New Grad (May)... Can't Decide on Job Offers?

[callmetallcake]

Hey everyone! Okay, this is a long post... BUT. I'm a senior nursing student--I graduate in May (yes, I'm still graduating despite the COVID-19 situation)! I started applying to nurse residency programs in early Feb. I heard back from many! This past week I've had 3 second interviews with 3 different hospitals. I received 3 offers! The first one I turned down because they refused to tell me how much money they would pay me LOL and were just REALLY shady...

So the other two hospitals are great. I'm learning towards Hospital A because of the location and pay , plus they seem to have a great nurse residency program... HOWEVER...I already know what nurse I want to be. I want to be an OB nurse. That is the only clinical rotation I felt comfortable, confident, and just in my element! Both hospitals that I received offers for are not OB positions and neither hospitals apparently have any positions left in OB.. I know OB is competitive and everything so I understand. Hospital A is a medical track residency, so I rotate amongst different med floors (renal, stroke, neuro, etc.), then I match at the end with the unit I liked, plus the managers that feel like I am a good fit (plus after the year residency- one year commitment to the hospital, but not necessarily that particular floor). Hospital B (the other offer) is a residency on an oncology floor, still med/surg but pays less and the location is less convenient (one year commitment to that unit). Like I said, I am leaning towards A definitely. BUT... here's the kicker. Before I received both offers (literally yesterday), I had a phone interview with a completely different hospital : Hospital C, and got a second in-person interview. Again--no OB positions... BUT the HR lady told me that they are keen on me meeting my goals if I get hired, and that if I didn't enjoy the floor I ended up on (the interview is for a stroke observation floor), then I could transfer to an open OB slot after 6 months (or any other floor that has openings.) The interview is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Here's the second kicker... I have to let Hospital A know of my decision to accept or decline by Tuesday at 5 pm. And Hospital B by next Friday.

I just don't know what to do. I've talked to my husband and family and they all just say to follow my heart. I want to meet my goal as soon as possible but I know that as a new nurse, I shouldn't EXPECT to get an offer from Hospital C. Thoughts?? I want to be realistic obviously, but I don't want to be miserable for 2 years either. And I also don't want to be an a**hole and accept an offer then go back on it...I feel that's unprofessional. HELP ME!

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

23 minutes ago, callmetallcake said:

Again--no OB positions... BUT the HR lady told me that they are keen on me meeting my goals if I get hired, and that if I didn't enjoy the floor I ended up on (the interview is for a stroke observation floor), then I could transfer to an open OB slot after 6 months (or any other floor that has openings.)

Just my 2 cents, but I'd take that with a grain of salt.

Most hospitals have a policy which allows you to apply for transfer after a certain period of time (6 months, 1 year, etc.) Just because that policy exists doesn't mean that your initial manager will allow you to leave after six months. Orienting a new grad is expensive and time-consuming, and they aren't going to be thrilled about spending several months orienting you just to have you leave. It's quite possible that HR is telling you that you could apply for transfer after 6 months, but the unit manager wouldn't approve it until after a year. Also, this really isn't the kind of thing you could ask the Hospital C hiring manager about in your interview, since they aren't going to hire you if you ask them, "I really want to be in OB, would you be open to letting me leave your unit at 6 months?"

As I said, just about any hospital will allow you to apply for an internal transfer after a set period of time. Hospital A and B probably also have a policy which will allow you to transfer relatively quickly. HR probably just didn't bring it up to you because the expectation is that you will stay put in your initial unit for at least a year.

So, if I were in your position, I'd choose the hospital with the OB unit you'd most like to eventually transfer to. Start in the adult floor job with the expectation that you'll stay in it for at least a year. Make nice with your manager so they'll support your transfer and give you a glowing recommendation . Don't tell your manager about your OB goals right off the bat (again, nobody wants to spend tens of thousands of dollars training you if they think you're using their unit as a stepping stone).