I've had my job interview, whats next?

Published

Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

UPDATE: See my reply for an update.

I recently applied for my first hospital job. I've been an LPN working in ALF since May but I recently finished my RN school and sit for boards Jan 23.

The NM on the Med Surg floor told me all further contacts will come from HR, and they have to do reference checks and so forth. I called HR last week (my job interview was about a week before Christmas) and they said "We haven't heard from your supervisors, so if you haven't heard from us by next week, give us a call".

The ALF I am at now, I have heard, gives bad references (sometimes for no good reason!) and even apparently lied to the Unemployment office, saying one nurse quit when she was "taken off the schedule" by the Exec. Director. A friend of mine also recently quit this ALF and she has also been waiting weeks for the the nursing home she applied at to get "references" from this facility.

If the ALF I am at now (I've been there since August) doesn't ever reply to the hospital, what happens? Would I not be hired b/c of this?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

Help?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Call the HR department just as they requested you do and find out what the hold up is. If it is because your current employer has not answered a reference ask the HR department what you can do to assist them in getting the reference. If your evals have been okay at your current job I wouldn't worry too much about rumors you have heard about them giving "bad references". Many employers do nothing more on a reference than verify beginning and ending employment dates for fear of lawsuits.

Best of luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

Thanks.. I called the HR dept a couple days ago and they told me "We've recieved the paperwork back but are still processing it. It's still in the application process. Call us back Friday or next Monday."

Why is this taking so long? I had my job interview on December 17 or 18... It's Jan 10 now, so why so long? I know things got delayed r/t the holidays, but I didn't expect it to take forever.

A friend of mine said it sounds like I am getting the run around.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I know it seems as if it is taking "forever" for this hiring process to be completed and I understand it is frustrating for you. For some reason this is how long it sometimes takes. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the HR department. I have had similiar experiences where it took anywhere between 2-12 weeks to hear if I got a job. Just today heard from a past co-worker that she had 3 interviews, each at different times and the last one she was only given less than a day notice for the last interview which was New Years Eve day. All of the interviews were positive and in fact during the last one it was discussed how she would have a 4-6 week orientation in another state for the position. She just found out, by going on-line, that the position she interviewed for was no longer available because the hospital decided not to fill the position. They did not even have the courtesy to notify her by phone or letter to inform her. She has been a RN for over 20 years and has lots of ER and ICU experience as well as case management. I share this story with you to let you know that what you are experiencing is shared by many of your colleagues. Try to not let it get to you!!

Good luck on your boards!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

Thank you... one week until I take NCLEX-RN!

I called the HR dept AGAIN a few days ago. They said they are still waiting. I asked them to clarify what they were waiting for... They said they are waiting for the Nurse Manager to make a decision and get back to them.

Does it take this long for a NM to make a decision? I know they are busy but.. come on! It's been a month!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

And on top of all of this one my dad's hours were cut (I still live at home) and I know I will need to help out a lot more financially and I just feel very uneasy at the job I am at now b/c of their cattyness (they have no qualms on getting rid of people at the drop of a hat) and I feel like I am not able to get a job despite this "nursing shortage" b/c of my limited experience.

Starting to feel like a failure :o

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, nutrition.

No don't feel like a failure...being hard on yourself only makes you feel worse and doesn't solve the problem at hand. Some people are slow to make decisions...that's not always a bad thing, as my boss hired a nurse who did not fit with our team at all without any input from anyone else, strictly on emotion...felt sorry for her because she'd lost her job in another area of the hospital. With a small team, every one has to fit or it won't work. It took almost a year to get rid of that chick and my boss learned a valuable lesson. So when we went to replace her, it took over 6 months. Went through apps and resumes, interviews with several team members, etc...we found someone who was a good fit, which wouldn't have happened with a quick decision...

Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

I just got a letter saying I didnt get the job. :(

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment