New Grad and Rejected from First Choice Job Option

[Joanne15]

I am currently a CNA and I graduate in December. I work on an Intermediate Cardiac Unit as an intern and I was planning on working in this same unit as an RN. Some months ago, we had to sign up for meetings (on a schedule sheet) on the manager’s office door. I added my name and a time. When I showed up she looked surprised to see me and said “thank you for coming, you didn’t have to come. I hope you didn’t have to drive far”. I told her it wasn’t a problem at all and I lived close. I kind of was a little weirded out on why she said that. I wanted to talk to her about my upcoming graduation and how I was interested in staying on the unit. Well, my meeting with my manager was sort of a sweet slap in the face. She asked me about my previous clinicals and immediately told me she was full on the floor and she would help me find other units to work on. I didn’t even get a chance to express my interest. I was kind of thrown off about her rapid response because, at the time, that was around 10 months before I graduate. I was kind of discouraged that she didn’t even offer me a position.

I spoke with other nurses on the unit about the night shift’s ratios and they told me that they were needing nurses and were not full on the unit at night.

Just recently a classmate that also works on that floor was offered a position in the unit and she accepted it. I honestly was heartbroken about it because I really enjoyed this floor and I really wanted to work in the unit.

I’m not really mad because my manager was real nice about it and helped me to get hired at another unit (not any of my top choices but I’m happy I got a job now). I guess I just want to know, what are the main reasons for managers to politely turn you down? I felt like I got along with everyone and tried my best to do great work and patient satisfaction. I will add that this was my first EVER CNA job. At first learning all of the ropes was really challenging and my manager did call me back in office for constructive criticism (during my second week in the job). Also, when we have peer reviews I ALWAYS get top scores from my CNA peers and great comments about teamwork and patient satisfaction. I even got a daisy award nomination. I feel like it may be my lack of experience. Any other people gone through this before? How do you maximize your chances on being a good candidate to your manager?

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

There are a lot of reasons for this, some you may have had something to do with and many you most likely didn't. I can tell you they absolutely would NOT have worked to get you consideration on another unit if you were thought poorly of

Reasons you may have had something to do with (but not at all implying you did these things)

- Tardiness.

- Call-ins.

- Degree type (ASN vs BSN)

- Patient or coworker complaints

- Poor time management

Things that can impact it that you had nothing to do with include things like:

- Not wanting to train new grads on the floor or not wanting to train more than a certain number. It isn't good to have a high ratio of new grads, even if there are open jobs.

- Not having the budget to hire you/only having the budget approved to hire one

- Lack of seniority on your unit

- The presence of a nursing residency program that you must apply to and be hired into for additional preparation for floor nursing

- They just don't see you as a nurse. It happens and has nothing to do with you.

It sounds like you are conscientious and a good worker and as if you have good relationships with your peers. Most likely this was simply a case in which there was no reason they can give you for not hiring you, so they helped you up to another department. Congratulations on your situation - it is an enviable one and you worked hard for it.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Based on your post, it sounds like there wasn't a position open for you to be considered for and her to offer you.

Just because night shift says they are short staffed and need nurses doesn't mean that there are open positions that haven't been filled. Realistically all shifts tend to be short staffed and need nurses, but often there aren't actual open positions to fill.

Move on from this, it is not a big deal. congrats on your new position.

[JKL33]

You could see if your manager has time to meet with you and would be willing to give you some guidance or discuss ways for you to continue to grow and to strengthen your performance of patient care or possibly interpersonal skills or other areas that people must succeed in if they want someone to be enthused about an opportunity to hire them. She might be willing to entertain such a conversation from the approach of how you can best succeed as an RN in your new unit and what you personally could do to help make that happen.

A couple of observations:

An RN position is usually found (on a unit) if at all possible, for those techs/nursing assistants who really stand out/are stellar at patient care with a good attitude. They are proactive, pleasantly assertive, use good judgment in line with their experience, and succinctly ask for help as appropriate. They get along and work well with others.

Those who are average or who have struggled in some aspect of patient care, judgment, or interpersonal communications may find themselves subject to less tangible means of decision-making.

If there are areas where you know you struggle, work on those. When you posted about the call light issue recently, it wasn't clear that you would soon be becoming an RN. Good nursing judgment and the confidence to do what you know is right is imperative—and you will need to use good judgment to make decisions that are much more involved than whether or not to shut off a call light. Issues like that one (and similar) will absolutely come into play when people make hiring decisions.

Address these types of things proactively. ??

[kp2016]

You mention getting great feedback from your CNA peers. You didn’t mention RN feedback. As you are looking for an RN position your manager is probably more interested in the feedback of the RNs. Those are the professional relationships you really need to be building.

You made a point of mentioning that it was your first ever job and getting some constructive criticism. I think these issues and possibly your working relationships with the RNs may be a bigger issue than you realize.

I have also had a co worker who assumed she could resign her current position and be hired into a new position on our unit. What she didn’t realize was our manager refused to rehire her due to her mediocre performance in her current position. We actually hired a new unknown candidate instead of her. She wasn’t marked ineligible for rehire and received positive recommendations to help her obtain a job elsewhere, but not on our unit!

It’s hard to know what the managers reasoning was unless you want to come right out and ask. It could just be at 10 months out she couldn’t afford to hold a position for you. It’s possible that your classmate had more work experience than you and better clinical experiences leading your manager think she would progress more quickly as a new RN.

It could also be that even though there are positions open on nightshift the skills mix means they want a more experienced nurse, or it could be a professional issue like with my former co worker.

If you really want to work on this unit. Square your shoulders request a private meeting and ask or accept the position you were offered as a great opportunity to start a new chapter and really put your best foot forward from day one.

Good Luck!!

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I did not realize you were the one that posted about the call light. Things like that behavior absolutely will impact the opinions of others about you and whether they would trust you as a nurse.

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

If you were offered a position somewhere else, try to find joy in that and move forward (not as easy as it sounds I know).

I worked at a facility while in nursing school as a CNA as well. When it came time to apply for RN jobs, not only was I not hired in *any* of my applications at that facility, I only had one interview. This was cancelled a few days before. I was eventually offered a position on a floor I had never considered, but it was a wonderful blessing in disguise. I stayed there several years.

It's hard to know why some get offered positions and others don't. A friend of mine is a super nurse and worked in the ED for 3 years. She wanted to go to a nearby floor and assumed it would be a sure thing, as there were several openings there. Not only was she not hired there, but they hired people with less experience and less credentials.

A colleague of mine from nursing school was rejected from two positions she applied for. At the last minute, one of them created a new position and hired her.

You just never know. Do your best in whatever environment you land in and then you've done all you can do.

[caliotter3]

While working in a unit prior to graduation can be a leg up for many, it also gives managers a chance to make the decision that a particular employee will not be offered a position. That is the chance you take when applying at your present place of employment.

Also, it is quite possible that there were only X positions available, but Y number of candidates. You were next on the list to be offered a position, but the available positions were offered to those who were prioritized ahead of you. When there are only two available jobs and four candidates, somebody has to be candidate number three and candidate number four. Congratulations on making the cut to get offered a position elsewhere in the facility. You got a good deal more than many in your position!

[tropsnegRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

I worked as a tech for 2 years solid, was a go-to person to train new hires, consistently asked to pick up extra shifts and generally well liked. When I graduated, my manager told me that there was not a position for me on the step-down unit (in which I have worked the last two years) but there was a position available on the cardiac floor. At first, I was appalled because I took it as a slap in the face. I sat down with my manager and politely asked why I was being pushed into the floor instead of this unit that I have worked and love. She told me it was nothing personal, the floor was short staffed and the unit would stay understaffed and only admitting half the patients until staffing improved on the floor. They are not hiring any new positions for the unit and I have first dibs on a position when it opens back up (tentatively looking like 6 months).

Truth be told — I’m a new grad. I’m a great tech. I’m good with patients. However working the floor will provide me with what I can’t offer —experience. And honestly, now that I am working the floor - I am rather grateful for that because nursing is a whole different ballpark from what I thought I knew while teching. I find myself getting frustrated with my techs for things I got frustrated with as a tech. So take the time to gain experience, and then go back after it.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

I have never employed someone onto my ward in a new grad program who had worked on the ward in another capacity.

I have so many reasons for this such as

It is not a fair playing field for the other new grads when one person has a leg up with knowing the team, patient conditions etc.

It is not a fair chance for that new grad to develop as an RN when there may be staff on the team that will "forget " your new role and delegate inappropriately to you. Also your former peers who you now have to delegate to may get PO with you...

It is not a fair chance of learning, developing and pushing your skill set as a new grad. Not just your clinical knowledge but developing professional relationships etc.

[Wuzzie]

18 hours ago, tropsnegRN said:

Truth be told — I’m a new grad. I’m a great tech. I’m good with patients. However working the floor will provide me with what I can’t offer —experience. And honestly, now that I am working the floor - I am rather grateful for that because nursing is a whole different ballpark from what I thought I knew while teching. I find myself getting frustrated with my techs for things I got frustrated with as a tech. So take the time to gain experience, and then go back after it.

This is one of the most level-headed and smart posts I have seen in a long time. I'd work with you anytime!

[tropsnegRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, Wuzzie said:

This is one of the most level-headed and smart posts I have seen in a long time. I'd work with you anytime!

Ha, thanks! It really is a different world and you don’t fully realize that until you cross over. ? I would have to have a post CABG x3 go into Afib with RVR and here I am fresh on the unit and no background that honestly scares the hell out of me!