Is it bad to retract your job offer?

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2010

Congratulations on your good news. Lots of people have several job opportunities and most people if they could would love the choice. When you get the job you want either phone the HR and let them know you had a couple of job offers and decided to take another opportunity, thank them for giving you the chance to interview at their hospital and stress it was a difficult decision. Or you can do it in writing both are acceptable. Make sure you dont close the door behind you, you never know when you may want to return.

itsmejuli · Feb 22, 2010

Its really no different than job hunting in the business world.

Go to the interview with hospital B, if B offers you a job take it and let A know. If B doesn't offer a job, you still have A.

caliotter3 · Feb 22, 2010

Of course do not take back your acceptance until, and if, you get the offer in writing, from the place where you want to work. If it doesn't materialize, or falls through, you could end up with nothing if you took back your acceptance of the first offer prematurely. You know what they say about the bird in the hand and the bird in the bush.

dskrninpa · Feb 22, 2010

I was in the same position. If you get both positions take the job that will make you the happiest in the long run. No one is going to hold it against you. Like the other posters said, don't do anything until you have the firm offer. Good luck!

sibelian · Feb 22, 2010

Or you can do it in writing both are exceptable.

Exceptable? .... sigh

Reno1978, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2010

There's nothing wrong with it, in my opinion. Make sure your 2nd job offer is secure.

Reno1978, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2010

Exceptable? .... sigh

Thank you for your valuable contribution to this thread. :down:

carebearsRN · Feb 23, 2010

thanks for everyone's input!

mcpnurse · Feb 23, 2010

if you retract your offer after signing... would you be burning the bridges with that hospital? what if you want to apply to their hospital in the future?

Moogie · Feb 23, 2010

Actually, a potential employee does not retract the job offer. He/she declines the offer (politely, of course, so as not to burn bridges). The potential employer is the one who retracts the job offer, rescinding it after it has already been offered to the prospective employee. There's a LOT of that nonsense going around in health care due to the oversupply of nurses and it is rude, and unprofessional on the part of the employer to retract an offer unless there's a pretty good reason (e.g., the prospective employee failed a drug test.)

I think you are showing a lot of wisdom to be concerned about declining the first job offer. There are some folks who might be kind of casual about it and then run the risk of alienating the first employer. (And yes, if you decline the first offer, please do so in a business letter, not verbally or via email. The facility will be disappointed to lose out on you but this way you part ways with them having a good impression about you.)

Awesome that you got an offer! :yeah: I hope all works out very well for you.

carebearsRN · Feb 23, 2010

Moogie, i meant ... is it bad to tell them that I've decided to go somewhere else AFTER signing the letter? I want to be safe and accept the offer because I don't have an actual interview with hospital B yet ...(this is just a scenario but I'm curious as to how to approach it if it really happened). ugh! i feel greedy now haha new grads should NOT be greedy right?! Both hospitals are great but I like hospital B more.... AND i've done clinical there during school so I would love to work there.