Question about accepting a job offer

klone, MSN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

allnurses Guide · Feb 13, 2014

Take the job that is offered. If they are waiting until all interviews are done it is likely you didn't get the job. If you did, you can simply tell the state another opportunity has come up and you will not be completing your orientation.

NurseNightOwl, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

I am in the same situation! What I have done to give myself a little more time for the 1 job to notify me (the nurse manager interviewing me said point blank that they had outsourced their HR dept and it could take more than a week for me to find out if I had been hired) is to tell the job I already have an offer from that I need to work out adequate notice with my current employer... Which isn't exactly true because it's per diem, but it has given me a little extra time.

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 13, 2014

Take the job, but keep your options open...

Nurse ABC · Feb 13, 2014

Take the job. Almost all jobs come with a probationary period. If during that time you get offered the ER job you can decide then if you're still interested. If you do get offered the job and decide you want it you can inform the state you have been offered a job that will fit you better. Besides, even after offered a hospital job it usually takes at least a month before you'll start working there.

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

in todays economy, "a bird in the hand, is worth a dozen in the bush" :angrybird12:

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Feb 14, 2014

Take the state job; you have a job in hand NOW; you don't know if you have the ER job unless they said "you're hired".

RNGriffin · Feb 14, 2014

I wouldn't decline an offer. If you interviewed for the position, there was some interest from both parties. Also, hiring managers generally make offers immediately but continue with the formality of interviewing, in case I met some dream employee who forced me to open up a second position.

I would go with the state and transfer within the hospital. This is my two cents, and it doesn't not reflect the views/values of allnurses...LOL

Kaligirl02, ADN, BSN, MSN, LVN, RN, APRN, NP · Feb 14, 2014

Thanks everyone for the advice. I guess you guys are right in that fact that I more than likely did not get the ER position. I guess will just call tomorrow and accept the State position. Once again, thank you all for the advice!

NurseNightOwl, BSN, RN · Feb 14, 2014

Awww, no one said you definitely didn't get the ER job... keep thinking positive!!! We just want you to have yourself covered if it doesn't work out. In my experience, hospitals take the longest to let someone know they're hired!

PHXRN1 · Feb 16, 2014

Hello I am hoping I can get some advice on a situation I am experiencing. I went on an interview with state and went on one an ER. I heard back from the state job today with an offer for employment. I am excited about this, BUT my heart is in emergency medicine. I spoke with the nursing recruiter for the ER position and she stated as soon as all the interviews are conducted she would inform me of the Nurse Managers decision. I do not want to accept the offer with the and then get a call from the ER with an offer as well. But, I do not want to turn down this job offer and be left with no job at all if the ER does not pan out. Any advice?! TIA.[/quote']
Best advice, ask questions and be honest. You say that you heard back with an offer of employment from the state, so obviously they didn't hire you on the spot. They took all the applicants the had, weighed their options, and eventually decided you were the best fit. The least they can do is extend you a similar courtesy.
Did you ask them when they need a response by? Probably not. In this economy, we tend to believe that we have no power in the hiring game. But you absolutely do! You should not be expected to leap at the first offer that comes you way. So again, ask the question. How soon do they need a response and how soon do they want you working.
Honesty. This can take you a long way. Tell them honestly that you have another offer pending on the table. This does a couple if things. First, it affirms your integrity as an honest person. It reassures them that you are not a person that ever wants to be misleading. Second, it makes you more attractive! Now, not only are you the candidate that they chose, but now you're the candidate that other facilities want too. The supply/demand metric has now shifted in your favor. Now, they might not be able to get you for a bargain-basement price. They might just have to make an offer a little more attractive to lure you away from this mysterious suitor trying to woo you to another job.
The hiring game is all psychology. The resume you hand me is only a fraction of the equation. To the others on here that tell you that you didn't get the ER job since they didn't offer it to you right away, you seem misinformed. If that has been their experience, then those were desperate hospitals. As a clinical manager and hiring manager, I have never pulled the trigger immediately. That's a sure-fire recipe for high turnover. This situation hits home because last month I lost a newly hired (10 days in) nurse to another position because mine was the first offer of two that he received. I was the bird in his hand. When the pediatric ER where he REALLY wanted to work called him with an offer, I had to go back to looking at resumes because he just couldn't turn down his dream position. A complete waste of time for me if he would have played it straight and told me the whole story.
So, ask lots of questions, tell the whole story, make yourself a hot commodity, and then pat yourself on the back for landing whichever job you eventually take. You're in an enviable position that not many find themselves in. Take the time to be proud of that!