To stay or not?

[boshrn]

Hi,

I'm a 24-year-old RN. I graduated with my BSN and passed the NCLEX in 2015. This is my first post on this site, and I'd appreciate being able to hear other nurses' two-cents on something I'm considering right now.

I am currently working the NOC shift at a small, rural hospital. I started there back in the spring of this year, after moving back to my home state to be closer to family, and help care for aging family members.

My coworkers at my new job are all very supportive of one another and, in general, are wonderful to work with. My plan upon returning to my home state was to live with my parents very briefly - a couple of months, maybe - to help them care for aging family members, while saving money for an apartment closer to my new job. My parents actually suggested this plan initially, and stated that they have no problem with me living with them until I find a place to live closer to work.

The issue is this: I work three twelve-hour shifts per week, which is considered full-time status. However, because the hospital is small and relatively remote, our census is often very low. As a result, nurses have been getting "called off" or put on-call at least once or twice per pay period, if not more. Most often, when we're put on-call, we're not called in at all. Because of this, my(and many other nurses') income has been impacted, and consequently, I have not been able to qualify for an apartment closer to work based on my income(my work commute is an hour and a half each way).

I had not anticipated having so much un-requested time off when I accepted the job, and had thought that by six months in, I'd have been able to move closer to where I work. None of my friends live and/or work even remotely close to where I work, so sharing a house or apartment has not been an option yet, either.

I am beginning to get notifications of positions opening up at local hospitals closer to where I live now, which tend to offer more comprehensive benefits, better pay, and in this case, a much better commute as well. Family members are asking why I haven't started applying for these positions yet, since nurses have been getting called off so frequently where I work.

The main qualm I have about applying for a new job so soon is that I've only been working at this current hospital for about six months. I'd feel guilty just up and leaving so soon after starting - like I was betraying my coworkers in some way, or seeming ungrateful for being offered a job there in the first place. A part of me says, "You signed up for this job, so you need to deal with it." Yeah, the commute is pretty miserable, and I'm almost always exhausted, but I'm the one who applied for the job in the first place, so I almost feel like I don't get to complain or even consider leaving, at least not yet. In all honesty, I would love to apply for one of the jobs closer to me, especially if staffing continues to be an issue at my current job, but again, I worry about seeming ungrateful for the job I have. On the other hand, I feel a bit guilty about still being in my parents' house at this point, as much as they say they don't mind having me live with them for the time being, which I'm very grateful for as well.

Bottom line: Is it wrong to even consider leaving a job so soon, and, were this you, what would your decision be? I'm sorry if this seems like a silly question, but as a relatively new nurse, I'd be grateful to hear anyone's thoughts on the matter.

Thank you!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

If I'm correct, you have about two years of nursing experience, six months in your current job. You're thinking about leaving mostly because you're getting cancelled so often your paycheck is impacted and you cannot afford to live on your own. To me, that seems like a legitimate reason to quit.

[ILUVERNSG, MSN, RN]

Put in for the closer job.

Your reasons are more than legitimate.

Good luck to you!

[Reyn04, MSN, RN]

My last job (in a city, but a specialized hospital) cancelled all the time. When I left, I had no PTO left from using it to cover cancels! My friend is still there and just told me she has been cancelled so much lately she doesnt know if she can make her car payment.

You signed on for a full time job & expect a salary & that should be a reasonable expectation from your employer. Move on. You have good reason.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Yea you are absolutely justified in leaving for other positions, especially if they are closer AND you may not be cancelled as frequently. If you really care about how you're perceived (which I wouldn't), you could drop down to PRN so that you don't completely "burn your bridge." But definitely go for it.

[Calalilynurse]

Start putting your applications in. We went to school to long not to get paid.

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

Ooh, I like Jaded's idea of going to PRN if you can swing it--your employer would probably like that too, since fewer total nurses would mean less mandatory call-offs. This would also allow you to keep it on your resume for a longer period of time.

If you're ever asked during a job interview why your turnaround was so short, I think that this would definitely be considered a valid reason. Mandatory call-offs can wreck havoc on a person's financial life.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Start applying.