New grad advice

[Ashley3H12]

I just recently had two interviews for my first nursing job. One was for a nursing home and the other was for a hospital position on a surgical GYN-onc unit. I really wanted the hospital position. The nursing home offered me a full time position so I accepted and start orientation on Tuesday. But the hospital contacted me 5 days after i accepted the nursing home position with a full time position. The hospital position pays a few dollars more and is about 15 mins closer to where I live. I want to contact the nursing home to tell them I have received a better offer and need to decline my accepted job offer. However, I don't start the hospital position for 2 weeks and only have 2 weeks orientation at the nursing home. Should I request to change my offer from full time to PRN?

[tigerlogic]

You should take the job you want more. Requesting to change to prn sounds like a polite way to do it, but I'd be surprised if the nursing home takes you up on it.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

You should take the job you want more. Requesting to change to prn sounds like a polite way to do it, but I'd be surprised if the nursing home takes you up on it.

To be honest, don't request to go PRN at the nursing home if you really don't want to do it. Because most places have a minimum shift requirement that you will have to fulfill. Failure to fulfill that requirement that can be grounds for termination...then you risk having a termination to explain in future job applications.

If you really want the hospital job, take it and let the nursing home know ASAP that you're withdrawing from their position. If you are willing to pick up some PRN shifts, ask for the status change. But if you don't truly don't want to work even PRN there, be honest about that: better and more professional if you leave them before you start working there, then promise them PRN and be unwilling/unable to deliver when they call asking for hours.