Omitting information about previous job experience?

[Keq1016]

Hi all,

I was very fortunate to be offered a full-time RN position one year after I graduated. Unfortunately, however, I was SO overwhelmed by the patient load/acuity levels on the floor, that I quit 5 months after being hired without notice. I called my manager and told her I wouldn't be coming back due to personal issues (I was pregnant and we were also facing an upcoming out of state move and I mostly pinned it on that). In all honesty though, it was because I was literally sick from the job. I don't believe that a hospital setting is right for me and I'm interested in pursuing some out of hospital positions I've seen postings for. My question is should I leave my only real experience off my resume since I didn't leave on very good terms? I was told by my manager that I was great with patients and I never made any serious errors during my time, just left short-notice. If I did omit the previous experience, would a recruiter or hiring manager be able to check my license and see if I had worked as an RN somewhere previously? I appreciate any advice.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Keep the job on your resume, omission is a form of lying and many nursing employers prefer that you abide by an ethical conduct that includes veracity/obligation to tell the truth. The worst that can happen is a new employer may decide not to take a chance with you because you are not eligible for re-hire at your previous place of employment, the best that can happen is a new employer may decide to take a chance with you because you showed integrity when you were interviewed.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Fess up. People will understand.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Omitting a position will catch up with you and it won't be pretty. Do the right thing.

[Buyer beware, BSN]

Fess up. People will understand.

What has been happening with a situation like this is that your next employer will call your former employer and they may say you would not be eligible for rehire due to insuffient notice. So will the next employer understand? Well that may depend if your next employer is uncle Sid. But you are in semi-good company here. Many young nurses and older ones too make the mistake of precipitously bailing on a job. For the younger ones you could plead youthful indiscretion. The older ones you could plead the 5th.

Just as an aside: the annals of employment are replete with stories of employees not following the rules. Case in point, David Geffen billionaire and underwriter of the eponymously named Davd Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA MC. You see David was a Brooklyn College dropout who wanted to work at the William Morris Agency. This agency represented many show biz types. Well the company had a prerequisite that all hires have a degree. Read about what he did about that on Wiki, and your faux pas will pale in comparison. So once again the old adage from the sixties proves true: "different strokes for different folks." But stay away from all tangled webs and be authentic in all you do. No one is perfect.