If you accept a job, stay at least a year

[Emergent, RN]

I see a lot of people here, especially newer nurses, tell us that they got this cruddy job, and they are looking for their dream job. They will quit a job 2 months into it when said dream job comes up.

I just want to go on record here. I disapprove of that and feel like it's unprofessional. You wouldn't see other professions behave like that. Can you imagine an engineer or a lawyer, or any other of the real professions, taking a position, then quitting in 3 months to take another one. No, that is behavior of fast food workers and mini-mart employees.

I don't know why managers are even interested in nurses who do that. It's like dating a man who is cheating on his wife. Do you really think he's not going to eventually do that to you as well?

Maybe it would elevate the profession if nurses signed employment contracts like other professions do.

I hear people here complain that, 'I don't want to risk my license!' where they are now working. I think that's a bunch of hooey. They are trying to sugar coat their unprofessional decision to leave a job shortly after being trained with high and mighty hogwash. People don't lose their license for working in a less than stellar institution.

And there you have it, my two cents.

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

It's like dating a man who is cheating on his wife.

WRONG. It is not a family issue or a moral issue. It's called knowing employers in today's job market aren't going to be loyal to you either. Why should you be loyal to them? An employer where I live recently decided to lay off all nurses with 20+ years of experience to save $. What kind of loyalty is that? It should be reciprocated. I here of situations where employers do this all the time.

I disapprove of that and feel like it's unprofessional.

I don't think you're the authority on that, & I doubt these nurses care.

[Nola009]

Thanks for your opinion. If someone accepts a job knowing full well they don't want it and will leave the place without adequate noticethe minute something better comes up, then in that case, I agree. What would you say to a person who as a new grad took a job, a job that involved caring for 25 patients, many of which had feeding tubes, pain pumps, wound vacs, and excruciating post-op hip or knee pain that wasn't looked after by most shifts (they were new too) and the ones that'd been working at this place didn't think much of giving one patient another's narcs. As in, they were 'diverting' to other patients rather than call the providers and get a new script. Left that up to the newbies on 2nd and 3rd shift. Oh, and 2-3 days of crappy training. ?? I understand your concept, but a lot of employers no longer treat employees professionally either. Who started it all? I don't know. But I reserve the right to leave a position that doesn't fit well with my ethics, morals, and level of professionalism (or that which I aspire to).

[T-Bird78]

I left a job after not quite 3 months because I had a much better and closer and higher-paying job come up. The job I left was an hour and a half drive in traffic, pay to park, no breakroom so you had to eat downstairs in the hospital cafeteria, horrible staff to work with, and the pay was $13/hour. The job I took was 20 minutes from home, great coworkers, and $5/hour more. My very first nursing job fired me after 6 weeks, just saying that I was still in my 90-day probation period and didn't need to give me a reason, so it goes both ways.

[ICURN3020]

I agree with the previous posters. It is immature and inconsiderate to accept and start a postion knowing full well you won't be around long (and not informing the employer at the time of hiring). Many companies invest a lot of time, resources and money into training new staff. However, there are also employers who hire starry-eyed new grads and fill them with empty promises. These new employees then begin their new job and soon realize they're working in an understaffed, unsafe, poorly run facility. In this case, I wouldn't feel the least bit guilty leaving regardless of how long I had been there. Everyone ultimately has to look out for themselves.

[MrsICURN14]

I respect your opinion, but that's all it is, an opinion. They're like belly buttons, everyone has got one.

Happy employees are better employees. I say if someone is unhappy enough to look for other jobs I don't want to work with them anyway, nor do I want them working for me if I'm the manager.

[Caffeine_IV]

The jobs won't keep you for a year if it doesn't suit them so I wouldn't feel bad about leaving before a year if something more ideal comes along.

People may say they will quit but it doesn't mean they follow through or actually land that "dream job" so quickly.

[Nightowl_lpn]

Just want to as my 2 cents also. I left a job after 3 months, still kept my other job during this time that I've been at over 3 years. I learned the grass is not always greener on the other side. I appreciate my job now after going to another ltc facility and seeing how there are nursing homes out there that give nursing homes bad names. Staff coming in under the influence, understaffed, turnover in management in my short time being employed there, and narcs always coming up missing. Do I feel bad for not sticking it out a year? No. Not a place I want ties to when state walks through the door.

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

Why not accept your dream job if it comes up? I don't understand how that's unprofessional if you're given a better opportunity.

[scottaprn]

If you offer me a years contract that states I can't be fired you got a deal.

[Anna S, RN]

If an employer treats me well, pays me fairly, and provides what I need to do a good job, I will stay. If they don't, I won't.

I've quit a job after one shift. Why stay when you can see from the get-go that it's an awful place to work?

I don't have time for that.

[amzyRN]

I think it is generally wrong to accept a job that one does not have any intention on keeping for at least a year, but there are exceptions to this. Sometimes a person needs the money and takes a job that they hate and they do it to feed an clothe themselves and/or their families. Then they quit when a better one comes along and that they enjoy and can do their best work. There are always mitigating factors and most facilities are "at will" anyway, meaning they can and do terminate employees based on their needs. Thus, why is it any different when an employee terminates "at will"?

I think it is best if one knows the facility will put a lot of money into training and there isn't really a major issue going on, it is wrong to not give back to the facility by staying around for a while. If the workplace is legit and the employer is honest and treats their employees well, I think they deserve the same degree of loyalty. If there are shady happenings, then sometimes it's best to find somethings else to protect patients and our licenses. There was a really terrible facility I did an orientation in. It was a SNF and while there, I saw the degree of danger that I might have faced by staying, for residents and for my license. Nurses were buying alcohol out of their own pockets to use at the facility. Nurses were over ratio. It just wasn't safe. The facility was not a good place to work. I was out of that place fast. Under these circumstances, I do not have regrets for leaving while still on orientation.