Advice for Career Job Hopper

[Shortcake_BSn]

I know in this line of work that it is not particularly favorable to be a "job hopper" but since graduating a year and a half ago, on paper it looks like my career is job hopping. My first job was on a med surg unit. I worked there for six miserable months before I left and got a position at a physician's office. I felt like there was no room for me to learn or grow as a nurse so I left there after six months as well. I am now working in a ED for a non-profit hospital. The pay leaves a lot to be desired, but I love it. I felt like I had found my place in the world (the ED lol) and all was right. While again, the pay is not great, I really enjoy what I do. There is a lot of education and courses and I am currently waiting to be on the clinical pathway so that I can began my journey to become a Clin II.

A few weeks ago a hospice company that I really enjoyed working for when I was a CNA reached out to me. The company was my last full time job prior to becoming a full time nursing student and I really enjoyed what I did and who I worked for. Anyway, they reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in interviewing because they were in need of full time nurses. I agreed to do an interview just to see what they were talking about. A week later I was offered a position with the company. They are offering me 12,000 dollars more than what I am making in my current position.

I am seriously torn in regards to accepting this position or not. While my current pay is not great, I feel like staying in the ED would be beneficial for me in the long run in regards to certifications, education, and just anywhere else that I would want to go later on in life. Plus I am honestly tired of jumping around from job to job. However, I know that a 12,000 increase in salary is nothing to sneeze at, and it would be more income for my household. My husband told me that the money should not even be a factor and that he would support whatever decision I made. I did enjoy working in hospice, but I do not think that I loved it the same as I do the ED, not to mention the fact that I am quite sure that the nursing aspect of hospice is quite different that the CNA aspect of it. I am weighing my pros and cons, but the hospice company wants an answer by tomorrow. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[klone, MSN, RN]

If you do not NEED the extra income, I would stay in the job you love and that will advance your clinical education more. Be very cautious not to burn bridges, in case you decide later you do want to go back to hospice.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I would strongly encourage you to stay where you are for at least a couple of years. The ED experience is going to do far more for your career than hospice experience will and some forms of compensation cannot be measured in dollar signs. You are happy where you are. Thank the hospice for thinking of you and decline the position.

[westieluv]

As someone who has worked in hospice for the past several years, BEWARE a salaried hospice RN job. I have never been a hospice case manager, always after hours, triage, or inpatient which were all paid hourly, but I know from seeing what my current salaried co-workers go through, as well a past co-workers at other companies, that there is a reason why they want to pay salary instead of hourly. In one case, the hospice expected the salaried nurse to make visits all day long and then be on call all night, every night for a week at a time. In other words, be available 24/7 every other week. Who would take that on, especially on a salary? It probably worked out to about $10/hour.

Hospices don't usually have huge budgets and they tend to squeeze every last penny and then some out of their RN case managers with long hours and crazy demands. Maybe the company you are considering isn't like that, I hope they aren't, but just be careful since you said that you aren't that familiar with hospice nursing vs. being a hospice CNA.

I would stick with what you love and build up some seniority and clout there. While I love hospice (not case managing, though, won't do that ever) I agree that if you are just starting out in your nursing career the ED job will do more for you in the long run. I am at the opposite end of the spectrum, hoping to retire early in a few years.