Taking the Job

Lâ™¡vER · Mar 1, 2015

You sound like a caring, thoughtful individual and I would bet you are a great nurse! However, the fact of the matter is that the manager is seeking an experienced nurse. The other party will not qualify anyways and you will have turned it down with no benefit to them. Go for it. No guilt. You don't control the manager's decision.

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 1, 2015

Are you being paranoid about what? Not sure what you mean.

You would really turn down a position that you strongly want, in favor of someone else? I would strongly advise against doing that. Do you think this other nurse would do the same if the situation were reversed?

pilatesgal · Mar 1, 2015

Hi klone, what I mean is, am I being paranoid in my thinking that I may after all end up interviewing for the same position as the other nurse? Like I said, there are more than one positions available in mother/baby, but I think it's suspicious that my coworker has not heard back yet. I would feel bad because I know that she too really wants to move into mother/baby. I know I didn't state this before, but I would also feel bad because she applied before I did, albeit I applied for a position that posted well after the time she did, by about 3 weeks.

My apologies for the long post, I just want to clarify.

I I appreciate the feedback so far. Thank you!

tsm007 · Mar 9, 2015

Go for the job and if you get it then give your coworker a good referral when the next spot opens up.

BloomNurseRN, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2015

Hello fellow nurses,
Tomorrow I interview for a position in post partum within my hospital. I feel pretty confident because I do have experience with my past job at a rural hospital, and I feel as though I have good overall experience for it, especially since I currently work on a surgical floor and have the post op experience to boot, so I feel very comfortable with managing bleeds, what to look for, etc. Full time mother/baby positions just started opening up so I decided to jump for it. I am very interested in and love OB/GYN--it is why I got into nursing.
My dilemma is this: there is another nurse on my floor who also wants to do OB nursing, and she has been there for two years (more than my mere 8 months at the facility). She recently interviewed for a position within mother/baby, and has yet to hear back. From what I understand, she interviewed for a position that is more of a float within the department, and what I am interviewing for is post partum specifically. But I am scared that I will end up interviewing for the same position, and given that I have experience in the area, I may have the upper hand and get an offer. I don't mean to sound overly confident, but from the response that I received from the manager, it seems as though she wants nurses who have prior experience in mother/baby.
My question boils down to this: Am I being paranoid? I know there are more than one positions open so it's very possible that I am.
In any case, if I'm not being paranoid and I do get an offer over the other nurse, I feel as though I should turn it down. What are your thoughts? My husband thinks I should take it as I am burnt out on med-surg and would love to be where I have always wanted to be.

Not that it's not a good thing to consider your co-worker's feelings, but you just can't in this instance. If this is a job you want and are qualified for, you should go for it with no worries. I don't know your co-worker but I can't imagine she would worry about "taking" a job from you. And really, if that department wants her then she will get the job even if you apply and interview. There's always the possibility someone outside of the hospital with amazing experience could apply and she still wouldn't get the job. You need to apply and know that you're not doing a bad thing. It's a job you're interested in and qualified for. Good luck!

Michelle D-J, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2015

You are obviously very kind and empathetic; I'm sure you'll excel in post-partum! You've earned your experience, and it is not prideful or selfish to own the work and time you've put in. I'm sure the other nurse will advance in her career path according to her work and her experience; you are not responsible for the choices of your co-workers any more than they are for yours. Perhaps the other nurse will get the "float" position, and gain some experience in that area before transferring in full time. I agree wholeheartedly with your husband.

Just my opinion~MLDJ1970 =)