Worked for 2 months then got job offer elsewhere! Help!

HappyWife77, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2013

Best of Luck to you. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. I would be honest with your current employer and maybe offer to stay on PRN if you can swing it. With all the pros you listed above about the VA, it sounds like your set on that anyways. It seems job opportunities open up when we already have have a job. Don't shut the door completely where your at is my advice. :up:

Peppermint_RN · Oct 29, 2013

Thanks for the advice! I'm definitely going to offer to stay PRN where I am! I don't want to burn bridges at all. I've already told my preceptor & she said if it was her, she would take the VA job as well considering I'm a new grad & it would benefit me to learn the medical side of nursing, even if I do want to return to psych later on.

It was hard for me to choose at first because there is no guarantee I'll enjoy the VA job as much as I do my psych job. But the other day a patient smacked me when getting an accucheck & I realized how fast and unexpected it could happen to be hurt at the psych hospital. I've realized I'm scared of giving my patients injections (I've seen them rip the syringe out of the nurses hands, fling their arm up and the needle goes flying, or try to punch the nurse when getting an accucheck.) I always thought psych was my dream job but I'm realizing i might not be cut out for it. So it made the choice to go work medical a little easier.

SuccessDiva · Oct 29, 2013

Suggestion: Wait till you get the official offer from the VA before discussing anything with your current manager. The VA is known to take forever to complete their background checks. Sometimes it can take up to 4 months. If they call your current employer and they ask you about it....just tell them that you applied for the VA job before you got hired...don't go into details....its non of thier business.

Now a days you have to look after yourself when it comes to your career growth. I don't care if you have been working at a new place for 1 week. If a better offer comes up that will provide you with a more envigorating experience...go for it....yes, the employer may be sour about it but....oh well. Employers need to understand that it is about "YOU" and not "THEM".

TSgtRodrigues, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2013

Wait until you have an official offer from the VA because they take forever to do a background check etc, mainly because they do a more expensive background check. After all, this is with the federal government.

However, definitely take the VA job once you get it! The benefits are amazing! Plus, if you ever want to move and you go work for another VA in that state you don't have to switch your license! That's one of the perks of working for the DoD!

Just make sure you give them plenty of notice, and don't burn any bridges where you are.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2013

So many new grads think "hands-on skills" means the things that are really manipulative tasks, and fear they will lose ground forever if they don't start sinking Salem sumps and putting in Foleys and starting IVs and all that crap. Believe me, we teach lay people to do those and more all the time, and in three months you'll wonder what the big hairy deal was.

Agree that you don't say one single word to your present employer until you have the offer from the VA in writing, with a salary and everything else specified. It could be months, as noted, and meanwhile you are earning a paycheck, not wasting time, and learning skills you will use elsewhere in nursing.

SuccessDiva · Oct 29, 2013

Hi GrnTea...I think the issue is with the employers....they make it seem as if it is the end of the world if you don't have the "hands-on skills"....that I feel they can easily teach you. You'll hear things like (you don't have any experience...or why did you wait too long to apply or why didn't you work in med-surg after graduation). Once you get a little experience and you list these hands-on skills on your resume...employers start taking interest...w/o even confirming if you can truly perform these skills.

I went through this. I took a case management job after graduation. I started applying for med-surg positions about 1 year later...I was told that I had no experience and that I should have done med surg first by many recruiters. I finally landed a psych position at a small facility...I left that one after 1.5 months for a hospital based psychiatric emergency position....and from there I finally landed a med-surg position.

Peppermint_RN · Oct 30, 2013

Thanks for the advice everyone!!

Honestly, I don't feel I'm gaining many skills where I am at now. Unless I'm med nurse (which is one day every other weekend), all I do is chart, feed patients, and sometimes have a random conversation with a patient. Most of the time they keep to themselves, are out on the grounds, or in their room sleeping. When I am med nurse, I give all PO meds. I've given 1 insulin injection and 1 IM injection, both of which terrify me to do because the patients try to rip the needle out of your hand. So I guess I gained the skill of "maintaining poker face" when I'm terrified. :eek: lol

The "hands on skills" are only a small reason I'm going to the VA. Mostly it is the benefits, the location of the facility (other job is about 45 min away) and the fact they'll pay 100% of my school when I return for my BSN. Plus, let's say in 5 years I decided I hate psych, and I do find a hospital job elsewhere. They're going to look at me as an experienced nurse, and I'm not going to know the simplest of things. I already find myself going "What is that?" when my med-surg nurse friends talk about simple things you see in a hospital. Also, my hubby might possibly be transferred to Florida for his job sometime in the next couple years, and moving with the VA is much easier (I'm assuming).

Plus, I think it's one of those things: you don't know what you're going to like in nursing til you do it. I thought my "dream job" was psych, but only 2 months in, I realize it is not my cup of tea.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2013

OK, fair enough. Don't forget that you still have your books from school to look things up in prn (you do, right?) and you can expect to be buying more all your professional life (I just bought one last week and I've been out of school for mumblemumble years).

Peppermint_RN · Oct 30, 2013

I kept my med-surg book, my clinical skills book, drug book and lab book. At the time it was because they weren't worth shipping costs on half.com but now I'm very happy I kept them! :)