I'm a new grad RN who got her first real nursing job working at a SNF. The SNF I work at is attached to a hospital, which while I was originally not excited to work at a SNF I was excited for the opportunity for advancement into the hospital into one of their med/surg units, etc. Turns out, I really do like working at the SNF. I like my coworkers, the residents, and feel comfortable here. But working at a SNF is not part of my long term goals.
I have worked at the SNF for four months now, so I am just about to get off my probationary "new hire" period soon. Therefore, I wanted to try applying to the hospital and see if I can get a job there, because I feel as if working in Med/Surg would at least get me closer to my ultimate goal of doing something more acute, such as critical care.
But my dilemma is that I feel like I'm disrespecting my employers at the SNF for "jumping ship" basically as soon as I can to work over at the hospital. My ideal situation would be to work at the SNF per diem every other weekend (which is what they originally hired me for, but of course they have me in a 32hr/week position still even with my per diem role). I do feel obligated to them to give them at least a year of my time since they were the first people to believe in me and offer me a job. I don't want anyone to be disappointed or judge me that I would either leave the SNF completely or go down to working there every other weekend.
One last detail: My boyfriend and I do plan to leave the area and move up closer back home where he would have a lot more opportunities to get a job in the field he's about to join. So even if I do apply to the hospital and got a job, I would only stay at the unit for 7 months at most because our lease is up in September and we would move back up closer to our families. So that's another added stress of secretly not even giving the hospital unit a year of my time for being so generous and hiring a new grad onto their unit.
Should I just avoid all this mess and work solely at the SNF for now? Or should I be a little more "selfish" and see if I can get a job that would give me more opportunities to advance to critical care even though I'd secretly only work there for 7 months? I would have to try and find a new job in September despite what I do in this situation because we will 100% be moving away, and I'm not sure if a year's worth of just working at a SNF will give me the best chances at getting a new job rather than working at the SNF *AND* working at the attached hospital for ~7mo would. I could also just apply to a different hospital that's much closer to where I live and tell the SNF that I can't do the commute anymore. But there's still the issue of only giving that hospital 7 months of my time.
This all makes me feel so fake and self absorbed, like I'm not considering what anyone else's feelings or staffing needs are Am I overthinking everything??
Thank you for reading my rambles, I appreciate any input or advice you all have for me.
Out of respect for the OP and the topic of this thread, I'm going to start a new thread to discuss the cost of hiring a new nurse as I believe we have deviated from the purpose of this topic.
Since when is labwork part of a pre-employment physical? .
I've had multiple jobs in several different regions of the country over the past 37 years. My pre-employment health screening has always included labs -- and immunizations if needed. My current employer does a drug and tobacco screen as well as titers for illnesses if the new employee does not have excellent documentation of meeting our immunization requirements. If they are missing an immunization (such as a flu shot, rubella, varicella, etc.) they are given it. We will also screen for TB exposure -- including a chest x-ray if necessary. And of course, we do a credit check and a national criminal background check.
Yes, these costs are incurred whether the new employee is a new grad or an experienced nurse. But that is what is relevant to the OP's question. She is considering "job hopping" and we are trying to tell her why employers don't like to hire "job hoppers" -- regardless of their experience level.
One final thing: pre-employment costs are not specific to hiring new nurses. That is stuff ALL new employees have to go through, experienced or not, nurse or not, and therefore again should not be disingenuously attributed to "the cost of hiring a new nurse."
Since the subject of this thread is a NURSE job hopping, the cost of replacing said NURSE is relevant to the discussion and the costs of replacing other types of employees are completely irrelevant. The fact that replacing other employees also costs money does not negate the fact that when nurses job hop, it costs hospitals money, and the hiring powers that be may look at her resume and conclude she will cost them more than she will actually help them.
Since the subject of this thread is a NURSE job hopping, the cost of replacing said NURSE is relevant to the discussion and the costs of replacing other types of employees are completely irrelevant. The fact that replacing other employees also costs money does not negate the fact that when nurses job hop, it costs hospitals money, and the hiring powers that be may look at her resume and conclude she will cost them more than she will actually help them.
The cost of everybody job hopping is just as important to the discussion as the cost of a nurse job hopping, because it's all relative.
Also, the topic was if it is disrespectful to job hop. I've explained why it isn't. It's an expected cost of doing business and it is a risk employers are freely and willingly taking when they decide to hire anybody or conduct business in general. Therefore ethics has no place in the discussion.
As for worrying about what future employers will think, the solution is simple: don't worry. Job hopping is not a big deal. When a future employer asks why you left, give as little information as possible. There is no need to go to a confessional about it. You can tell them you moved, that you had to resign due to illness or family member illness, that your position couldn't be held, or whatever. You can tell them just about anything really. Most people will not delve too deeply. Especially when you mention things like illnesses, hiring departments usually would rather know as little as possible. They don't want to get in legal entanglements.
You can actually use it to your advantage, in that way.
Also, OP , if you apply and get a hospital job now, you do not need to put the SNF on your resume when you relocate and apply for a second hospital job. Just let them think you started at the hospital but had to relocate and that's why you left early. They won't hold that against you.
I too left my first hospital job after 7 months due to relocating to another state.
Also, the topic was if it is disrespectful to job hop. I've explained why it isn't.
Said as if opinion is fact. The correct response is "I've explained why I believe it isn't." This way it's clear that you are not a hiring entity and really don't know for sure how this figures in to hiring practices; you only know your own experience, which is anecdotal by definition.
I'm kinda ticked that home health just got dismissed like chopped liver so to test out one of RND's theories..
OP (you still there?), if the SNF offered you say $10/hr raise, cut your patient load in half and the managers made sure you got a good lunch and unlimited potty breaks while treating and speaking to you with respect, would you turn down a fantastic acute care opportunity that came along in order to give them another 2 years?
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
The cost of everybody job hopping is just as important to the discussion as the cost of a nurse job hopping, because it's all relative.
Also, the topic was if it is disrespectful to job hop. I've explained why it isn't. It's an expected cost of doing business and it is a risk employers are freely and willingly taking when they decide to hire anybody or conduct business in general. Therefore ethics has no place in the discussion.
As for worrying about what future employers will think, the solution is simple: don't worry. Job hopping is not a big deal. When a future employer asks why you left, give as little information as possible. There is no need to go to a confessional about it. You can tell them you moved, that you had to resign due to illness or family member illness, that your position couldn't be held, or whatever. You can tell them just about anything really. Most people will not delve too deeply. Especially when you mention things like illnesses, hiring departments usually would rather know as little as possible. They don't want to get in legal entanglements.
You can actually use it to your advantage, in that way.
I would caution newer posters on the wisdom of taking ethical advice from you . . . a person who seems to lack ethics.
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
When I was in the position to review resumes and interview if a person had 3 jobs in 2 years I didn't look any further. Most people that do hiring see that as a sign that they will not stay long and not worth the time and energy. Whatever the reasons. That is the reality.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Also, OP , if you apply and get a hospital job now, you do not need to put the SNF on your resume when you relocate and apply for a second hospital job. Just let them think you started at the hospital but had to relocate and that's why you left early. They won't hold that against you.
I too left my first hospital job after 7 months due to relocating to another state.
Bad advice. That SNF paid you; you paid social security on that income. It is going to be difficult to hide that employment from a prospective future employer. Not only that, but it is dishonest.
Am I overthinking everything?? 
RNdynamic
528 Posts
Out of respect for the OP and the topic of this thread, I'm going to start a new thread to discuss the cost of hiring a new nurse as I believe we have deviated from the purpose of this topic.