Lied to in Interview

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.
I don't understand how it's not being a team player and demanding of an employer to work the schedule you were hired for. It tells me she had healthy boundaries. If they are chronically short staffed (by design, I'm sure) that is not her problem. It is the employer's problem and up to them to fix it.

Thank you, I agree. Is it really that crazy to expect that if you are hired for forty hours a week you expect to work forty hours a week? I have a life outside of work and I do not live for the purpose of being ready 24/7 to go bounding in to work to fill the facility's staffing needs, especially when they can't keep nurses because of the culture in the workplace.

I have had jobs in the past where I did go in when they called, but it was because I actually felt safe working there and appreciated because we were offered incentive pay to come in. This rehab place that I just left had, for example, two dynamaps for fifty patients, even though each nurse had a list of patients that needed scheduled vitals on a given day. What do you think the odds are of being able to find a dynamap for each of those patients exactly when they are available (not at lunch or therapy)? Slim and none, is how it turned out. A few of the nurses took it upon themselves to purchase out of their own pockets expensive BP cuffs and oral thermometers so that they had the equipment that they needed to do their jobs. I will do that when heck freezes over. It is not my job to provide basic equipment at a facility that is owned by a multi-million dollar Fortune 500 company. Sorry, but it's just not. There were also three computers for four nurses, even though we were drilled daily on how vital it was to chart specific things on each patient for Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement. Gotta chart to keep the money coming in, but can't spend a tiny amount of that money to buy one more lousy desktop computer, so me, being the newbie, always got stuck with no computer and having to do my charting after the end of my shift because each of the other nurses already had "her own" computer, or that is to say, the desktop computer that no one else had better try to use or else, even though I didn't see anyone's name on any of them. There is so much more I could say, but I think you get the idea, and I'm sure that many of you have unfortunately seen some of the same conditions in the workplace.

But it's all good. That dysfunctional and dangerous place is becoming a distant memory and I am on my way to job shadow at the dialysis job after a successful second interview. Thanks again for all of your helpful and supportive replies and have a nice day, all! :)

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
I don't understand how it's not being a team player and demanding of an employer to work the schedule you were hired for. It tells me she had healthy boundaries. If they are chronically short staffed (by design, I'm sure) that is not her problem. It is the employer's problem and up to them to fix it.

A few points- I've made 'demands' during an interview. I was given the job. Better to be up front at the start. My second point-I don't know any facility who is short staffed by design. It is exceedingly difficult to find enough competent nurses to work in a SNF. We pay more than the local hospital but the staffing ratio is usually 20:1. Hospital 5:1 max. I'd gladly fill every opening I have IF I can find nurses who can do the job.

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Pursue the dialysis job. It's what you want and what you will enjoy. I was in a similar situation. I accepting a new job ( but not one I really wanted). 2 days after I started; my dream job was offered. I took the cowards way out and emailed human resources ( telling them this position was not right for me) and told them I wasn't coming back. I dropped off my resignation letter and name badge at the front desk. I never regretted it and never heard from them again

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Specializes in CCU, CVICU, Cath Lab, MICU, Endoscopy..

The problem with us Nurses we accept and start positions without getting a job description, hours, pay and out of norm expectations in writing. Always ask for this before you start otherwise your job description becomes a he said she said discussion!

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I don't feel that it's unreasonable at all. 5 days is plenty and nobody is obliged to work overtime if they don't want to go in on their days off. That's why these places lose staff. If they want to attract quality people, they are going to have to be flexible in their scheduling to keep the nurses from getting burned out. And believe me my last employer called me EVERY day I had off begging me to come in, and it was so annoying. Finally I stopped answering my phone but they still called. They couldn't keep people either because they were UNACCOMADATING. Most nurses will be more than accommodating when they are treated right.

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I agree with another person I saw posted on here that said give two weeks notice to be professional, but they probably won't hold you to it. Take the other job that you like better. Sometimes timing plays tricks with us, but don't pass up the job you really want. It might not be offered again.

I regret leaving my last job in a way....but I was really burned out. Now I'm about to give 2 weeks notice myself during orientation at a new job in LTC because it's just a horrible place. The staff do not speak english on the floor so I never know what is going on around me, and that's just the beginning. I'm giving two weeks just to be polite, but I'm hoping they just tell me to leave now. LOL. I have other options in the wings, so it's ok.

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I share your sentiments because not all employers (or interviewers) are truthful. By employers (or interviewers) not being truthful to employees (or interviewees), trust cannot be fully formed. Time is the key to everything. What I am saying is that with time your interviewers will learn that lies and dishonesty do not get them anywhere.

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Yep, when interviewing for my current job, I asked what the weekend commitment was because my husband works weekdays so I wanted to know how much time we'd get together. I was going to take the job no matter what because it was a perfect fit for me and in labor & delivery. I was told I'd be working every third weekend. Get hired, start work, guess what? I'm actually assigned to every other weekend just like all new hires and then we are moved to every third as the staffing matrix allows based on seniority. The manager had no reason to lie to me but did anyway and now a year and a half after starting I just now finally got moved to every third weekend. Very frustrating.

OP, I'd take that dialysis job you mentioned. Tell the rehab floor in your resignation letter the reason you are leaving is that they pretty much immediately violated the work terms you outlined (and they accepted it seems) in your interview. There's an orientation period for a reason. If you didn't end up being a good fit at the end of it, they'd let you go. I think it's fair that that work in reverse. This job isn't a good fit for your desires so if you have another job available, move on.

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As a long time DON at a rehab facility, I would offer the following advice.....circle back and talk to the person that interviewed you. There may be a miscommunication between the person that you spoke with and the person who does the actual scheduling. It's very short-sighted for a manager to push someone out of orientation before their competency in the job has been validated while a scheduler will call everyone and their sister to fill a hole in the schedule.

Secondly, don't believe all the gossip and drama you hear. Folks love to interpret coincidence into fact, and embroider into "truth".

If you're not satisfied after talking to the folks in charge, it's perfectly ok to say the actual job is not how it was presented in the interview and is not a good fit for you. You could also say that to the dialysis manager, as well. As long as you conduct yourself in a professional way, there shouldn't be any long term repercussions. Yes, the rehab will be in a temporary snit if you leave but if they were dishonest with you, they'll have done it before and had others leave for the same reasons. And they'll get over their snit as soon as they focus on the next candidate.

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
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, interested inplus 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.

dialysis, jump ship

you were lied to

trust me, if you are

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Specializes in Psych,LTC,.

I could be twisted, but I considor the 3 month probationary period a 2 way street. They can say it isn't working out and so can you. I'd think the dialysis co would accept that being you had 1.5 yr with them before, I don't think they'd think you were a flip flop. but that's just me.

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OP, I'd take that dialysis job you mentioned. Tell the rehab floor in your resignation letter the reason you are leaving is that they pretty much immediately violated the work terms you outlined (and they accepted it seems) in your interview. There's an orientation period for a reason. If you didn't end up being a good fit at the end of it, they'd let you go. I think it's fair that that work in reverse. This job isn't a good fit for your desires so if you have another job available, move on.

This thread was started in April 2016. It looks like the dialysis job was chosen, and now there are totally new problems to deal with. This one, however, is solved. :)

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