[lizzyberry]

Hello I am currently still a nursing student still have one more year to go but I was wondering on how I will have a hard time finding a babysitter if I work shift work. My kids will be 6 and 4. Any moms who are nurses, how do you manage this while working in a hospital? Would working in a clinic be a better idea when it comes to better hours with smaller children? What are the pros and cons of working in a clinic? Are the wages lower since the hours are better? Hope you guys can help thanks.

[Roseyposey]

I work both in an urgent care clinic prn and a hospital. As far as stress and working conditions go, the clinic wins hands-down. The pay is about $4 per hour less and if I wanted the health insurance, it's more expensive. When I graduated, I already worked at the clinic but thought I needed the experience of the hospital, so I turned down my clinic manager's offer for a full-time position. I've been kicking myself ever since. I have learned a lot at the hospital and have met a lot of wonderful people - both patients and other employees, but I've never been so stressed out and disgusted with an employer in my entire life. The hours at the clinic are much more predictable - but there are times that I've had to stay over as much as an hour due to a laceration or chest pain, etc. at the last minute, but this is the exception, not the rule. I use a totally different skill set at the clinic vs. the hospital.

[WhiteRN]

I kinda can give some imput here. After I graduated I started working on a peds floor, I worked there 6mo and then landed a job at an Asthma and Allergy clinic. I worked there 3 years and then quit to stay at home with by boy. I was away for 2 yrs and then they called me again this month to come back to work and I did. The stress level is low and I am off major hoildays!!! I get to spend more time with my son but the trade off is that I lost a lot of my nursing skills. I have not started an IV in 5 years. Its a trade off. I am now trying to get back in the hospital part time. Do what you feel is best for your family.

Good Luck!!

[nursemomo]

I started work in a chemotherapy clinic. I loved my job there!! But I was disappointed when I did start work in a hospital at all the clinical skills I lost touch with at my office job. It was a 9-5er, and that was great. The only clinical skill I was adept at anymore was IV insertion. And accessing ports. We didn't use IV pumps, so that was gone...no catheters, nothing. It was a wonderful job and very rewarding, but I do believe that (at least in my case) that the pay was lower and skills were lost. It didn't take long to recover them, but still...
good luck!

[NewRN2008]

i always thought i would want to go back to the clinic i worked at, but i sure like the skills part of the hospital. i knew my pt's in the clinic and did a lot before schooling, but i feel that if, after i graduate i need to make sure of my skills before i really decide to do clinic, in case i really ever want to go back to that. like someone else said, its a totally diff kinda place. i dont know about the less stress part though.. all in where you work i guess


GL!
-H-

[pagandeva2000]

I started working in the same clinic I worked in as an aide as soon as I passed NCLEX-PN. I was assigned there, although I assumed that I would be sent to the floor to 'pay my dues'. The stars shined on me for that decision. I am off weekends and all major holidays, and I have decent hours. I work the 'late' clinic; Mon, Wed, Fri, from 10:30 to 7pm, Tue and Thurs, 12:00 to 8:30. Most times, we leave earlier than the assigned time, but there are other times that if the doctors are a bit slow, we are there another two or three hours after the fact. I don't have young children, so, this is ideal for me. I don't have to get there so early and meet rush hour traffic and I can take care of some business in the morning. This is a clinic at a hospital, so the same rate of pay applies to all nurses no matter what the assignment is. I also get a bit of evening differential after 6pm.

You may lose some skills, but the stress level and margin of error is a great deal less than the floors. I do per diem in med-surg and home care sometimes to maintain the skills, but as far as I am concerned, they have to literally kick me out of the clinic before I leave there voluntarily.

[lizzyberry]

Im really concerned with finding the schedule that works with my young children. Does working at a clinic offer this?