I started a new job on a postpartum floor about 6 weeks ago at a hospital about an hour away from me. The manager had asked me during the interview if I was willing to sign a contract, or agree to staying there for 12-18 months after orientation (since they have had several instances of nurses leaving quickly I guess). I told her that yes I am willing to do that, but when they gave me the job offer they didn't ask me to sign a contract. I have been trying to get I to this specialty for a long time and was super excited to get this job offer.
Here's the thing, I will be off orientation and starting on my own this week on nights (orientation was on days), and now I received a job offer from a hospital 15 minutes away from home, with better benefits, appointed position (which I hear is almost impossible to get at this hospital without having experience in the specialty or starting per diem first). I am torn!! Morally I feel like I have to stay at the further away job and put in some time there since they already oriented me; but another part of me is tearing me up because I know an opportunity like this to come up at this new hospital is very very rare! I have spoken with several nursing friends who tell me I am crazy to pass up on this opportunity and to just say thanks, sorry and goodbye to the further away hospital.
Pros and cons
First hospital:
Starting on nocs, I will be in prime traffic and my commute will be 1.5 hrs to 1.75 hrs each way, and these are 12 hr shifts
The benefits are expensive and I can only use their hospital and doctors offices, unless I wanna pay 20% then I can use facilities in my city (I have 2 little kids fyi)
In general it's an older hospital and unit is small and old, don't have some conveniences etc
Second hospital close to home:
15 min away, noc shift 8 hrs.
I already work per diem at this hospital on another unit and like this hospital, and have floated to postpartum and liked what I saw, newer unit and etc, charting system I am used to and like much better than the other hospital.
Benefits are excellent and almost free, literally
Very difficult to secure a benefitted position on this unit, staff almost never leaves and opportunities very rarely come up
Please guys can I have some advice? What do I tell my other manager where I have been for 6 weeks if I will be leaving? Do I say I got a better job offer? Or just say commute is not working out? Benefits suck and are not good for my family? I feel so guilty! But I feel like I would be a fool to pass up on this new opportunity, who knows when it will come up again. Please share, thank you guys!
Sorry for my rambling, hopefully you can make some sense of my post
I don't know why you would have to say anything about the new hospital offer, benefits, commute etc.
Just give your current hospital proper notice and state that the reason is you found the commute too dangerous for you after working nights. Now if they try to offer you a day position you might be in trouble. LOL
Your manager would only find out you got another job if you mention him/her as a reference. If you just use that job as a previous employer they will only contact HR and the manager wouldn't be contacted at all.
I don't know why you would have to say anything about the new hospital offer, benefits, commute etc.
Just give your current hospital proper notice and state that the reason is you found the commute too dangerous for you after working nights. Now if they try to offer you a day position you might be in trouble. LOL
Your manager would only find out you got another job if you mention him/her as a reference. If you just use that job as a previous employer they will only contact HR and the manager wouldn't be contacted at all.
Good thing I know for a fact they won't call my current manager for a reference because I am an internal employee transfer and they already received a reference from my manager from my per diem position at this hospital. :) I've already passed reference checks and everything. I am so excited and feel good about my choice, I feel like a lot of pressure and stress has been lifted
Take the short commute. I had that commute on nights for a bit and almost killed myself a couple times falling asleep on my way home. It isn't worth it for you and your family. It sucks to quit so soon but it is better than six months from now when you have no offer and have to look again.
Specializes in Allergy/ENT, Occ Health, LTC/Skilled.
orientation is trial period for BOTH employer and employee. And since you didn't sign a contract, it's perfectly acceptable to leave it at the commute and provide a two week notice. I don't believe in burning bridges but I also do not believe it employee loyalty much these days anymore. If you have a better offer, always take it.
Typically I feel that people should honor the agreement they made, but in your situation I think you really made the best decision. The commute you had is completely unrealistic, and you will be exhaused and in danger from driving in that condition.
Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
I commuted 45 min and after a few 13-14 hour shifts ( it will happen) it was hard to stay awake driving home. I know of a psych NP that crashed driving home from another town. He was killed. I had met him when he was the lab assistant. It is believed he fell asleep at the wheel. His picture is on one of the units at the psych hospital. No job is worth this. 1.5+ hour commute means getting home about 9:30 am getting up at 4 pm to be back at work by 6:30 pm for your next shift. Please take the job with short commute.
I commuted 45 min and after a few 13-14 hour shifts ( it will happen) it was hard to stay awake driving home. I know of a psych NP that crashed driving home from another town. He was killed. I had met him when he was the lab assistant. It is believed he fell asleep at the wheel. His picture is on one of the units at the psych hospital. No job is worth this. 1.5+ hour commute means getting home about 9:30 am getting up at 4 pm to be back at work by 6:30 pm for your next shift. Please take the job with short commute.[/
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Oh my goodness that's terrible wow yes definitely I made the right choice, I accepted the job with the short commute. My safety comes first right? Yes
How long did you stay at that job with that commute?
Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
I did that job for 5 years but it was not always night shift, I did while going to NP school, thank you for putting your safety first especially since you have kids. I wish you well in your new job.
Well, you can always sign a contract (honestly, most of us sign some sort of contract when we begin a new job), but there's no way for them to enforce you working for a specific period of time unless there's a bonus or something involved. And even with a contract, they can't MAKE you work (the 13th Amendment outlaws slavery).
What a contract can do is specify the "or else" if you choose not to work. If you've only been compensated for your regular hours worked, there's nothing they can do. If you were given some other kind of compensation (signing bonus, tuition reimbursement, etc.), the contract can force to either work out the length of your contract or repay the extra compensation.
wow yes definitely I made the right choice, I accepted the job with the short commute. My safety comes first right? Yes
elkpark
14,633 Posts
A little off-topic, but, ... says who???