Is Job Hopping the Norm for Nurses?

The longest I stayed at a facility was 15 years. I left facilities for various reasons, my husband's career caused us to have two moves, the geographical area where I presently work just does not have the healthcare services or choices for nurses. The least amount of time I stayed in Home Health for 18 months, had to leave due to the patient load expectations and the documentation was horrendous. My last job was really starting to risk my license and I did not feel safe continuing to practice there. Through my varied experiences I have found that I learned different approaches to nursing, was exposed to a wide variety of managerial methods, learned how to work in multiple staffing methods. I learned a lot through all these experiences and I am still searching for what will meet my professional and personnal needs. I think the hardest thing for me when moving to a different acute facility has been that even though I bring my experience to them I still have to start at the basic staff nurse level, that gets old after a while. It does seem most facilities promote from within and discourage outsiders from coming in at a higher level than a staff nurse. It is almost like a nurse has to prove themselves before being considered for a higher level position, or it is the "good old boys/girls" mentality where you have to play the game to get ahead. I think you have to ask yourself how the move will benefit you professionally. If your job hops are showing progression in your career I think they are less harmful. If you are constantly taking a back step then the job hops may be a red flag to future employers. Good luck!!! I think all of us are looking for that golden nugget in nursing.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I'm a bit of a job hopper. My first nursing job, I was there for 5 years. But in the past 5 years, I've had 3 different jobs. I've just accepted that I likely won't be at a job longer than 2-3 years max before moving on to something else. I get bored easily, and doing the same thing every day after I've mastered it makes me unhappy, so I am always looking for bigger, better, more challenges, something new. Yep, it's a character flaw, I know. But every job I've moved to has resulted in higher pay and more responsibilities. So I'm looking at CNO as my endgame, then I'll retire. :)

[ThePrincessBride, BSN]

I think if pensions were the norm and not the exception, we would see less job hopping and more loyalty. As I have stated in other threads, as long as one doesn't burn bridges and always has a job lined up before quitting an old one, job hopping shouldn't be an issue.

As for myself, today marks my fifth anniversary of service at my organization. I haven't always worked as a tech, but I've had to transfer around in order to advance. If I get my dream job in the NICU as a new graduate, I will stay there forever...until I become a NNP, that is (and even then, I hope to stay in the same organization).

I do think earlier in one's career, it is best to stick to the same position for at least 1-2 years before moving around a bit to get the basics down.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I'm a bit of a job hopper. My first nursing job, I was there for 5 years. But in the past 5 years, I've had 3 different jobs. I've just accepted that I likely won't be at a job longer than 2-3 years max before moving on to something else. I get bored easily, and doing the same thing every day after I've mastered it makes me unhappy, so I am always looking for bigger, better, more challenges, something new. Yep, it's a character flaw, I know. But every job I've moved to has resulted in higher pay and more responsibilities. So I'm looking at CNO as my endgame, then I'll retire. :)

I don't think it's a character flaw at all. You like to be challenged, nothing wrong with that at all!

Fortunately, this has a happy ending, because within a week of starting to look, I had several companies interested in me and I have actually accepted a position that has nothing to do with dialysis and has a set, NORMAL, schedule, thank God!

We're (dialysis) gonna miss you!

As far as job-hopping nurses, I think employers have come to expect it as a real and expected cost of doing business in this current atmosphere over the last 15 or so years: An atmosphere where businesses change hands/ownership frequently.

It's about the bottom line. It used to be that RN retention over the long haul was better for business. Now, it seems (annecdotally speaking) that utilizing "plug-in's"--even over the short term--is financially outweighing the risks of not retaining long term RN employees. Employers seem to have little incentive to court the best and retain the best over the long term. And that's not just in the health care industry.

I may be wrong in my observations, of course.

[Pat_Pat RN]

I've also realized that, as someone with a malcontent personality, I'll never be happy doing the same thing for too long, so I anticipate a few more job hops during my career.

This SO describes me. lol

I hadn't ever seen it in writing quite like that though.

If I were a knight, I'd be "Sir Pat, The Malcontent". lol

Edited Sep 14, 2014 by Pat_Pat RN

[jguiney]

I have been in the same hospital for 27 yrs, and worked in the ED for 21 yrs now. Some of my staff have been here for over 30yrs. There is very little turn over in this facility.

There are so many variables involved in this question. I think it depends on the type of position you're looking for, somewhat. If you want a management position, it probably won't look too great to them. Also, more importantly, I think it depends on the reasons you give for why you left each job. Will the prospective employer see you as someone who decides to jump ship when it gets rough? And, how desparate are they for nurses? I know it sounds bad, but sometimes, employers are in such dire need for a warm body, they'll hire everyone who walks in the door that can legally work at the job.

I stayed in the NICU, in the same hospital for over 20 years. Technology was always changing and there was never any lack of things to learn. That being said, we also were the last generation to get a pension, so as one approached the time when one could retire with the pension (at least 50, and and years of service plus age = 75), you stayed even when things were not perfect. I did switch to acute adult psych for 8 years in the same hospital, then retired. Nursing has changed, along with all of the of the working world.

I think it is becoming a norm. As jobs become more available with those with experience, people do move. I have been in a position to hire for the past 7 years and have seen becoming a trend. I do caution those who hop around because, I tend not to look at them as loyal. I always ask why they leave and they would always say career advancement. Most people take their first job anywhere because as new grads, it is hard for them to find their first nursing job. But for a long term career to move into leadership or to get in an area that is for long term, recruiter tend not to give those with multiple jobs in a short period of time a chance.

Nurses do seem to 'hop'....I can tell you that when I am perusing resumes' if a nurse hasn't been anywhere for at least a year, I shred it

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

Nurses do seem to 'hop'....I can tell you that when I am perusing resumes' if a nurse hasn't been anywhere for at least a year, I shred it

You do make some exceptions for travel nurses I assume? Or do you make sure they have stayed with the same agency for at least a year?

[Animaniacs, BSN, RN]

this is an old topic, but i figure it's better than creating another one.

base on experience as an RN on the floor, i see many new nurses fresh out of school only work there for 1 year, sometimes less. I rarely see any nurses stick it out for 2 years. I know this one nurse, and I'm sure she's been at 4 different jobs in the last 5-6 years. It's good experience I suppose.

I've been a floor RN for 13 years. Is it such a bad thing to be in the same job for long time in an acute care hospital, especially being on the floor for that long? I know it's a jumping point for nurses to a more specialized area. Some people go to Surgery, Maternity/L&D, ICU, or ER just as an example and work there for a long time, but nobody stays on the floor. I wasn't really interested in working in management or being a supervisory role nurse. Is that really a bad thing to be in the same job? I'm the longest tenured RN in my department, seen so many people come and go. I feel like I'm an old relic despite the fact that I'm only 40.

Nurse leaders are really pushing nurses to go for their masters. why? I don't want to go for my masters, I'm content with my bachelors. They push to take on a leadership role. Why? I'm content with just having my own patients and not dealing with staff personality. I just feel this pressure sometimes like what I'm doing is such a bad thing, and I don't know how to react to it.