Job Hopper, concerned

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Mar 26, 2015

I had the same issues. I worked 6 months at this job, 8 months here & it looks bad on paper. So when I apply to places I actually really want to work I get shut down.

But I will be bridging to get my RN so my spotty job history as an LVN will not affect me. I was young & didn't care. But now that I have a son & need health insurance I can't jump from job to job any more.

caliotter3 · Mar 26, 2015

You are not doing yourself any favors by not sticking to a job. No employer takes into consideration the fact that another employer is a bad one when they consider a prospective employee, even if they are themselves aware of that fact. You are going to have to buckle down and maintain yourself at a job for a reasonable amount of time or make the decision that nursing is not for you.

~Shrek~ · Mar 26, 2015

You are not doing yourself any favors by not sticking to a job. No employer takes into consideration the fact that another employer is a bad one when they consider a prospective employee, even if they are themselves aware of that fact. You are going to have to buckle down and maintain yourself at a job for a reasonable amount of time or make the decision that nursing is not for you.

you don't understand. I don't *want* to job hop. I want to stay somewhere ideally for life. But if my safety comes into question (I am being vague), I cannot stay. If this job was merely unpleasant I would have stayed. But there were so many suspicious and dangerous things going on that I could not ethically stay even if it meant pursuing a new profession. If me refusing to stay in a dangerous place makes me a worthless nurse, then so be it, I will go back to school for a higher degree.

i just want to know if I have destroyed my chances of working this "dream job" or not, because I am very worried that they will reject me despite the interviews.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Mar 26, 2015

You keep saying the job is 'dangerous'. How so?

lovinglife2015 · Mar 26, 2015

Define "dangerous" as it pertained to the job? Otherwise, you sound a bit prone to exaggeration. At least stay employed while seeking new employment so that there are no employment gaps on the resume.

I would also stop using the word "quit." Say that you "resigned."

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 26, 2015

A lot of new grads use the word "dangerous" as an excuse to rationalize the fact that they could not handle the job. So when a person uses it twice to describe 2 jobs they quickly quit, it is suspicious. Employers will wonder why you didn't do a better job of assessing the employment situation -- especially for the 2nd job, as you had already had one bad experience.

So yes, it hurts your chances of being hired by an employer who has multiple applicants for the jobs you seek. There is no getting around that. Our decisions and actions have consequences. You chose those 2 jobs and then quickly quit -- and that is not attractive to an employer. But whether or not they choose to hire you anyway is something none of us can say. Only they can say -- and time will tell.

caliotter3 · Mar 26, 2015

When I found a job "dangerous" in terms of my personal safety being of more than passing concern, I left the job and left the area. My employer did not care about "danger" to me. But calling a job "dangerous" because one does not like how things are done at the place of employment can not always be used as a legitimate reason for leaving an employer. No employer is perfect, and some are less so than others. Sooner or later, you must decide if you want to work.

~Shrek~ · Mar 26, 2015

I am not exaggerating. See my comment below. I want to be vague

If me making the decision that this was unethical makes me a bad nurse, then I don't want to be a nurse.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Mar 26, 2015

Were you doing home care in a high-crime area? Providing care to violent, psychotic patients? Threatened by co-workers? Exposed to chemical toxins? Dealing with sub-standard or faulty equipment? I am really curious about the 'danger' element also. Could be totally legit.

~Shrek~ · Mar 26, 2015

Were you doing home care in a high-crime area? Providing care to violent, psychotic patients? Threatened by co-workers? Exposed to chemical toxins? Dealing with sub-standard or faulty equipment? I am really curious about the 'danger' element also. Could be totally legit.

High crime, yes. High violence, yes. I have been attacked and punched. Threatened, no, thank God. Chemical toxins, yes. Sub standard/ faulty equipment, yes, we ran out of gloves for a week and I had to work with bodily fluids without gloves, even though I sent multiple emails and warned everyone that we were low on gloves several times.

caliotter3 · Mar 26, 2015

When I determine that my employer won't provide me with gloves, I provide my own. I won't quit my job over it. When I see an electrical hazard on the job, I put the equipment out of service, if only by unplugging it, and report it to maintenance and my supervisor. What is it about the employers you select that you have been physically assaulted at two jobs in a row? Did you report the assaults to the police? Now, this I see as a legitimate reason to leave a job. When my stalker would not leave me alone, I left. But guess what? That did not stop the employer from blacklisting me when I got to my new area! If it is that bad for you, you may find yourself out of nursing not by your own choice.