Hiring managers please advise!

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jan 15, 2014

Why in the world would you want to give up a stable "M-F, High paying, Good Benefits job"? Hospital jobs are not the only game in town - and certainly not absolutely essential for a successful nursing career. LTC needs savvy qualified nurse leaders also & this area of service is in growth mode... not shrinking like acute care.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2014

I graduated from nursing school with my ADN in May 2013. At the time I had been working a 0.5 on a TCU as an LPN and I continued to do so until a management job position opened up and I decided to apply. I was offered the position and in August 2013 I started this position which mostly involves being a project manager for our quality improvement grants, I also do some quarterly MDS and attend IDT, help with discharge planning, etc. It has been 6 months now and I have learned so much but I know that my real goal is to eventually work in a hospital and hopefully one day in ICU. My question is;
Do I give up my current Monday through Friday, high paying, good benefits job for a significantly lower paying job on the TCU in order to gain more floor experience, or do I keep my job and hope that someone will recognize that even though I lack significant floor experience, I am intelligent and posses leadership skills and will be able to pick up floor nursing again.
If any hospital hiring managers or anyone else who may have insight into my situation would offer advice I would greatly appreciate it! Keep in mind that either way I will continue to pursue my BSN which will hopefully be completed by the end of 2015.

Is this a TCU in an Acute care facility? Or a free standing TCU/LTC? I See you say that you want to work at a hospital someday, so I am going to assume the latter.

Going back to the TCU will not give you the edge you are looking for for ICU. If you are looking to get into acute care you need to find an acute care position. You have had a relatively easy path after graduation as far as applying for jobs. More and more hospitals are requiring a BSN for all new grads and speciality areas want acute care experience preferably on a telemetry/PCU for at least a year to get "the basics" down as a RN before consideration for a ICU position which needs experience to grasp the advanced concepts/care of the critically ill patient.

Are you sure you want to leave your well paying job M-F? If so then I would seek a position in a hospital for acute care experience or an LTAC that has monitors and an ICU for more acute experience. Just be sure this is what you really want. ICU is not the glorious job everyone thinks it is.....are you really ready to work holiday's, nights and weekends for less pay?

The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. LTC needs good competent leaders like you. Why ICU? What is it that draws you?

Nrsasrus, ASN, RN · Jan 19, 2014

Thank you both for your responses. I realize that there is a need for all types of nurses in all fields. My personal goals are the driving force for my career and being a leader in LTC is not my goal. The reason I want to leave my current position is complicated 1) the culture there has been really unhealthy for me. The DON treats me like I'm an imbecile and has offered next to nothing to me as far as professional guidance (which I am starving for). Although I am a nurse my position has me reporting to the administrator. Basically I just graduated nursing school and am not practicing being a nurse. 2) That's fine if the grass isn't always greener, etc. but I have had my goals from the beginning and I am not prepared to settle at this point. Unfortunately the job market here is horrendous for new grads and the best that most of us with ADNs can hope for is to work in a TCU while finishing our BSN, this is the highest acuity that is available to us. So it is not practical for me to think that I am going to go get a job in a hospital or an LTAC right now because I don't have the experience they require. 3) Money/benefits do not equal happiness. I didn't go to nursing school to sit in a windowless room M-F compiling lists for the administrator, I would rather be out on the floor with patients/residents, that is my calling.

My only hesitation is that it will look bad on my resume for having taken a step down from management and that it might hurt my eventual chances of landing a hospital job. I want to know what experiences are most valuable to hospital hiring managers.

Thanks again for your input, Esme12 and HouTx!

allnurses Guide · Jan 20, 2014

I would suggest you stay in your current position, which, while boring and soul-sucking, sounds like a stable environment for you to be in while you get your BSN. After getting the four year degree, apply for ICU internships and share the same passion you are with us here. You sound like you know what you want and are prepared to go get it. However, I don't think working the floor in a TCU is going to do much to open doors for you. If it would make you happier, then by all means do it.

And I personally do not blame you one bit for not wanting that nice, stable M-F job. Good luck to you!

Nrsasrus, ASN, RN · Jan 20, 2014

Thank you not.done.yet. I think I am going to try to stick with this as long as I can tolerate it. It may even inspire me to take more classes each semester in order to graduate faster.

Code Red · Aug 13, 2014

Get you a PRN job that gives you bedside experience.