NEED ADVICE! I quit my job and now I regret it.

caliotter3 · Feb 1, 2009

Have you heard of employment at will? Most employers can let an employee go at any time for any or no reason, and the employee can quit an employer at any time for any or no reason. You most likely don't have sufficient cause for action. This employer is flaky. I would look elsewhere for work. Perhaps you can go back to your old employer. All they can do is say no.

April, RN, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2009

That really sucks. I'm sorry that happened to you. You can still apply for new grad positions with just 3 months of experience. Is that an option for you in your area?

lsvalliant · Feb 1, 2009

Have you heard of employment at will? Most employers can let an employee go at any time for any or no reason, and the employee can quit an employer at any time for any or no reason. You most likely don't have sufficient cause for action. This employer is flaky. I would look elsewhere for work. Perhaps you can go back to your old employer. All they can do is say no.

I have heard of employment at will. It just seems so wrong to do that to someone, and not just me, like 30 others. It seems like it is so hard to get a job right now for new nurses in my area. Wish me luck.

Divemaster · Feb 1, 2009

Owch, sorry for your delema. Yes, They can(You could hire a laywer and go for lost wages.. if you wanted to be blacklisted) . My only suggestion is ...Try to find a LTC part time position, there usually good with working with your schedual, easy to find, give experience, and...you get a check:) If and when your job actually starts you could switch to PRN.

JM2cents.. :)

I'v thought about the first year after grad and how it may be hard to find a position with our limited experience in that time, no job hopping for me.

lsvalliant · Feb 1, 2009

Try to find a LTC part time position, there usually good with working with your schedual, easy to find, give experience, and...you get a check:) If and when your job actually starts you could switch to PRN.

Thanks Divemaster. Thats actually probably some pretty good advice. I actually applied at a SNF in my neighborhood out of desperation last week. I wish I wouldn't have job hopped like that.

caliotter3 · Feb 1, 2009

I have heard of employment at will. It just seems so wrong to do that to someone, and not just me, like 30 others. It seems like it is so hard to get a job right now for new nurses in my area. Wish me luck.

I agree that this is a bad situation and not very good business practice on the part of the employer. I've worked with many who have received paychecks that bounced at the bank. They couldn't pay their rent or buy food. That's why I think you shouldn't go with this employer even if they get it together in say, the next week. They will most likely have many and varied problems and may not even be viable two years from now. Go with an established employer. You need some stability to start your career. Good luck.

masry123 · Feb 1, 2009

Hi everyone. I have a big problem! I am a fairly new nurse and I was working night-shift in med/surg for three months, which was really hard on me so I started looking for a day job. I was offered a day-shift positon somewhere else (for a brand new psych unit) and I accepted the position. I recieved a confirmation letter in the mail (from the new place) of my start date, my training times, and when I would begin my regular schedule.
So obviously I quit my first job and showed up for training at the new place. After one week of training, the new employer told everyone they were having a problem getting licensed. So, I didn't start working when they said I would. In fact, its been about a month and they still have no idea when they'll get everything finalized to open. So I'm kinda out of work and no one else will hire me with the little experience that I have.
So my question is.... Can they legally do that?.. tell me my start date and then just blow off all the new employees? What should I do? I dont know how much longer I can go on without working:crying2:. Need some advice please.

This is realy hard , but try nursing homes . I will buy the weekend news and applay on line too .good luck

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2009

You can file for unemployment.

glasgow3 · Feb 1, 2009

So my question is.... Can they legally do that?.. tell me my start date and then just blow off all the new employees? What should I do? I dont know how much longer I can go on without working:crying2:. Need some advice please.

In many cases, yes, the employer can just "blow off the new employees"-----but not always. Employment-at-will is an issue, but in some states your reliance upon an employer's promise of future employment can also become an issue. So the answer to your legal question is: You need to consult a local attorney who specializes in employment law.

I mention the above because with the economy being what it is, we can all expect an increase in this sort of thing. And as bad as the situation is for the original poster, imagine for example relocating halfway across the country only to find the promise of employment to be withdrawn.

It just irks me how slanted the laws are towards the employer's benefit. These morons knew or should have known that they needed a valid license to do business.

I hope that they at least paid you for your training time without a hassle. And I certainly would apply for unemployment benefits as soon as possible.

Best of luck to you.

rngolfer53 · Feb 1, 2009

I agree that this is a bad situation and not very good business practice on the part of the employer. I've worked with many who have received paychecks that bounced at the bank. They couldn't pay their rent or buy food. That's why I think you shouldn't go with this employer even if they get it together in say, the next week. They will most likely have many and varied problems and may not even be viable two years from now. Go with an established employer. You need some stability to start your career. Good luck.

The employer isn't necessarily at fault here. They have to have staffing up to snuff to open, yet they do not control the licensing agencies pace of work........which can be glacial.

They have capital tied up in the facility, as well as the employees they're paying, so waiting for all the govt. paper to arrive to start the hiring process isn't good business practice either.

I had a similar experience last summer from the employee side. I applied for endorsement of my license in another state, well before I would need it for a new job. Instead it took weeks longer, and me hiring a lawyer to get the BON investigator off her duff. (It took her days, if ever, to return phone calls, etc) The holdup, you ask? Disciplinary action against my license? Felony record? Repeated misdemeanor offenses? Nope. A 26 year-old reckless driving ticket. The town that issued the ticket no longer had the records the "civil servant" required me to produce. I made the exact same disclosure of the ticket to my initial state of licensure, and they had no problem whatsoever.

Fortunately, I kept my prospective employer fully informed, and they held the job an extra six weeks for me.

Government can be, and often is arbitrary. Before you condemn or abandon that employer, check all the facts you can.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Feb 1, 2009

Yes, they can legally do this. No, you might not be able to get unemployment in this situation, as I *think* you have to have a minimum amount of worktime in (you don't have any) and they haven't terminated you, just pushed your start date back.

It's an unpleasant situation, but you have two choices, as I see it: go back to your former employer and beg back your job (you might get it if they are sympathetic and you left on great terms) or go to LTC (with three months experience in acute care, you qualify for pretty much anything around here in nursing homes).

New grad programs in my area used to take someone with only a month or two of experience and "start fresh". At this time, however, most facilities are taking only experienced nurses (hospitals are laying off, not hiring tons, they can be choosy). I guess it'd depend on region, but if you were in my area, you wouldn't have much of a shot at an acute care hospital at this time, but good chances for LTC.