital.

No guts , no glory.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Stay where you are.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I'd go for the interview. Perhaps you can do both? If it is really what you want you can try to make it work. That's what I would do and have done in the past. I have always been grateful that I did that as I got the best of both worlds while making great money.