Hi there!

I am a new nurse, I recently graduated and have roughly 6 months experience at a LTC facility under my belt. I am working nights, which I don't mind, but do not love. I can sleep through the day but I feel as though I never see my husband, who works weird shifts, anywhere from 7-3 to 1300-2100. I make a very decent wage for my area, and I have been getting tons of hours. I have heard rumors that come winter the hours won't be there, but I will have to wait and see. The thing with this facility is that I'm not sure I'm doing a good job. I feel like a bad nurse... I have made two med errors in the past 6 months, which were entirely my fault for not paying enough attention. No one got hurt, but it doesn't make me feel any less guilty. I'm always slow to finish my work, and I'm so terrified I'm going to forget something. I love my night shift crew, but I feel like the daylight nurses are going to tear me a new one every day for not being done before they get there (30-45 minutes before they're scheduled).

I recently got a call for an interview for a full time dr office position. I realize that I haven't been offered anything yet and I might be putting the cart before the horse a bit, but I'd like to have an idea of what I want to do when I go in for the interview. Obviously, the dr's office will pay less, but it is closer to my home, and no weekends or holidays. I enjoyed all my clinicals (with the exception of dialysis!) and so I think I could like the dr's office as much as I do LTC.

So basically, my long(!sorry) story boils down to this.. if you were me, which would you choose? How mad would the LTC facility be if I left only 6 months in? I'm just not sure what to do. :/

There is a LOT of turn over in LTC so they wouldn't exactly be heartbroken over it but it would look bad on your résumé to only work somewhere for less than a year.

Maybe write out a list of pros and cons and discuss it with your husband as well. Sometimes it's easier to see the best option if it is literally in front of you. It also helps to know what your priorities are (e.g. family time versus money, nice people vs. long commute, technical skill practice vs. administrative work, etc.).

As for the time issue, I agree with itzvalerie that there is generally a high turnover in LTC, especially for a new nurse, but that 6 months experience will serve you well in your job search, too. And if the Dr.'s office is willing to hire you despite you only being at the LTC facility for 6 months, then it's really a non-issue, right?

And try not to beat yourself up about being a "bad nurse!" Instead, look at your positive qualities and the strengths you bring to the nursing field. Learn from your mistakes (triple check meds, for instance, or ask another nurse). In time, you won't be as "slow" as you feel now, but at least you're thorough, right?

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

I would take the position at the doctors office in an heartbeat!! No weekends, that sounds like heaven to me!!

Hi there! I am a new nurse I recently graduated and have roughly 6 months experience at a LTC facility under my belt. I am working nights, which I don't mind, but do not love. I can sleep through the day but I feel as though I never see my husband, who works weird shifts, anywhere from 7-3 to 1300-2100. I make a very decent wage for my area, and I have been getting tons of hours. I have heard rumors that come winter the hours won't be there, but I will have to wait and see. The thing with this facility is that I'm not sure I'm doing a good job. I feel like a bad nurse... I have made two med errors in the past 6 months, which were entirely my fault for not paying enough attention. No one got hurt, but it doesn't make me feel any less guilty. I'm always slow to finish my work, and I'm so terrified I'm going to forget something. I love my night shift crew, but I feel like the daylight nurses are going to tear me a new one every day for not being done before they get there (30-45 minutes before they're scheduled). I recently got a call for an interview for a full time dr office position. I realize that I haven't been offered anything yet and I might be putting the cart before the horse a bit, but I'd like to have an idea of what I want to do when I go in for the interview. Obviously, the dr's office will pay less, but it is closer to my home, and no weekends or holidays. I enjoyed all my clinicals (with the exception of dialysis!) and so I think I could like the dr's office as much as I do LTC. So basically, my long(!sorry) story boils down to this.. if you were me, which would you choose? How mad would the LTC facility be if I left only 6 months in? I'm just not sure what to do. :/[/quote']

First of all...don't fear that any employer would be "mad" at you or take it personally if you left. Business is business and people move on to better or more appropriate opportunities every day in every line of work.

I will tell you that I worked in a doctors office and did not last long there. They basically hired me to do the job of an MA. Now, understand that I'm not someone who thinks myself better than those who have less education, but I worked dang hard to become a nurse, and it just didn't sit well with me that there was no distinction between me and the MA they employed. No one wore name tags and the MA referred to herself as a nurse and didn't correct patients who thought she was one!

Also, the amount of clerical work was staggering. I'm not afraid of the paperwork side of nursing, but this was ridiculous. In between rooming patients, I was expected to send/receive/sort tons of faxes, pull, sort, process, and respond to around 75 phone messages every day and have every task done before I left, which was usually not until 6:30 or so, despite my workday technically ending at 5. And you can't just verbally relay a patient question to the doctor and get a quick answer...you have to email each question to the doctor or PA, wait for them to respond electronically, and then call the patient back to create a documented "trail".

Dont even get me started on the pay. I found out I was being paid the same as the MA.

I really wanted the job for the schedule. Weekdays only, no nights or weekends or holidays or being up at 4 am to get to work. But I could not live with feeling like my nursing degree was utterly I acknowledged and unrewarded, and I felt there would be no challenges for me. I was afraid my clinical skills would wither and die while I did nothing all day but take vitals and vaccinate kids. LTC is where my interest and heart and long-range goals lie so I'm going back to that.

So many factors come into play on this one. I think the best advice I could give is to try to learn as much as you can about what your role would be like on your interview. That way you can make a very informed decision, if the time comes.

In terms of offending your current employers by leaving in only 6 months, I don't think you should factor that into your decision at all. You have to put yourself and your family first, just as employers put themselves first. On top of that, as long as you give some notice I don't think anyone will be offended. People leave jobs for many reasons, and as long as you leave in a respectful way then they will understand.

Best of luck on your interview and making this decision!

If I could afford the pay cut and to have quality family time, I would choose the Doc's office. Trust me some people leave LTC after the first day.. do what is best for you. Its business nothing personal.

Thank you to everyone for the responses, they have been helpful! I went for the interview, and it seems really nice. Hours are 8-4:30 most days, no weekends, etc. And they offer benefits, though how they compare to the ones my husband is currently carrying I'm not sure. I got called for a second interview with the Dr. herself a couple of hours after I left, so I figure that's a good sign. However, it is a huge pay cut. They told me it would be from $11-13/hr, and right now I make around $18 with the possibility of OT. I'm still not sure what to do. :/ I'll figure it out, I guess, lol!

They told me it would be from $11-13/hr, and right now I make around $18 with the possibility of OT. I'm still not sure what to do. :/ I'll figure it out, I guess, lol!

it sounds great! i've work w/MD practices for 4 yrs as an MA, and it is a far cry from ltc. i've heard the same concerns from one of the lpn's fearing loss of skills. that being said she did do much more that me: vaccinations, suture removals, ear irrigations, etc... she was paid well. i was making $17 per hr. she was in the mid $20's. it just depends on the practice. i would negotiate my tail off if you really wanted the position, detailing you level of skill. you can also try the larger HC facilities. i worked at one and the lpn's were the charge nurses above the MA's and were floor manager...better pay there also.

everyone's different. i really enjoyed working in a MD practice setting, but can't wait to start at a ltc facility. good luck and keep us posted!