-A friend of mine did an employee referral for me to get a job at her hospital
-The referral was not for a specific position
-They emailed me last week and requested I do a personality test
-I did the personality test and passed (thanks to many of you)
-This week, I got a phone call from corporate and they did a mini interview with me via the phone
-At the very end of the phone call, the person said, "by the way, this is a night shift position"
-I was kind of caught off guard, since I never applied to a specific position, and voiced that night shift is not my first choice but explained I am still interested and do not want to pass up an opportunity in this economy
-He replied by saying this is the only new grad opening in the entire hospital
-He ended the phone call by saying he was going to forward my info over to the hospital HR and they would call me next week to set up an interview
Why I ask, "new grad/bad economy, bend over and take it?":
The way he replied by saying, this is the only new grad position in the entire hospital left me feeling like, "okay, I'm a new grad (and this economy sucks), I guess I have to bend over and take what ever they want to give me."
I'm writing to you all because I don't know how to go from here. Do I pretend that I'm all about the night shift and this is my first choice or do I go the open and honest route and express that while the night shift is not my first choice, I'm willing to give it a shot for at least a year (which is true)?
Typically, my philosophy on the employer-employee relationship is that the position should be a good fit for both the employer and the job seeker has the right to express their needs in an interview. However, since there are so little jobs available and new grads are treated like lepers, should I be willing to forfeit my rights and settle on the "bend over and take it" philosophy (and smile as I do so)?
I know there are a bunch of new grads who will say, "yes, I've been looking for a job for a long time don't be an idiot, bend over and take what they are offering and smile, don't forget to smile!" I honestly wouldn't blame anyone for saying this exact quote to me.
I should add, I know the night shift isn't a death sentence and many people really like it but I know myself and I am really sensitize to sleep deprivation and I really need sunlight to feel happy. In the winters, I deal with seasonal affected disorder and it scares me to think what little to no sunlight would do to me. This is my only concern with the night shift but I think it is a substantial one, considering it involves both my health and my happiness.
Insight and constructive criticism are welcome and I thank you all in advance.
Also meant to add I was also Dx SAD and it is nothing to laugh about. We get people in our mental health clinic with this and they can be so very depressed during winter, but when summer/spring comes around, they become completely different people.
So OP yes I DO understand! Only you know the limits of your health, and what you can and cope with, no-one else does on here.
My thread title is irritating people. Part of the reason I choose it was as an attention getter so people would read the thread.
I am sorry. I went over board.
There is such a thing as the wrong attention.... Which is often worse than no attention at all. You see, we often remember those that stand out for good and those stand out for good reasons. And that is not good thing for your rep here. I do think that it is good that you have corrected yourself.
My initial response to your post was that if you think that being offered a job in this economy that has a few disagreeable points to is like being forced to bend over and take it, may I suggest that a few monthes in a jail- general population might change your mind.
Night shift is awesome. You make more money, it is less stressful, there is no traffic going in and leaving. It is day shift that doesn't work for me. Getting up in the morning is just not my thing. Night shift is only bad if you have kids. You have to take them to school when you are sleepy and they don't like it when you sleep during the day. My dogs on the other hand love it, they lay in bed with me all day.
I would take it, you don't have to work night shift the rest of your life.
It's called "paying your dues" not "bending over." For a while, people were able to get whatever shift they wanted, there were big bonuses to work unpopular shifts. Well, that time is over. And just like a lawyer has to start as an associate doing grunt work before they get the corner office, and Katie Couric did the grunt work before she became an evening news anchor, NEW GRAD NURSES HAVE TO DO SOME GRUNT WORK. And for nurses, that grunt work is working the crappy shifts.
"The way he replied by saying, this is the only new grad position in the entire hospital left me feeling like, "okay, I'm a new grad (and this economy sucks), I guess I have to bend over and take what ever they want to give me.""
I say the following in my best Bill Cosby voice. :-)
You are a grown woman with CHOICES. You don't 'have' to do anything.
Your employer is OFFERING you a position they have available. An OPPORTUNITY to get your foot in the door. If you're hungry, then grab it and show 'em what you can do for them.
It took me over a year to find ONE nursing job and I had to relocate hours away! I had a great gpa, references, externship etc.... Most places were/are not hiring new grads of any sort in the area I relocated from . I have classmates(may2009) who are still looking or have given up on nursing! I would accept the job if the only issue is nights and you think you would like the job otherwise. In my opinion, to tell them that you don't actually want nights but would work through that might raise some red flag with the interviewer and lead them to go with the interviewee who " loves nights"!
Specializes in ICU, Home Health, Camp, Travel, L&D.
Wow. Can't add much to this thread...except that I hope you came into nursing knowing how difficult it can be to get that 1st position, and how difficult it can be to get *any* position in some specialties.
I know in L&D, there are *experienced* nurses who wait *years* to get a shot. Many of them have migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic illness of various kinds.
Perhaps you can't control your health issues, and perhaps you can't control the job market. But you can certainly control your attitude. And your future coworkers will thank you for it.
I try to never raise any red flags during the interview process. It is too easy for them to pass you by for someone who is enthusiastic and ready to work. You can always wait until you have a firm offer to decide if it is for you or not. I'm not sure when new grads decided that they are entitled to the speciality and shift of their choice right out of school but that isn't how things work in most careers especially not when the economy is in the tank.
Probably around the same time that primary care physicians, straight out of residency, began expecting after hours call and hospital coverage of their patients to be contracted out so they can maintain a healthy work/life balance. I kid you not, I see it day in and day out. JMHO, but I think in many instances, the years and years of coddling received by many of this generation has resulted in a subset of very entitled lightweights. Again, JMHO.
I haven't read all the responses so I aploligize if my post is repetitive: as a new grad, take anything! (esp. in a hospital, here in MA hosp. jobs are scarce) I'm a rotator, so I do a few night shifts per time schedule. Its really not bad, I get more experience with certain skills (all our blood draws are done on nights, so I get more experience with venipuncture) and depending on your place of employment, you might get a night shift differential. ($7/hr extra for night shift, worth it for me!)
If you decide to take the job, perhaps (while you're on orientation) ask to train for a few day shifts so that you'll be able to fill in if needed. This could potentially help you progress to day shift once you gian seniority.
My unit doesn't usually hire new grads to day shift. It just hasn't worked out well; it's not a good atmosphere to learn so we generally start on nocs and if there is a position for days pick a number because half the noc crew wants to switch shifts. I wouldn't be too choosy though, just ask what the time frame is that you can request a transfer.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I know several NGs including myself who got a dayshift job first. Actually I only know of one who does nights. Don't think so poorly of yourselves that you cannot discuss a job opportunity, and get your preferences out on the table. No guarantees of course. Someday I might decide to go nights. Who knows.
I think "bending over and taking it" is very appropriate. Hey, it's gonna truly suck to be a new nurse. The OP knows it, and is trying to see if she can control just how much it sucks. The wise know, that a handful of nurses actually work with top notch people for preceptors. WE KNOW THIS. So, the goal is to limit the damage to health and self if at all possible, get through that first year, then go back to self-teaching so that you can really excel. This shows the OP has her self-esteem intact.
The problem with this attitude is that when two parties are bargaining, both have to bring a number of chips to the table at the outset. Without that, you'll end up negotiating with yourself after the other party has moved on. Nothing is gained by that approach, making her intact self-esteem nice to have, but superfluous.
She will be involved in a process with no control whatsoever at the beginning (because the employer has 100% yay or nay) , and you can't take control of something you never had in the first place.
honestly i look at nursing as not being about me, it's about the patient. when ever i feel beat-up, i just remind myself how my patients feel. if you are offered the job look at as a chance to grow, challenge yourself. you may be suprised.
carolmaccas66, BSN, RN
2,212 Posts
Also meant to add I was also Dx SAD and it is nothing to laugh about. We get people in our mental health clinic with this and they can be so very depressed during winter, but when summer/spring comes around, they become completely different people.
So OP yes I DO understand! Only you know the limits of your health, and what you can and cope with, no-one else does on here.