New Grad Interview was strange...advice please.

MJB2010 · May 30, 2013

You are kind of stuck until they offer you a position. Then you can ask THEM for all of the accurate info. An offer should include all of that information and you can ask for the offer in writing. I'd be calling the recruiter to clarify, sounds like they promised you the moon and did not deliver. But because you are in a position where you may be offered a position you might consider taking, you need to refrain from burning any bridges yet. I would be pretty upset too if I went to interview for an ED residency and found out that was not the position I was interviewing for. Someone either miscommunicated or flat out lied. I would not trust this recruiter again.

I would be pretty ticked if I drove that far and stayed in a hotel for a specific position interview only to find out it was not what I was there for. Get everything in writing. Do not trust anyone.

netglow, ASN, RN · May 30, 2013

What MJB2010 said! Bait and switch is common in nursing today. Don't be a chump. All you can do is remain obtuse as well until someone is willing to be honest with you. You might contact the recruiter with your questions as soon as she's back at work.

If it stinks, its poop.

C-lion · May 31, 2013

And 7-8 pts? I would also be wary of that.

beeker · May 31, 2013

Is the recruiter from the hospital? Or independent ? They were either clueless or full of crap, either way I would not use them again. If made an offer, make sure you ask all your questions and get them all answered in writing as a previous poster suggested. Sketchy! The patient lad is too high. Not a good place to work. I'd keep looking.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · May 31, 2013

Salary and benefits are usually not discussed until a formal job offer is made, so it's not unusual that you didn't talk about those before you were offered the position. Hospitals don't go around telling their starting salaries and benefit packages to every person who walks through the door.

However the fact that you weren't interviewed for the position you expected and the behavior of your interviewers suggests poor communication between HR and the units, as well as a general lack of professionalism. If you are offered a position at this hospital, I'd think very hard about whether it's a good idea to accept it. With the level of inaccuracy and disorganization shown during your interview, imagine what your orientation and training would be like.

CaitlynRNBSN · May 31, 2013

7-8 patients?? Yikes. I run my butt off with only 4, I can't even imagine.

evolvingrn, BSN, RN · May 31, 2013

7-8 patients? that is a red flag to me. I work days and 3 to4 pts is the max. Mine is technically intermediate care because we do tele as well....but they are a busy group i couldn't add 3 to 4 pts if i wanted to.

shaggy77 · May 31, 2013

Thanks everyone for the replies. I probably should have mentioned that the CNO did verbally offer me the job, but made no mention of the pay/benes, not much info at all and gave me no paperwork to fill out and no visit to HR. Instead he ticked off his fingers what his expectations of me are and to be prepared for a typical 7-8 pt load and that they don't like us to go over 72 hours in a pay period. He also mentioned that two new grads were fired recently for not being able to keep up. They also didn't ask me too many questions about myself or seem all that interested in my portfolio. Sounds impossible to me, even for the veteran nurse. At my clinical sites, the RNs always clocked in 20 or so minutes early to prepare their WOWS and get ready for report/get report and the off-going shift never leaves at 7 on the dot. I have not been on a job interview in many years. I had been at my last job before I started nursing school for a couple of years, so it was a couple years before that that I even interviewed for it. Maybe I am naïve and rusty-out of practice, and I do feel they took advantage of me. I am so desperate to start my nursing career that maybe I need to change that and be more choosey and assertive with my questions. I am upset about the whole thing. I've come to find out that the recruiter works for an affiliate of the hospital, not the actual hospital itself. When she comes back from vacation I am sure going to ask for clarification. I don't even think I want this position. Sounds very difficult for a newbie and too much miscommunication going on. Not to mention it's over 200 miles away, no mention of the relocation assistance the website offers and it's in a little cow poke town with nothing to amuse yourself with but the yearly rodeo that comes through. I'm beginning to understand why most of their staff is comprised of travelers. Sometimes I wonder if the three years and all the money I invested in nursing school was a big mistake, that's how down I feel right now. Seems nobody wants us new grads except those that want to take advantage of us and get our nursing careers off to a terrible start.

C-lion · May 31, 2013

Have you called any hospital recruiters in your area? I hope you can find something closer, and where you don't feel uncomfortable before you even begin. Good luck!

evolvingrn, BSN, RN · May 31, 2013

It sounds like you have a difficult decision to make. I will say . we can't clock in early and I usually leave on time (at most 15 minutes late) There are nurses with similar loads that stay an hour to finish charting ect. if you are efficient and you chart as you go you will get out on time most days. i tell my new grads even though it seems like more work now.....Don't write down vitals or numbers on your paper to chart later. open the computer and chart as you go. in the end you will always be mostly caught up. Develop good habits from the start. 7 -8 on the night shift doesn't sound un doable .........on the day shift.........totally unreal. my first job was nights and i had up to 8 pts. it wasn't bad. best of luck in your decision.

shaggy77 · May 31, 2013

Thank you. Yes, this is a day shift, med surg scenario. Where I did clinicals, the nurses were allowed to clock in no earlier than 6:38. It was frowned upon to be clocking out late every shift, but sometimes 10-15 minutes was okay. So long as you don't run over 40 hours a week, they seemed okay with it. During my preceptorship I had up to six pts, but usually five. And if we had 6, we always had a PCA to do vitals, linen change, bed bath, CBIs, etc and the team leader usually tried to make the mix of 6 not all acute, high needs when possible. Eight does seem unreal to me. I can already say as a new grad, I wouldn't be able to handle 8 high needs patients. What I can tell from my limited experience, Med/Surg pts usually are more needy due to pain from injuries, surgeries and they seem to want to complain more about stuff. That's totally fine with me, I'm not complaining, it's just that when you times that number by 8...whoa, don't think I can do it.