New grad. position withdrawn! HELP!

[kdescarc]

I had an interview for the NICU, L&D, and Postpartum last week. The next day I found out I got the job in L&D and was the best they interviewed. This week I emailed one of the managers asking if they still had an opening in postpartum because it may be a little easier transition but if there was not a position I was more than happy and excited with L&D. Four hours later I got a phone call saying my offer was being withdrawn. No response from the manager at all. I felt like my world came crashing down and all my dreams were crushed. I emailed, emailed, and emailed trying to explain my indecisiveness but still have not heard anything. I know I lost the job and made a mistake by bringing forth doubt on my interest within the position. My question is should I keep volunteering in the NICU at this hospital? What do I say when I see the hiring managers that let me go before I even started? Do I act like nothing ever happened? They will be hiring again in a couple months do you think I may be given a second chance? What do I say if I'm given a second interview? I am so confused and devastated about this entire situation since L&D is where I have wanted to work since day 1 of nursing school. I was just scared, anxious, and nervous about all the stress and high intensity that comes along working in this high risk area as a new grad. I let my fear and emotions get the best of me. Any advice is appreciated!

[babyktchr, BSN, RN]

Here's the thing. ANY position as a new grad is going to be stressful. There is a LOT to learn on any unit/specialty. With that said....BREATHE. It would be interesting to know why the offer was rescinded so quickly after it was offered. If you are looking at glass half full, maybe something fell thru with budget and the position was no longer feasible for the manager. Maybe a more experienced nurse came along. There could be many reasons why, not just that you showed your inner chicken. It is a shame that the manager will not give you further explanation (don't know what was in the email).

Put on your big girl panties now, my friend. Its crunch time. Go hard or go home. In today's market, new grads are getting next to no offers in specialty units. If it is something that you REALLLY want to do, then you by all means do it. You won't know until you try it. OB is not for everyone, no matter how much they believe they are going to love it. Until you live it, you just don't know. You probably did let fear get the best of you and it MAY have cost you an opportunity. Stay positive and professional. If you do continue to volunteer, I wouldn't go shouting to the world that you messed up or anything. I would try to stay neutral and practice your poker face. In the meantime, maybe try to find out the real story behind the retraction (if you can). Perhaps if you run into them you could just say that you are sorry things didn't work out this time and look forward to being able to interview again in the near future.

You can't let this set you back. If its what you want, then you have to push ahead. Good luck to you!!!!

[Katie71275]

I would try to find out what happened...give HR a call and see? I have found that a lot of the L&D/OB have been super slow lately, so hardly ANY jobs. In one hosp here what was posted one day was gone the next b/c they looked at the census and budget and it was a no go.

[Kayla.J.RN]

It's possible that the withdrawal of the job offer might not have been related to what you said, but then again you should also take this as a lesson. Do not second guess yourself and your abilities. If L&D is the specialty that you want to work in, then work your *** off to get there. Try and see if you can find out what happened (as others have already mentioned) and keep in touch with the managers if anything opens up in the future. Brush this off... continue to be polite and professional if you see them in person.

[HM-8404, BSN, RN]

You were offered a job in L&D as a new grad and the next week you send them an email telling them you would rather have the job that was not offered? That is why the offer was pulled. What manager wants to hire someone that tells them a week after they were offered a job they really don't want to work in their unit? Especially some new grad that should feel lucky to be getting a job in L&D.

If someone applied to work in my unit, I interviewed them and they convinced me during the interview they really wanted to work there, then a week after I offer them the job they ask if they can have a different job. I'd pull the offer also and give the job to my second choice.

[wish_me_luck, BSN, RN]

I agree with HM. I think what OP said/did was enough to pull it. It probably came across as being ungrateful, unwilling to learn, and probably felt you would leave if another "better" offer came along. That is what I thought when I read the original post.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

There's lots of possible reasons why the job was pulled, not all of which have to do with your inquiry or even with you. You could ask why it was pulled...however they do not owe you any explanation. And you may not get one.

Understand that this is a very tight job market, and new grads usually do not get their dream position right out of the gate, but instead have to work their way over to it. The first year of nursing is more about working through your first year of being a nurse: learning time management, organization, priorititzation, delegation, etc., and getting the basics of care down.

Many new grads aren't getting job offers period. While I'm not saying you should take every single job that is offered to you, think long and hard before turning a job down or asking for something else. Do not make the mistake of being too choosy about your first job, because as you've seen, it may result in you not having a job at all.

Best of luck with your continued search.

[sunmaidliz]

As a nurse who got fired from her first two jobs as a new grad, I'm going to be harsh. You screwed up. Confidence and willingness is everything when you first start out. If they feel as if they can't work with you, you aren't going to keep your job, or in your case, get the job.

Yes, there could be other explanations that won't make you feel so emotionally beat up. And because of the likelyhood of other reasons, why not keep volunteering? Why not reapply? If you get offered a job again, then most likely it wasn't because of your attitude. But don't make the same mistake by coming across as incapable of doing the job. Whatever job you have as a new grad is going to be hard, not because of the skill level needed, but because you need to learn how be a nurse before you can become a good nurse. So don't let your fear and anxiety control you. You are in control. Your feelings don't get a vote. That's what it takes to be a good nurse.

That and learning how to balance it all with compassion. And not being the unit drama queen.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

From an ex-manger perspective, I would have pulled it too. You were offered a very sought out position, and then turn around and say you aren't sure. I have a position to fill and I need to fill it with someone who dearly wants this job.

Hard lesson to learn.

[PeepnBiscuitsRN]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse here, but when I graduated from nursing school- a class of 75 students, I'd say about 68 of them stated they wanted to work in L&D. At my hospital, they were extremely picky about who they hired in L&D and the chances of a new grad being interviewed let alone offered a job were less than 1%. I'm not being dramatic, this came from the manager of L&D herself when I approached her with high hopes about working in L&D. "New grad? Thanks but no thanks, get your year of experience in med-surg then we'll talk again."

So in other words you were just offered the winning lottery ticket, AND a compliment- you were one of the best they interviewed, and you second guessed yourself AND you second guessed them. Your e-mail made it sound like "well, I know you think I'd do well here and all, but I think you might have been too hasty."

That said, now that the dust is clearing, I'd say keep volunteering unless you get a weird vibe from people. That or flat out approach the manager in person (gutsy thing to do) and ask what happened and be prepared to have to answer for your e-mail.

New grads have a hard enough time finding a job period, but to be offered a job in your chosen specialty and then suggest that you're not satisfied is a bit of a slap in the face. Sorry this sounds jerky, but this is coming from someone who "pounded the pavement" for a year before getting a nursing job, and had to wait an additional year before even being considered for OB (which is what I wanted to do all along) and then an additional half year to actually get the birth center job. Beggars can't be choosers for new nurses.

Oh, and I wanted to add, if you were to have taken the job and a few months in felt you weren't in the right place, or they felt that way, THEN they might have been able to move you around to Postpartum or NICU- internally. It's easier to move around when you're an established employee.