Offer letter but no job???

[bbtt]

I am flabbergasted, shocked, dismayed, amazed and incredulous!!!!!!! A month ago today, I had an interview with a company. DON hired me on the spot, and told me to come back the next day and "shadow" someone. I went in the next day and HR said I couldn't be on the floor until I got my background info back which they were to send off. I had a little inkling right then... but on that day, they gave me an offer letter with salary and welcome to the company, etc., on it. They couldn't do a drug screen because didn't have any cups...but the HR person said it would be a week to get the background info back. I called a week later to see if I was to be present the next day for my first day as it said on my "offer" letter. She said they hadn't sent it off because they haven't done a drug screen, and they have cups now...so I went and gave them one and it was fine, of course. ADON says they really need me and that it took them 2 months to get her on...Another week to wait for background info to come back now that they have the drug screen...the next week I call, and haven't talked to DON since interview day, but HR says I need to talk to her, she doesn't answer, as usual, left voicemail. Never a call back, fast forward another week. I call to see if they've ever gotten anything back, and when can I start, and nobody knows, but in a few minutes, staff development nurse calls me to say the DON wants me to know that she went with another candidate for my job, who has more experience. It's been 3 weeks since this all started. Found out yesterday that they never even sent anything off because after DON told me I was hired for full time, she had offered me part time and I said no, and they still gave me offer letter for full time, but didn't send off my paperwork??? If anyone can make sense of my rambling, has this type of thing happened to anyone else, and WHY would they do that????

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Sounds like you got lucky and doged a mess.. I'd be thankful that you don't work for such a poorly ran facility and start searching for a job elsewhere.

[enuf_already]

It sounds like they are a disorganized hot mess. Move onward and thank your lucky stars you don't work there!

[bbtt]

I agree with both of you!!!

[SleeepyRN]

How frustrating. I suppose 3 weeks is better than a few months of actually working there and then realizing they are a mess. Onward and upward. Or however that phrase goes. Good luck!

[emmy27]

This sounds maddening, but I had a similar experience when I was a new grad with a hospital that gave me the run around including scheduling an in-person followup to a telephone interview knowing I was an out of state candidate, then having the interviewer go out of town without anyone telling me- if I hadn't called to confirm right before leaving, I would have driven ten hours to find out there wasn't going to be an interview that day. Then telling me I interviewed well but they were going with an internal candidate, but wanted me to interview on another unit, then offering me that job verbally before going radio silent for a week and then, on much pushing, telling me that they had eliminated that position altogether but could offer me a different position... that I would have to sign a three year contract with stiff financial penalties for early termination to take.

I passed on that offer, and later, having taken a job at a different hospital in the area, I heard time and again from former employees that it was a nightmare of a place to work. I feel like I dodged a bullet and learned that a terrible interview process is often indicative of a terrible workplace culture. Bummer about being given the runaround, but be happy you DON'T have to work with these people!

[bbtt]

You're right, I had a bad feeling when I went back the 2nd time and nobody knew what I was supposed to do.

[bbtt]

You're right sleepyrn, had a bad feeling when I went back that second time and nobody knew what I was supposed to do... and emmy27, very sorry that happened to you as a new grad, must've given you a very bad view of nursing right off the bat. I'd heard stories, but nothing like this has ever happened to me. Trying to have a logical explanation about it all, and keep coming back to them just being extremely disorganized with too many people in leadership positions, but no leadership. If I didn't have enough experience for that position or they wanted to hire a family member, why not tell me something before that much time had passed...CRAZY