First job as a new grad- wondering if I sold out...

[GypseyGirl]

I am a new grad RN and just passed my NCLEX in August and have been looking for a job ever since. I was lucky enough to actually get 2 job offers in the same week. One was a RN state job at a psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas, where I have been living for the past few months. The second was an RN job at a laser hair removal center in LA. I accepted the laser job because it paid $10 an hour more than the psych facility. So I just moved to LA with my family and started the new job but it's been a difficult transition.

After my first week in, I'm wondering if I made the right decision. This laser place seems more like a beauty place than a medical place and I wonder how much of my nursing skills I will be using here. I also am having a difficult time adjusting to LA. Maybe I need to give it more of a chance. During my clinicals in school, I often felt really stressed and like I didn't know what I was doing. Because of this, I wondered if the hospital setting would be the best place for me. But I know a lot of my classmates felt the same way, and maybe it's normal for many new nurses to feel this way...

This laser place seems like an easy job compared to the hospital, but I can't help but feel like I could be doing something more meaningful with my nursing degree than doing bikini line hair removal for housewives of Beverly Hills....I feel bad for venting here because I know as a new grad, I should be grateful to even have a job. Maybe I shouldn't be worried about finding the ideal nursing job and just accepting whatever I can get right now, but part of me is wondering if I should contact the psych place in Vegas to see if they are still hiring. I was considering to just stay at the hair removal place and also do an online BSN program in the meantime so I still can feel like I am learning and possibly advancing in my nursing degree. So many different roads to go, just wondering which one is the best in this economy!

Does anyone have any input? I'm so stressed out and feeling lost! Is it better to go for more money or somewhere that pays less and will give me better experience? If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear.

[Akeos]

I know this is going to come off as snotty, and I don't mean to be a b*itch but, a laser hair removal place in LA, what did you expect? of course it's going to be a beauty/spa setting! But that said, it's a job! and it's expereince! Is it the expereince you want? If you want to go into that type of setting (which it doesn't sound like you do) stick with it, if it's something you enjoy. If you can't stand it and think you'll be happier in psych then go for that job. do what's going to make you happy and fulfilled. But I would never give up a nursing job without having another one set up first. Hope everything works out for the best!

[JulieL]

I think it is great that you landed a job. And an extra $10/hr is awesome. And it is experience like Akeos said, so try to learn something (maybe "people skills",) and remember, you don't have to stay there forever.... Save as much money as you can and make the job work for you, not against you. You can do more, and you will!

Congratulations, and hang in there.

[mnf4ever]

Sent you a PM!