Resume content dilemma - Can I omit part of my employment history?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I have a resume "content" dilemma. I worked for Employer A as a Med/Surg RN for 15 months and left in March '15 for Employer B. I was with Employer B for about 3 months and resigned (job wasn't as described and I wasn't on the shift I was told). I was rehired by Employer A but in a different department. I have been in this department for almost 4 months. I enjoy the nursing aspect of this position very much but the daily productivity pressure to perform is unrelenting and I am miserable. Plus I may not retained because of productivity issue.

The question I have is should I omit Employer B on my resume and if asked, simply state I left Employer A for personal reasons and was rehired by Employer A later? I don't want it to look like that I will leave a new employer after 3-4 months because I don't plan on it.

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Dear Resume Dilemma,

When you leave a job off of your resume, you have a problem.

Falsehood on Application

You have to explain the gap in employment (that wasn't really a gap in employment).

You have to sign a statement saying everything on your application is true (false if the application asked you to list your complete employment history)

While the likelihood of an employer finding out about Employer B may be low, the consequences of not being truthful on an application are severe and usually mean termination, even if years down the road.

Explaining a short tenure at a job is doable. I discovered early on that it wasn't a good fit”, and then move the discussion forward.

Tenure

You say you don't want a new employer to be concerned that you will leave after 3-4 months. If you leave or are not retained in your current position, your employment history is:

• 15 months Employer A (this is good)
  
• 3 months, Employer B (OK if this is a one time occurrence)
  
• 4 months, Employer A (starting to look like a pattern of short tenure)
  

What is in your favor is that you worked for Employer A for 15 months, and they hired you back. So obviously you were a valued employee. What you have to do now is pick a job that you have a good chance of staying at for at least a year.

Ask about the workload during your interview, and productivity expectations. Ask for clarification on the shift promised and job description. Listen to your instincts. Sometimes if you are offered a job too fast, with vague promises, there's a reason why. Ask about RN turnover on the unit you are applying to.

I hope your next job is one you truly enjoy, and one at which you are well treated.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth