Decisions, decisions....What made you choose where you work?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am currently unemployed and in the process of interviews :nailbiting:........I graduated in May 0f 2010 with my BSN. While in school I completed internships at a Pediatric hospital. After graduation I also did an externship with a local hospital on their med-surg unit.I quickly learned that I ADORE patient care but hated the hospital setting. I prefer small medical practices.

My first real nursing job was in 2011 through May of 2012. I was a public health nurse at a Health Department not in my county, where I worked in Family Planning and was also cross-trained in Pediatrics, and some family medicine. Sadly, I ended up with a severe case of pneumonia that landed me in the hospital and I ultimately resigned from the health department (and it killed me to do it). I adored what I did there! Teaching, coming to work with a set plan for the day.

I am not on the job hunt. I have applied many times at the health department in my county with no response yet. I have had interview at an Adult Medicine/Internal Medicine practice for a nurse/telephone triage position. They did warn me that I would be mostly on the phone or computer for that job. I also have an upcoming interview next week with a pediatric practice.

I did have one offer from an orthopedic practice but the doctor they were wanting me to work for, they described as "needing his hand held & super needy"...that he pretty much had no say in his day to day work...it was all ME. It just sounded like too much for me. I want a place where I can gain longevity, grown, and learn. I am just so confused as to what I want.....I love small family medicine or pediatric practices, of course Public Health especially. I want somewhere where I can be accepted and continue to learn new skills.

My question is...what made you choose where you work? What should I specifically ask about when interviewing for positions that I may be missing? I want to make the best decision for me, a decision I can be confident about.

Thank You for reading!

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Always ask about nurse to patient ratios. That is the big one ( at least for me ).

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And I noticed a typo....I AM currently interviewing lol!!

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I chose my job because the interview had some of the typical questions but it seemed relaxed like a normal conversation. The people were welcoming, friendly, and polite. They seemed to be excited about their area of work. When getting a tour everything was well organized and clean. Make sure you know about scheduling, ratios, types of pts you'll see, training, overtime, opportunities for learning, etc. Best wishes!

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Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

I chose where I worked because I was there during my nursing school clinical and it seemed like a friendly place. I was also a local girl however :D

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I choose to float because I don't have to deal with all the floor politics. Also the fact that I set my own schedule and don't have to work weekends or holidays if I don't want to. But if I were to go back to a permanent position, patient ratios would be a HUGE factor for me.

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I chose my 1st job b/c it was a day shift, the people seemed friendly, and the building was clean and had lots of light.

My new job I chose b/c it is close to my house, and b/c it will provide ample opportunity to learn new skills. Also, of all the interviews I have had, this one was the least stressful.

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I chose my u it based on what I know about myself: I enjoy working primarily with women and infants, don't really care for total care elderly patients. The facility I chose is 14 hours from where I graduated school, and I chose it bc I was interested in a residency program, it was in the area I wanted, and the staff seemed super friendly. I start next week on a family care unit(new moms/nursery) next week and hope I love it as much as I think I will!

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your explanations and suggestions about what to ask during an interview are really helping. Keep em' coming :)

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I choose to float because I don't have to deal with all the floor politics. Also the fact that I set my own schedule and don't have to work weekends or holidays if I don't want to. But if I were to go back to a permanent position, patient ratios would be a HUGE factor for me.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

The floor politics is EXACTLY what kept me away from NeuroTraumaICU-- too many Type A personalities in one place. I chose medical-telemetry bc I'd rather be the only Type A on a Type B personality floor. The cohesiveness of the nurses and our nursing manager is what I love. Everyone is willing to help each other out if they have some downtime. (Keyword is "IF")

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your explanations and suggestions about what to ask during an interview are really helping. Keep em' coming :)

Some people say not to ask this... And to be honest I've asked only once (bc this is my first job out of nursing school)... But I asked what the turnover rate on the unit was- if it was high- why? I had the pleasure of doing my senior clinicals on the unit I work on now so I knew what type of leadership skills my nursing manager had-- she comes to work in scrubs and helps us with admits and discharges when we get really busy. I asked what unit goals that the unit was currently working towards. :) stuff like that

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Some people say not to ask this... And to be honest I've asked only once (bc this is my first job out of nursing school)... But I asked what the turnover rate on the unit was- if it was high- why? I had the pleasure of doing my senior clinicals on the unit I work on now so I knew what type of leadership skills my nursing manager had-- she comes to work in scrubs and helps us with admits and discharges when we get really busy. I asked what unit goals that the unit was currently working towards. :) stuff like that

I think that is important to inquire about also!!!

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