3 jobs in 2.5 years?

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

I'm looking for advice on whether I should change jobs now or wait. I'm embarrassed that I've had so many jobs in my short time being an RN but my current job has many issues where I feel I can't practice safely. I am in NP school as well, left my second job because I wanted to get off night shift when I started NP school and they didn't have any day positions open at the time where I worked.

1st job: Private duty home health 6 months

2nd job: IP/residential eating disorders treatment facility 1 year 4 months

Current job: Crisis/Detox float nurse: 7 months to present

A nurse manager had called me several months ago about a position on a specialty eating disorder medical floor in a hospital. It's well-regarded and prestigious, has much better pay and benefits than my current position.

However, it took them about 6 months to get back to me and this was one of the jobs I had applied for after I left my second jobs, but I couldn't take it because I had accepted my current position and was working in it several months already.

I want to reapply and try to get this position. I have connections to nurses on this floor and specialty experience. The position has ben posted for about 9 months on this floor so I know they are looking for a nurse with eating disorder experience, which I have. I know my resume looks terrible like I can't commit to a job but I had either changed jobs for a better position and/or due to starting NP school and needing a change in my schedule to get off night shift.

At my current job I feel there are so many situations where my license is at risk. There are many nurses who feel the same and several nurses have quit recently, a couple with only one week or no notice. I want to just stay at one job and I dislike changing jobs but I need to find a better place to work.

Thoughts?

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Your history is already "flighty". I don't think one more switch is going to make a huge difference.

That fact that you're exploring different areas helps a little. It would look much worse if you had four med/surg Jobs in the same amount of time. You look like you're going TO somewhere as opposed to running away (even if you're actually running away).

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

I appreciate you giving me feedback. I have tried to work my way up. When I became a nurse, I moved to a different state with a difficult market for new grads and I had no connections. I'd like to think being in a couple different positions will be valuable when I become a Psych NP. Maybe I'll try to stick it out as long as I can, I graduate NP school in 2 years.

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Specializes in oncology, MS/tele/stepdown.

Your resume and networking hopefully will get you the interview, where you can explain why you have left those jobs if it is something that bothers them. If I were a hiring manager, which I'm not and never have been, I'd be more concerned with the fact that you're in NP school and already have an exit planned. But like I said, I've never been in that role, just my two cents.

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