Hired on the spot? Take it or look elsewhere?

[Dani_Mila, BSN, RN]

Quick background: I am an RN that started her nursing job at a SNF/LTC. I work on a sub-acute floor that is mostly LTC despite it being sub-acute. I have been working there for almost 2 years (night shift) and decided I need change. The facility is long commute almost 1h and 30 minutes driving distance. The job is fairly easily because I know the patients and the facility. It is a 12 hour shift which I love/no rotating weekends. I recently found a SNF that is desperately hiring for licensed nurses, a 5 minute distance from where I live. They have a hiring event/job fair with refreshments and tour of facility and promotes offers job on the spot. I decided to go.

Scenario:

I went into the facility and ask the location of the hiring event. The job post stated, on the spot interviews, on the spot offers, and sign in bonuses. Instead, I was given a application paper to fill up. I applied for full time RN position (staff nurse) and night shifts I waited at the lobby. Patients looks clean, facility looks clean, no certain smell. This was good. Then, HR met up with me and stated interviewing me. She asked me for ID, SSN, nursing license etc. I was like ??. Of course, I did not bring any as it was suggested just to bring an photo ID and license number. I thought it would just an interview and come back later for documents when hired. She mentioned about pay rate. Pay rate seemed low for a 1-3 years experienced nurse. This place pays less than a dollar of what I am making. I make more with the differentials and with this new facility's differentials, it is still considered 4 bucks short. The facility is owned by a company that used to own the facility that I am currently working at. Cheap company and for profit that I know for sure. She introduced to me to the ADON. ADON showed me the schedule and an example of what schedule would be like if I decided to work there. I was a bit overwhelmed because I was not used to 8 hours shift and working on a rotating period. My other job, I just have a 3 set days, 12 hours shift. I have no set floor or cart. I will be in both rehab floor and LTC unit (2 different floor) rotating every week. Patients will be about 27-35 patients on nights. Orientations would be 2 days in classroom and 3 nights on the floor (2 nights at rehab and 1 night at LTC). She walked me out of the exit door and asked me for any questions. I mentioned that the pay rate seems a bit low for almost 2 year experienced nurse and she stated that it will be mentioned to the ADON and things might changed once I start working. I was like umm aren't you the ADON? Again, I was confused ?? if I was hired or not, since I did not have a verbal assurance. I went to the HR and asked her if I was actually hired and she stated that I was. Told me to come back certain days to provide documents. She stated to let her know if I changed my mind. Then, she let me go. When I got home, I realized that she did not mention about sign on bonus nor did I remember to ask. No tour of facility, so I do not know how it is. Left the facility feeling confused and ambivalent.

What do you suggest to do if you were in my position? I did pros and cons and I realized that the only pro option in this facility is that it is 5 minutes driving distance near my house (I do not drive/ only permit, but I am working on it!!). The cons are 8 hour shifts, pay is lower than what I am earning, high turnover of nurses for sure since they are hiring on the spot, disorganize (same as my job, not really new). I didn't get to see other applicants. My DH suggested to just apply to a nearby community hospital (10 min drive). I prefer rehab/LTC because that is what I know. I am nervous about acute setting this why I push the hospital option aside so many times, but I am willing to learn with adequate orientation. Not a lot of skilled nursing /LTC facility in this area. Only 2 in this small town which limits my options.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Those warning bells are going off in your head for a reason- listen to them.

[Dani_Mila, BSN, RN]

15 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

Those warning bells are going off in your head for a reason- listen to them.

Jedrnurse,

You are on a roll with replies. lol Yes I was thinking about this. I asked my former coworkers and have mixed suggestions. One said only pro in this is the distance. Pay rate is small. Another stated to try it out and see. I want to quit my job to better my position, not find one that is similar. lol Thanks for the reply

[Rionoir, ADN, RN]

That must've been a short "pro" list lol... I don't see much difficultly in this decision.

[Dani_Mila, BSN, RN]

1 minute ago, Rionoir said:

That must've been a short "pro" list lol... I don't see much difficultly in this decision.

LOL I know. The location is so good! 5 minutes. Downside is everything, pay, benefits, hours. I hate 8 hours shift. I like my days off as all nurses do in my opinion.

[amoLucia]

There's some saying that goes "Be afraid, be VERY afraid". And this is the God's absolute truth. Also "Run away fast, run away VERY fast".

I attended something like this once. I was interested in a fairly brand new-ish facility. I was mildly interested, but I went REALLY because my RN sister, a traveler, was thinking of relocating back home. She wanted me to scope out the place.

Oh, they were ready to hire me on the spot!!! .The NEW DON even offered to have me write my letter of resignation before I left, so I could resign in the morning at my current facility.

They were offering me the sun & the moon. The $$ rate was really not what I wanted to hear - I told them my current $$ and that I wasn't interested in losing. Oh, "that could be negotiated upward without problem", I was told. But still no definitive $$. And there was no FIRM schedule/hours discussed.

I met some old co-workers there who had moved over. We chatted and they gave me the "oh, it's so great here" speech. It WAS a very attractive facility. But funny thing, the DON kept pointing out how there were all these private nooks & crannies alcove seatings for the upwardly stable residents with gourmet dietary services. Did that spiel several times.

I hemmed and hawed around without giving any commitment as"I had to think about it" etc.

Next morning, 3 day-shifters came in, grinning and asking when I was quitting. News travelled fast. (AND THIS IS WHY WE COBs WARN ABOUT NSG BEING A SMALL WORLD!!!)

I called them back 2 days later.. I wanted more information. "Oh, the hours can only be such & such and the $$ could only be such & such to start. But maybe things could be changed shortly after starting".

Needless to say, I declined the offer. If I had accepted on-the-spot, I'd have been up 'the creek without a paddle', as my Dad used to say.

Some time shortly after, the ambulance squad told me their nickname for the facility. And it wasn't very flattering!!! Learned also that the place had just turned over its DON and LNHA. Again. Never a good sign.

So BEWARE.

Just to comment also - HR is asking you for the documents needed for the 'I 9' form. All new employees need to fill one out. So they are proceeding with your appl.

Personally, I'd stop where you are. A short commute isn't so great all the time.

Good luck again.

[caliotter3]

If they truly needed you, and truly wanted to hire you, they would have been more "gracious" at the outset. All it would have taken would have been an explanation that no one else had showed up for their "event", and then the person speaking to you could have given you their undivided attention. A quiet way of showing you just how you would be treated if you have any problems after you start there. Stay where you are. If circumstances change drastically in the future, this place will still be only five minutes away.

[Dani_Mila, BSN, RN]

On 1/6/2020 at 6:11 PM, amoLucia said:

There's some saying that goes "Be afraid, be VERY afraid". And this is the God's absolute truth. Also "Run away fast, run away VERY fast".

I attended something like this once. I was interested in a fairly brand new-ish facility. I was mildly interested, but I went REALLY because my RN sister, a traveler, was thinking of relocating back home. She wanted me to scope out the place.

Oh, they were ready to hire me on the spot!!! .The NEW DON even offered to have me write my letter of resignation before I left, so I could resign in the morning at my current facility.

They were offering me the sun & the moon. The $$ rate was really not what I wanted to hear - I told them my current $$ and that I wasn't interested in losing. Oh, "that could be negotiated upward without problem", I was told. But still no definitive $$. And there was no FIRM schedule/hours discussed.

I met some old co-workers there who had moved over. We chatted and they gave me the "oh, it's so great here" speech. It WAS a very attractive facility. But funny thing, the DON kept pointing out how there were all these private nooks & crannies alcove seatings for the upwardly stable residents with gourmet dietary services. Did that spiel several times.

I hemmed and hawed around without giving any commitment as"I had to think about it" etc.

Next morning, 3 day-shifters came in, grinning and asking when I was quitting. News travelled fast. (AND THIS IS WHY WE COBs WARN ABOUT NSG BEING A SMALL WORLD!!!)

I called them back 2 days later.. I wanted more information. "Oh, the hours can only be such & such and the $$ could only be such & such to start. But maybe things could be changed shortly after starting".

Needless to say, I declined the offer. If I had accepted on-the-spot, I'd have been up 'the creek without a paddle', as my Dad used to say.

Some time shortly after, the ambulance squad told me their nickname for the facility. And it wasn't very flattering!!! Learned also that the place had just turned over its DON and LNHA. Again. Never a good sign.

So BEWARE.

Just to comment also - HR is asking you for the documents needed for the 'I 9' form. All new employees need to fill one out. So they are proceeding with your appl.

Personally, I'd stop where you are. A short commute isn't so great all the time.

Good luck again.

The job is so tempting because its very close to my house which means I get to spend more time with my husband, my house and puppy compared to traveling and staying away for a day or 2. I am also wondering how this place will be work/duty wise. I spoke with my former co-worker who recently left the job at where I am currently working at. She stated that the current job she is working at pays more that the old facility but expects a lot from their nurses. They require their nurse to check the boiler because the facility just fired their maintenance worker. I found it hilariously sad and told her to get out of there. Based on her tone, she kind of regrets leaving and this is what I am concerned about. Regretting on working at a job that is worse than the current one I have now. The new place also require two reference letters which I find odd. When I applied to SNF/LTC, they just want the phone numbers to contact the reference.

They also haven't mentioned about pay increasing at certain date. It seems like the pay rate is the flat rate you will get.

[caliotter3]

1 hour ago, Dani_Mila said:

They also haven't mentioned about pay increasing at certain date. It seems like the pay rate is the flat rate you will get.

I was promised a pay raise after hire, timed with the increase in reimbursement that was due. Well, that event came and went. No pay raise. I brought the subject up as did another nurse. A pittance rate increase after I complained about how far I had to drive. Nowhere near what I was quoted upon hire. Nowhere near commensurate with the increase in reimbursement. Then I found out two other nurses (less qualified) are being paid substantially more, without the promised across the board pay raise. When I first saw my pay information on the electronic HR app, guess what? My pay rate is the initial rate I was hired at, the pittance is some sort of "override". You don't think for one minute that I am not aware that the override can disappear any time the employer wants it to? Anything dealing with pay has to be in writing. And yes, one person stated they had a pay promise in writing when they were hired, and voila, the employer still reneged. Be ready to move on down the road when the employer won't pay what they promised at any point in time.

[Closed Account 12345]

Working conditions are never going to be *better* than offered after hire, but they may be worse, so take that into consideration. Why would a for profit facility offer a new hire more money when they agreed to work for a lower rate?

I would run away from the many red flags without a second thought, short commute or not.

But if you want to keep this option open (which sounds like a bad option), you need to check out the following first.

-How many licensed nurses are you hiring at this time, and what happened to the previous nurses who are being replaced?

-Will you match my current pay rate?

-What will my sign on bonus be? What are the requirements to receive this bonus? (If they falsely advertised sign on bonuses but aren't giving them, they're showing their true colors.)

-What are the holiday and weekend expectations?

-Will I ever be forced to pick up extra shifts that I haven't volunteered for?

-Is there ever a possibility that I'd be the only licensed nurse responsible for both units at the same time?

-Can I have a tour of your facility and speak with one of the staff nurses?

-How many CNAs are scheduled each shift on each unit?

-Are you willing to extend orientation to at least 2-3 shifts per floor, especially since they're just 8 hour shifts?

This is the only time in your potential employment with this mess of a facility that the ball is in your court and you have some power. Get your salary, sign on bonus, and orientation requirement in writing. They're obviously desperate and will need to do what it takes to get nurses on board.

It is completely reasonable to let them know you need questions answered before deciding whether or not to accept the position.

And just because I think your husband is onto something with recommending the local community hospital, this is my vote of confidence (without knowing you personally) that if you can manage 27 rehab/SNF patients at a time, you can certainly manage 5 med surg patients. Try something new! Because 90 minute commute = a total no go for me

[Dani_Mila, BSN, RN]

24 minutes ago, caliotter3 said:

I was promised a pay raise after hire, timed with the increase in reimbursement that was due. Well, that event came and went. No pay raise. I brought the subject up as did another nurse. A pittance rate increase after I complained about how far I had to drive. Nowhere near what I was quoted upon hire. Nowhere near commensurate with the increase in reimbursement. Then I found out two other nurses (less qualified) are being paid substantially more, without the promised across the board pay raise. When I first saw my pay information on the electronic HR app, guess what? My pay rate is the initial rate I was hired at, the pittance is some sort of "override". You don't think for one minute that I am not aware that the override can disappear any time the employer wants it to? Anything dealing with pay has to be in writing. And yes, one person stated they had a pay promise in writing when they were hired, and voila, the employer still reneged. Be ready to move on down the road when the employer won't pay what they promised at any point in time.

This is another reason I want to leave my current job. I live far and travelling can be exhausting. I have been working at this place for more than a year and have not seen a raise. Although I make a lot of money based on weekend differentials (I work every weekend - 25% with base pay), my base pay is still the same a year ago. I have not brought this up yet which I should. I have a coworker who is an LPN and have recently received a raise. Although he worked longer (7 years), when the facility was bought by another company everyone goes back to 0.

[caliotter3]

In more than 20 years of working in the same area of nursing, I can count the number of actual pay raises I have received on the hand that has four fingers amputated. Don't look for your present employer to give you a pay raise unless your peers have rates of pay that make you look as if you are being taken advantage of. You definitely need to find work closer to home, but I would put the five minute commute place at the bottom of any list of potential places of employment.