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?

[GaleSRN51]

As a manager for a dialysis company I would totally understand if you came to me and told me what had happened. Take the new job and be glad you did!

[RNNMT]

I am so sorry that you are in this situation. Where I am from, that is the norm for nursing home and rehab facilities. Often times they expect nurses to work in very unsafe and overwhelming conditions. New grads who just want a chance accept this. I went through a similar experience and because i needed the income and learning I stayed. I was very careful, gained 6 months of knowledge and left the first chance that I got.

How ever if your situation is different and you can do without the income, I would say to find something that better suits you. Some nurses are lucky enough to find what fits them early on, others have to fish around a little bit. I am on job number 4, and finally feel complete. Don't give up hope. Remember any nursing job that you obtain is all part of your learning experience and their something positive that you can take away from them all. Those 6 months was tough, but I walked away with some valuable information, and had a chance to help and meet some awesome people.

I hope this helps :0)

[calebboy1]

I actually am nob longer a nurse due to this issue. I wo worked eleven to.seven overnight I have autistic twins that my wife needed help with to get them on the bus so she could get to work by 9. Overtime began to become mandatory or face discipline. My charting became sloppy and at tiimes nonexistent. I complained to directors assistant directors to no avail. When I began to forget PRN apap to morphine, the pharmacy was called. Rather than coming to my side. My employer left me out to dry.

[Kiki1970]

In case she doesn't hire me, because we need for me to have a steady income. I know something else would come along, but if I felt pressured to hurry up and get something to keep the money coming in, I might end up in just the same predicament I'm in now.

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?

[nrsgofold, RN]

If you are still in orientation you should not be pressured to pick up a regular shift or to work overtime already. Also if you feel you were lied to during you hiring process what does this say about the people you have begun working for? Nurses are in shortage already and you can get another job. Don't compromise yourself, your family or integrity for a company already lying to you. Just something to think about.

[RN-Doula]

You were lied to, don't stay at that job. Take the dream job, I would.

[westieluv]

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?

I have just now renewed my BLS, and the reason why it had lapsed was because I have spent the past 15 months working from home as a telephone triage nurse, a job that I would have never quit had we not needed healthcare benefits, which that employer could not offer. My goal was to stay at that job until I retired, but life sometimes gets in the way.

I am very confident of getting something else, if not that dialysis job than the other of the "Big Two" dialysis companies has emailed and expressed interest in me several times, even when i was not looking for work. Being trained in dialysis is great job security, because they are always looking for nurses and it is a long, expensive, learning curve for the Big Two to train new nurses from the ground up.

[westieluv]

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. :)

[wolf9653]

Being a team player works both ways. It includes them having enough staff and retaining them, so that you have a team to play on!

We've all had employers who thought they owned us and our time. Nothing wrong with setting them straight from the get-go. If not being at their beck and call makes me a non-team player, so be it.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I have a feeling you and I are seeing eye to eye on this one.

And me!

[wolf9653]

No conflict of interest there right?

As a manager for a dialysis company I would totally understand if you came to me and told me what had happened. Take the new job and be glad you did!

[wolf9653]

I remember my very first day nursing, straight out of school. Orientation was: here's the keys. a long term care floor on mother's day. Sure learned to make sure I had decent orientation on my jobs after that!