Lied to in Interview

[westieluv]

Has anyone else experienced this? I just accepted a new position in an acute rehab facility. During the interview I was told that I would be replacing someone who wanted to work a different schedule within the company. I was also told that I would only rarely have to stay past my scheduled shift but that most days I would get out on time. I told the interviewer that I will work my five days each week but do NOT want to be called on my days off, as I am not interested in any overtime and she said she would make a note of it and wrote it down.

I am now a few days into orientation and I have learned from the other nurses in the facility that a.) I am replacing a nurse who got fed up with the working conditions and left the company without a two week notice, b.) I will end up having to stay over the end of my shift pretty much every time I work in order to get everything done, and c.) I received a phone call this morning at 6:30 where I was pressured to come in and work to cover a call off, even though I told the caller that I do not want more than five days a week and I am still on orientation to boot. She was not very happy when we hung up.

I feel duped and scared that I have gotten myself into something that I will regret. I do not appreciate being lied to and I think it was unethical to do so. Part of me wants to run before I get in any deeper and part of me feels like I need to stick it out, except that I'm worried that I will decide to do so only to find that I am constantly pressured into picking up overtime, being forced to stay over, and getting nagged to come in on my days off, in which case I will kick myself for not getting out right away. I am not afraid to say NO to the requests for overtime, but if this is an ongoing thing, it will make my life miserable anyway.

What would you do?

[pashasbaby]

It has happened to most of us. 2 years ago I turned down an excellent opportunity to help out my former mentor/employer and got royally screwed in more ways than one in the process. After a large contract fell through, she laid me off with no notice, no severance.

If you have a bad feeling, quietly seek another opportunity but don't rush into the first thing that comes along.

[lfriberg]

I don't think you would be violating your own ethics to leave the rehab job at this point You are still orienting and and they are still "on probation" with you.I think you should get out while you can ! You being "loyal" is not going to change the working conditions.

[Kiki1970]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply and offer your support and advice. This is very difficult because, like a lot of nurses, I am a people pleaser with a strong work ethic and feel very guilty if I feel like I am letting someone down, even if they have also let me down. I am going to push forward and see what happens, but I do believe that I will find another job very soon, if not the original dialysis job that I mentioned, than another one. I do have a great work record, that is to my advantage.

Thanks again. :)

Good luck- being a people pleaser and having integrity are rare traits! Please be loyal to yourself first and foremost.

[Darkstar1485, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

Consider yourself lucky. I didn't find out I was lied to until I was 3 months in. My job manipulates pay periods and days off so they don't have to pay OT. I have worked 10 8 HR shifts with ONE day off in the middle. Then add 16 hrs when someone calls off. It's awful. I'm a psych nurse and my job is dangerous and emotionally draining. On day 8 I find myself exhausted and apathetic. It's not fair to my patients. I would stay until you have another job. I'm 5 months in and I just got a job offer. I work 36 hours a week 3 12s in a row with a set schedule. It was well worth it because I know what it's like to work in hell and I have a thicker skin because of it. Good luck! I know how you feel!

[donnaba]

Many people forget that when you are hired into a position, there is generally a 90-day probation period where either the new employee or the organization can terminate the employment for any reason...this period is designed to address situations such as you have described where there is not a good fit between the organization and the new employee for any reason...this is the purpose of the period...you also need to remember that if you are still in orientation, that is a good time to actively make your decision...before you have used any more of the resources of the current organization...since you have a potential employer, you might consider discussing the viability of your getting the role and why you want to be in the employment in their organization, there is no need to badmouth the current organization, a simple statement something like, "I found that my career goals and their expectations for me did not align during orientation and do not think remaining with the organization would be productive for me or the organization."

Good luck with whatever choice you make...

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

You are walking a thin line at this point. So far your potential employer and current employer have seen your cards. I could easily see you being terminated for standing up for yourself (refusing to go in, refusing to wing it, telling them what you would and wouldn't do), you're still on orientation, right? And you're running the risk of losing credibility with the potential employer by jumping ship. I would have kept some things to myself.

BTW- I didn't catch why you haven't had interest in renewing your BLS?

OP holds a professional license. As you do not, these concepts may be difficult for you.

The credibility in question here is the facility's not the OP's.

By the way... OP was not required to answer your rude query regarding her BLS certification. However she did so, and gracefully.

[JayHanig]

I have run into this before and have definite ideas. You are right to be upset that they lied to you; the nurse you just replaced offered a clear example of the ideal solution to this sort of misbehavior. It's past time the powers that be stopped with their unethical behavior and if you stay, you only reward it. Better that they learn that it is a waste of time by you baling out as soon as it's advantageous to you.

Hold firm on the attempts to suck you in on your days off. They won't be your days off for long once they learn you're easily manipulated. Just say no. Over and over again. No.

Back when I was working as a weekender, I used to get amused when I'd hear one of my coworkers commenting on how short staffed they'd been Friday even though "they called everyone but nobody could come in". Well, they hadn't called me! Why? Because they'd learned it was a waste of time. Nothing could drag me in during the week... not double pay; not appealing to my sense of guilt.... nothing. Frankly, I had no sense of guilt as they wouldn't have been short staffed if they hadn't run good people off. Maybe it would have been different if the place was worth a damn. It wasn't though.

I felt sorry for my coworkers but they had the same options as I. They could have just said no. If everyone did that, the hospital would just have to hire enough folks and treat them well enough that it no longer was short staffed as a normal state of being.

So my advice is to run. It will only get worse with the unscrupulous management you've unfortunately fallen in with.

[neuronrs]

Jump ship! Life is too short to be in a job where you'll be miserable. Work-life balance is extremely important and why pass up your dream job. It appears you have nothing to gain by staying there.

[Kristiernbsn]

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate your feedback.

I did receive an email a couple of days ago from a dialysis facility of one of the Big Two dialysis companies that is literally two minutes from my house (I have a year and a half of recent dialysis experience with that same company) and it is a dream schedule: MWF 5:30-5:30 with no weekends. I would jump on this opportunity in a New York minute except that my work ethic tells me that since I committed to the rehab position, I have to try to stay and make it work. This dialysis company was not bad at all to work for, and I regret leaving. If I had it to do over again, I would not have given up my position with them, and now they are contacting me with this position that I could almost walk to!

It's really hard to commit to the rehab facility after being lied to, that is the problem, plus I actually did tell the dialysis manager when I replied to her email that I had accepted a position at this facility and had already worked a few days. If I contact her today and ask if she is still interested in me for the dialysis position, will she not think that I am a flip flopper and disloyal? If not, I could be tempted into pursuing the dialysis job.

Take it. You are giving this new job far more loyalty than they would ever give you. They'll find someone else. Seriously.

[DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN]

There is a reason why you listed what you would and would not be willing to do during the interview...It seems they had no issues accepting the expectations on both sides. However within a few days within orientation time...they are breaking those expectations. If that is only indication you get that is one two many already. You also stated you got an offer from a job that you previously held and you would take it in a minute..well it makes me think about the joke of the hurricane and god. Couple going through a hurricane heard a knock at the door, it was the Sheriff and he told the hurricane was coming and to evacuate, they refused, the hurricane was full force, the water now coming into the house, national guard shows up in boats begging them to evacuate they refuse, water keeps rising, hurricane now with the quiet of the eye on top of them...Army flys a helicopter in, hollars at the couple whom are now on the roof...let us safe you...they refuse and say they will not leave because God will save them...they drown, at the Pearly Gates they arrive, St Peter greet them, they ask what happened and why God did not save them....St Peter tells them, I sent for you safe hands and you did not see them...What more intervention do you need...You got a bad feeling from the conversation on the phone about you filling in because someone called out...well you are nothing more than a pulse to them.....You have a horrible feeling that your interview was nothing more than a hiring of lies....your own 6th sense trying to protect yourself...Now, you have a letter from the perfect place just miles from your home with the hrs you want and you know them ....what more do you want? A Hurricane?

[Tita22]

Hi, If you have found a place that works for your life best take it. Because at the end of the day you will be happy and have peace with yourself and those around you. If you sacrifice yourself for "work ethics" and stay at a place that is shady from the beginning you will likely be unhappy. Who cares what they say, I have found that there are always negative people who have something to say about you no matter what. If you can call the job back and tell them that you are available to work, you don't have explain yourself too much so don't stress it. If it's meant to be you will have your dream job and awesome schedule!

[Nurse Leigh]

westieluv, you are an experienced nurse who has, let's face it, "paid your dues." Do right by you - go for the dialysis position. I totally get wanting to be professional as you exit the crappy place that hired you, but I hope you go for the other job. Best of luck!