Hospital 1, 2 or 3?

[born2circulateRN]

Hi, I am a new grad and 5 weeks into orientation and everything is going great. However, I don't plan on staying here forever because (1) the commute is about an hour and I am not relocating to this city - it's too distant from family and activities (2) benefits are not all that great - but they're okay (3) base pay is great but no annual raises - as if! So, I plan to stay here for at least 6-8 months to get some experience then apply somewhere else.

However there are good things about this facility...parking is awesome, everyone is so nice, it's small which is great, the ratio is 1:3 on the floor that I work, and the experience is wonderful...

(I get vented patients, chest tubes, central lines, insulin and fentanyl drips, hang blood...etc...so I am learning tons, but I just don't want to stay here long-term).

So, I have 4 options (1) stay here and suck it up at hospital 1 (2) apply to hospital 2 which is shorter commute (same network so i can transfer after 6 months) - but benefits will still be the same and no raises (3) apply to hospital 3 that offers a residency program if you have less than 1 year of experience: better hospital benefits, annual raises, shorter commute, closer to the big city, and this is the city where I am going to relocate to in the future (4) apply to hospital 3, but not the residency program.

You know the disadvantages of hospital 1 and 2, but hospital 3 disadvantage is that if I apply for the residency program my pay will probably get bumped down? Also, I have to learn everything all over again - like people which isn't too bad, computer /documentation system, new policies...all of that - then again, if I do the residency program I will have people that I can relate to so much better such as new grads. I'm the type of person that likes to talk to people that are in the same situation as I am - but, at the hospital I am at now there aren't many new graduates.

I am working at an LTACH now. I don't want to decrease my patient's acuity level to med-surg so I would like to apply for the IMCU residency.

Here are the hospitals:

Hospital 1: 50 bed - LTACH -ICU and med-surg floor - I am working on the ICU floor

Hospital 2: 120 bed - Level 4 Trauma; no residency - ICU, medsurg, tele, OR, ER

Hospital 3: 180 bed - Level 2 Trauma with residency program; IMCU floor which is where I want to work - it's like an ICU stepdown

FYI: I will be making a decision after 6-8 months of experience; the residency begins summer 2013 so I will still have less than 12 months of experience (so I will still qualify).

What would you choose? Would the residency be good even with 7 months of acute care experience or am I setting myself back?

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

[geminiBSN75]

Can you do 3 and 4? Apply for the program and also to the hospital? Or is it one or the other?

[born2circulateRN]

Yeah I can do both 3 and 4.

[geminiBSN75]

Well, then that's my vote! Lol

[born2circulateRN]

lol thanks. and i was just thinking - i wouldnt know how to go about asking for professional references from my current manager after only 7 months- it would seem so weird. can references come from co-workers?