Leaving a job my parent's friend got for me

[kidblinks, RN]

Hello all, looking for advice.  I became a nurse in June and my area wasn't hiring new grads for hospital positions.  A friend of my parents got me a job at a hospital in a unit that basically no one wants to work in.  It's in patient rehab but we are also treated like medsurg but given far less resources then the medsurg units.  For example we've had about 4-5 codes with transfers back to medsurg or the ICU in the last month in a half from them pushing patients to are unit who aren't stable.  Or, we'll have 3 nurses to 20 pts with 1 support staff on the floor, while having multiple one to ones.  It just doesn't feel safe often.  

 

New grads don't stay on my unit for long and don't stay at my hospital for more then a year or two from what I staff says. My hospital also blocks transfers to other units also from what I've so I'm feeling trapped on a unit I hate; not even getting medsurg experience out of it.  Would it be wrong to start looking for another position after only 7 months after this job was obtained for me?  I don't want to offend anyone; especially since my parent's friend is a director in the hospital.  I am no longer learning anything on my unit and I feel like this is also an issue.  I feel like I'm wasting time not getting experience I value on a unit that doesn't feel safe.   

[scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN]

I wouldn't feel bad about leaving at all, that sounds awful! Start looking now!

In fact, if this director is a "friend" I would totally tell him how unsafe it is and what is going on!  And so what if he is not longer your friend because of it, you have saved your license and potentially some peoples lives. 
 

[Daisy4RN]

If your parents are friends with the Director and helped get you the job I would discuss it with them before I did anything. Explain to them your concerns and that you would like to start looking elsewhere. If it were me, I would not want to do something to interfere with that friendship if it matters to them. If they are not close friends and have no qualms about it then I would proceed and start looking. If they do have a problem I would wait until that 1 year mark and then start looking (which is usually a good idea anyway if feasible). Either way I would start watching myself at work for the tasks etc that need to be done to CYA vs those that people want done. (And that pretty much goes for where ever you work). Good luck!

[amoLucia]

1 hour ago, scuba nurse said:

I wouldn't feel bad about leaving at all, that sounds awful! Start looking now!

In fact, if this director is a "friend" I would totally tell him how unsafe it is and what is going on!  And so what if he is not longer your friend because of it, you have saved your license and potentially some peoples lives. 
 

my bolding

to scuba & Daisy - for what purpose would negating the unit to the director have to make anything TRULY better???  Nothing ever gets corrected after such kind of meetings. The director DID do OP a favor to go out on a limb to offer a position. Yeah, OP, you DON'T owe him/her any loyalty, but just some professional courtesy. You never know if your paths will cross again and you will need a decent job referral/reference.

Start a job search and when you're ready to leave, have a GENTLE exit discussion with that director if you feel you must absolutely get something off your chest. There are constructive ways to make your point without spouting off what will come across as 'sour grapes'.

Just keep a low profile as you do your job and bide your time.

[Daisy4RN]

Just to clarify....I meant for the OP to speak with his/her parents as they are friends with the OP's director. I didn't mean for OP to have a meeting with the Director to explain concerns. I am quite sure the Director already knows the issues of the unit! IMO this would give the parents a heads up and could discuss their concerns (if any) with OP re: the situation. This could help prevent any hard feelings in either direction. The OP should do what is right for them but in agreeing to this arrangement has put themselves into a messy situation that requires some finesse getting out. This is why I personally don't accept favors like this, too messy and I am generally too impatient for the finesse-ing. I would still consider waiting until the 1 yr mark as it usually looks better to future employers and esp in a decent job setting.

[amoLucia]

Daisy - TY for the comeback explanation. Makes sense, esp  re the parents' being caught off-guard (messy). And personal favors can become troublesome as you say.

OP would prob do well to wait for that 'one year mark'. And then just  'graciously' leave on civil terms.

[JKL33]

9 hours ago, kidblinks said:

I feel like I'm wasting time not getting experience I value

I feel meh about ^ this part; I think when people have an idea that maybe they want to be somewhere else they tend to overlook the learning opportunities where they currently are. Especially with less than a year of experience on a unit where it sounds like some of the acuity is above what would typically be expected there, I am sure there is plenty to learn.  I do understand your safety concerns, though.

I don't see anything wrong with starting to think about what you might want to do/where you might want to go, and do some preliminary job hunting. And I don't think any of it needs to have anything to do with your parents' friend. If it comes up, you can thank that person sincerely for helping you get your start in nursing and helping you get your foot in the door at that particular place.

But...I mean, if they like to block transfers and limit the resources available for proper patient care then it's their problem, not yours, when people don't want to stay around.

Learn what you can while you're there. Good luck.

??

[Wuzzie]

19 hours ago, kidblinks said:

 I am no longer learning anything on my unit and I feel like this is also an issue.

This is entirely on you. You only stop learning when you stop trying. It is not your employer's responsibility to broaden your knowledge base. I would lose this point of view ASAP and definitely don't share it during any interviews you might have. 

Personally and professionally I would stick it out for the remainder of your year there. Yes, I know you hate it but you are going to hate a lot of things about working and being an independent adult. The remaining 5 months will fly by and you will have that golden year under your belt with the experience of being on a busy unit which will make you much more marketable. Don't kid yourself, rehab is all about med-surg. The rehab patients you have today were still in the hospital on med-surg units when I was a new nurse. It is a continuum. Working for a solid year will pretty much pay back the favor your parents' friend did for them and you can leave without the mess bailing at 7 months may cause. Nursing is a very small world. 

I think, professionally, you should stick it out.  You would have 5 months to start carefully looking for a job. You may have to move to a different part of the country so this will give you plenty of time to plan. Think of it as having time to start preparing and studying to get certified which you can do once your first year is completed. You could work on an EBP project at your current job or write a nursing article for your employer's publication. You could start volunteering with a local organization. The job market isn't very good right now in many areas. You have 5 months to increase your value as a candidate for the job you think would make you happy. Can you imagine what your resume would look like if you took the initiative to put some extra effort in? How do you think that would look to a hiring manager if she had to choose between you and another candidate?