3 months LDRP experience enough to apply elsewhere?

[knufflebunny]

I recently relocated to take an LDRP (Labor & Delivery, Recovery, Post Partum) job. As amazing as this opportunity is, my family life is suffering. I am from a major metropolitan area and the job is 2 hours away in a very rural area. My husband still works in the city and I relocated near the hospital with my 3 year old daughter. She is not adjusting to me working such long hours and is crying, throwing tantrums, and is miserable all day while I"m gone. My nanny has quit on me and my husband is extremely stressed out about having to drive in every weekend and also dealing with my unhappy daughter. I would very much like to relocate back to the city but I am afraid if I apply now the recruiters will think I am a quitter and not loyal to my employer. I now understand the time, money, and energy it takes to train a new nurse. I want to apply just to see if I get any kind of response. Do you think it's too early? Should I wait until my 1 year is over? Any advice would be helpful!!

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Three months is a short amount of time. Especially for a specialty. I would see what is out there for similar positions in the city. Call and speak to the nurse manager of the hospital you would like to go to, and explain the area you are in is not a good fit for your life. How much experience, and what type of experience do you need? If you could stick it out for the year, it would be ideal, however, life is too short to be miserable. You may even think along the lines of an OB/GYN office nurse in the city, get your lactation consultant certification, get OB certified while you have day hours and put your daughter in a pre-school. You could also do per diem evey other weekend once you speak to an OB NM in the hospital you are thinking, who will direct you accordingly. You can even ask the HR department for a job description, and this way you will know what they are looking for. In the meanwhile, since you probably have to give at least a month's notice to your current employer, could family come and stay with you for a month to be with your daughter? If you are days, can you put her in a daycare for now? Best of luck and let us know how it goes.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Honestly, employers will look at that and will question how much knowledge of LDRP you have learned, especially if this is your very first nursing job. They may not feel you know enough for them to take a chance on hiring you. And you are correct in that a lot of employers will look at you only staying there for three months, think "job-hopper" and wonder if you will do the same to them. Not a good thing, especially in this job market.

That being said, you do have to do whatever is best for your family situation as that should be priority.

If you can stick out at least a year in the job, that would be best. No one says that year has to be full-time: see if you can go down to part-time or per-diem to give yourself more flexibility.

Otherwise, apply away for other jobs--you wouldn't be the first nurse to bail with under a year, and while it's a job-hutning hurdle you'll have to overcome, it could be done. But if at all possible, try not to leave this job without having the next job lined up.

Best of luck.

[knufflebunny]

Thanks for the advice! I decided I'm going to tough it out for at least a year.