Negotiation Effort By New Grad Backfires

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!

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Dear Nurse Beth,

Hello, I'm a new RN (6 months) with an MSN. I've been working in home health. Prior to this I spent about a year as an LPN while I struggled to finally pass the NCLEX (took me 4 attempts). Before that I was a psych tech for over a decade. I applied and received an offer from the sole hospital in Key West, Florida. I very much wanted to move. The financial offer, however, was closer to what I made as an lpn ($34/hr) which is not much in Key West, the most expensive place in Florida. I don't know why, but I turned down the offer. Immediately the next day I countered at $37.

They told me if there was anything they could do, HR would be in touch. I waited a day, didn't hear anything from HR and said I'd accept the initial offer. This time they rescinded and said they moved onto other candidates. I know I messed up. I sent a follow up email to DON and admitted I messed up in a nurse to nurse manner. No response, just a text from recruiter telling me again they moved on. I know there is no chance to work there at the given time, but can I reapply in 6 months or will they remember me and immediately toss my app? Thanks for your advice.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Countered,

Congrats on getting your MSN! That's an achievement that will open many doors for you once you get some experience.

It's worth it to sacrifice an increase in pay or even to take a pay cut when you're starting a new role that is going to take you so much further in the long run.

I'm sorry you learned the hard way that new grads do not have much, if any, room for negotiation. It's not an offer/counter offer situation. It's just an offer.

There's many reasons for this.

  • There's a plethora of new grads in many areas
  • The market is competitive. If you don't want the job as offered, someone else does
  • Union hospital wages are bound by contract
  • You have no RN experience for leverage

What new grads can ask for is other kinds of assistance, such as re-location assistance. 

Some organizations have policies that prevent rejected applicants from re-applying for  a certain length of time. The only way to find out is to contact them. There's not much downside to re-applying, but don't hold out your hopes.

Don't read too much either way into the DON not responding to your email. Unless it's a small facility, DONs are typically not involved in bedside clinician hires. Even if she/he is, they are very busy.

Don't wait for another chance at this job. Hopefully you will have another job within 6 months. You are in that sweet spot of new grad status which expires for you in 6 months. It's highly important for you to land your first job by then.

Keep applying! Your resume landed you one offer, let's assume it can do it again.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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