Should I put my nurse manager down as a contact when applying for a new job?

Scarlette Wings · Jun 12, 2012

Hi and welcome. A diverse bunch is here on AN but we are as real as it gets. LOL.

If you have a relationship with your nurse manager and can talk about future goals of specializing in OB then great. Ask the person of you can use them as a reference. If you are not sure, and it sounds as if perhaps you aren't, then use your real friends and/or coworkers as references. If your goal is OB there is nothing wrong with saying so and Nurse Managers expect staff to have future goals to work toward.

If it is not this job that you leave for then it may be another down the road so act professional and set your goals, envision your dream job, and if the NM gets her/his nose out of joint ... they will get over it.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2012

It's all very well and good to advice openness when searching for a job, but I would caution against it. Keep your Job Search confidential until you are ready to give your notice, then have a professional, pleasant conversation with your manager thanking him/her for the opportunity and hand in your resignation letter.

You hope that people act professionally in a professional environment, but that is not always the case. Once they know you are on your way out, what's to stop them from finding your replacement, or a way to get rid of you sooner?

I was required by a place I interviewed at once to provide my direct supervisor as a reference. I was told the process would not move forward until they were able to contact my direct supervisor. I was interested in the job, so spoke with him about it. Found out after talking with my manager that the salary at the new place was well below what I could afford to take, so turned down the job offer. Got a letter from human resources within two weeks that they had considered my conversation with my supervisor my giving notice and had found a replacement for me, and gave my a date that would be my last day there.

It is perfectly acceptable to keep your job search confidential. I would use trusted coworkers as references and protect your current employment status until you are ready to give notice.

leila83 · Jun 13, 2012

Ok I Appreciate both of your responses but if I don't give my nurse managers contact information does that make me look shady? Would HR throw my application in the trash because of it?

elkpark · Jun 13, 2012

It's extremely common to provide the contact information for your current nurse manager but tell the "new" organization that you don't want that person to know yet that you're job-hunting and to please not contact her yet. Many applications even have a box on the application form for you to check whether or not it's okay to contact your current employer. Eventually, they would need to talk to her, but they are very familiar with the idea of people not wanting their current employers to know that they're looking at other opportunities. That's not a big deal.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jun 13, 2012

i think a lot of the answer depends upon where you're looking. is the new employer the same as or in a business relationship with the current employer? if so, you may have to provide contact information for your nurse manager before your application can advance. assuming you have a good relationship with your nurse manager, just go talk to her about it. good managers understand when people need to move on to follow their dreams, assuming you've given your current job value for the money they spent training you.

caliotter3 · Jun 13, 2012

People talk, either officially or otherwise. Job hunting is an acceptable reason to do reference checking. I have read more than once that some employers will contact whether or not you checked the "contact" box in the affirmative. You should always be aware of the possibility of the cat getting out of the bag.

elkpark · Jun 14, 2012

You should always be aware of the possibility of the cat getting out of the bag.

Very true. You can be as cautious and careful as possible, but there's always the chance. That's a risk that you take when you start job-hunting.

leila83 · Jul 17, 2012

Thank you everyone for all of your comments/feedback. I spoke with my urse manager and she is awesome and gave me really good advice and I asked her for a recommendation letter and I got that also last week. Now for some great news I have a phone interview this friday for my dream job..I am sooo excited wish me luck everyone and thank you all..!!!

caliotter3 · Jul 17, 2012

Great news leila! Hope your interview is successful and productive!