Interview tip re: reason for leaving current job

[annalynRN]

Hi all,

I have a phone interview next week and I know the nurse recruiter will ask me the reason why I want to leave my current job. To give you a background, I graduated nursing school in June 2011 and quit my PCT job at the hospital because of my newborn and NCLEX preparation. When my daughter turned 1 and when I passed my NCLEX in January 2012, I applied for jobs and to the previous hospital where I used to work at, but no luck at all. Finally, I applied to a LTC facility in July 2012 and got the job. Now, when there's an opening on my previous unit in the hospital which is Acute Care of the elderly unit which is still link to Geriatric nursing, I'm having a hard time to think of a reason why I want to leave my current job at LTC. I know in my heart that I would like to specialize geriatrics but I want to learn more and I know that in the hospital I will learn more about nursing. Do you guys think that if I say "the reason I'm leaving my RN position at this LTC is because of lack of opportunity to grow as a nurse." Would that be a valid reason? I don't want to make any negative remarks about my current job because it's a good place to work and I like my co-workers. i learned lots of skills from this place but I really want to get back to hospital to learn more. Please help. Thank you in advance.

[Wushu]

I am in a similar situation at my current job and just has an interview at a hospital who asked me why I wanted to leave. I told her that I love working in LTC but my dream and goal as a nurse is to work in a more acute care setting.

[annalynRN]

Thank you for your reply. Did you get the hospital job? I think I am just worried that the recruiter might not able to understand why I want to leave my current job in LTC if I want to specialize in Geriatrics in the future.

[amoLucia]

Please don't say you're "leaving LTC because of a lack of opportunity to grow as a nurse". That's like a disservice to us nurses in LTC, like we've stagnated where we are. There are a many ways to grow in LTC; your few 7 - 8 months in your facility hasn't provided you much time to experience the possibilities. And they ARE there.

I think what you're looking to say is you'd like more opportunity to practice more varied clinical skills, and/or a chance to work with more diverse diagnoses, etc etc.

Wanting more education and experience are positive reasons, but to pigeon-hole/stereotype LTC nsg does not do justice to our field. Please don't use that comment.

This is just personal, but you hit a raw nerve of mine. And it's done a lot here on AN. Just my 2 cents.

[RNewbie]

Just say your goal is to work in the acute care setting. You've gained a lot of valuable experience in long term care but are ready to move on to something different...something along those lines.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

This is at a hospital you used to work at? Why don't you just talk about how much you enjoyed working for them when you were an aide and how your goal since that time was to work there as a nurse? That way it's more about why you want to work for them than it is about why you want to leave your current job.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Just write something vague like "no room for advancement" on the application and you can elaborate if asked specifically in the interview.

But I'm sure HR will be able to piece it together from a casual look at your resume. Long term care is chock full of newish RNs who are just biding their time until they've racked up enough experience to land a hospital job. They see tons of RNs with your exact same story.

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

I wouldn't say "lack of career opportunity to grow as a nurse" as your reason. I would site the "desire for career growth opportunities" as you reason for leaving. Put a positive spin on it while being truthful.

[amoLucia]

Just write something vague like "no room for advancement" on the application and you can elaborate if asked specifically in the interview.

But I'm sure HR will be able to piece it together from a casual look at your resume. Long term care is chock full of newish RNs who are just biding their time until they've racked up enough experience to land a hospital job. They see tons of RNs with your exact same story.

How true!

How sad!