Need feedback; job vs job WWYD?

[MrsWampthang, BSN, RN]

Here's the situation: I am currently PCC on nightshift, working four 12 hour nights a week (someone quit so I'm helping out by filling in that fourth shift). I recently interviewed for a job with a company that does primary care, disease education, xrays, lab work etc for local company employees. I went through an initial interview and the lady that interviewed me said I was a strong candidate for the position. Here's my dilema. If I were to get offered this job, and I took it, I know it would leave the hospital I work for in a BIG bind. Right now staffing absolutely sucks, and I am one of only four PCCs. The other noc PCC won't pick up any part of that fourth night at all, which I can't blame her. Her health isn't the best. Anyway, let me list the pros and cons of both places:

Pros of first place: the money is great, the DON is a friend of mine and she is the reason I have stayed as long as I have, the staff that I work with really like me and I really like them. Night shift is more laid back, with no management around.

Cons of the first place: I don't get to sleep with my husband four nights a week, I am tired a good part of the next three days off, I get tired of coming in and being told that I have admit(s) coming in where I have to put everything in the computer for them including their medications, I get tired of coming in and being told that they cancelled one of my nurses because census says we can only have so many staff or not having enough staff because staff sucks and they couldn't get anyone to come in and help because they waited too long to try and cover the openings, and they give us admits anyway, I'm ashamed to admit that I'm tired of wiping butts, (I'll do it,but it's not my favorite thing), I'm tired of coming in to be PCC and feeling like staffing is not safe because it is at the bare minimum and ok if nothing happens, but is going to get ugly if something does happen. The job is about 35 minutes from my house.

Pros of the second place It is a Monday through Friday job day shift, no weekends, no holidays, no call. It will be just me, a doc and two other employees, it will be primary care, and disease education, preventative medicine. It is probably less than 10 miles from my house. I can't imagine that I will have the stress thatI do now. I will get to sleep with my husband!! I can be there when my son goes to school and be home in the early evenings, not dog tired. I will be helping start this part of the company (they already do occupational health on the site). I wouldn't go in to work until 9am and be off at 6pm, and it sounds like I would have an hour for lunch.

Cons of second job: I don't know that the money is going to be comparable, it might be close, but I'm sure it won't be near what I'm making now (I don't think that would be a big problem, I don't have to have the OT, it just helps me pay extra on my bills or pay them off), it would be Monday through Friday so no days off during the week, I would only have two days off, and no days off during the week, no OT.

The biggest rub of the whole thing is that if I am offered this job and I take it, I don't know that I would be able to give my current job more than two weeks notice, and that will put them in a BIG bind. I hate to do that. I'm just not sure what to do. Course, I haven't been offered the job yet so it may not even be an issue, but if I do, then I will have that dilema I talked about.

I know that no one can tell me what to do, but I just would like some feedback about what you all would do in my situation and what are your thoughts on this.

Thanks in advance.

Pam

[CheesyPeach]

I was/is in your same situation. I decided to leave the higher stress/higher paying 12 hour shift job in a hospital (30 mins away from my house)and took the 8-5 mon-fri job in public health (1 mile from my house). I start aug 1. When it came down the nitty gritty, I decided that my 8 and 10 year old children needed me home at night and on the weekends when they were home. My husband works day hours as well. It makes for an ideal situation and more normal routines that children thrive in. not to mention the benefits to your marriage. I will miss the extra money, but i had to ask myself if I wanted to work to live or live to work. Too many marriages suffer from crazy work hours and ESPECIALLY in helath care. Always getting begged to come in (and sometimes it is mandatory) and the subsequent guilt of abandoning your coworkers if you don't makes it so stressful that either way you suffer. Try not to feel too guilty about leaving your old staff in the lurch. It is the nature of the work that makes anyone leaving at anytime hard on the existing staff. It is the management's job (and they get paid well for it) to handle such situations, and to try to make the work environment better so that no one wants to leave in the first place. You must do what you feel is right for you and your family. Money means nothing if you are miserable.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Be sure to check you current facility's policy. In some places you are required to give a months' notice, not just two weeks.

Good luck with your decision making process!

[caliotter3]

It sounds to me as if the new job is the best decision. You would not have sought it out if you didn't have strong reasons for a change. Something tells me that two weeks notice wouldn't make that much of a difference for them to be able to find a replacement. A replacement for you and the other nurse is not your worry. Like the others said, it is management's job to find and retain employees. Maybe your departure will give them a wake up call. Good luck in whatever you decide.