Need your opinion

[KeepingTheBeat]

Hello. This is my first post so I hope it is in the right place. I have a question that I hope you guys can help me answer. I am in my late 40s and am set to graduate an ADN program in May. I live in a very rural area and there are not many options right now. The only hospitals (within what I consider reasonable driving distance) currently have hiring freezes. I have been offered a position in a nursing home ($15 and change), but I am not sure if it is right for me. From what I have observed during my clinical rotations, I consider nursing home nursing vastly different than hospital nursing. It is hard for me to put into words exactly what I mean by that, it's just that at a nursing home you get to know your residents, you pretty much know coming to work what to expect, even though the unexpected heart attack or code can happen, whereas at a hospital pretty much every day is different. When I was a "traditional" student, I lacked only a couple of hours in getting a Bachelor's in Home Economics with a heavy emphasis on Child Development. I loved my OB rotation and would really like to work there. Relocating is not currently an option, and the second income is needed. I feel that if, given my age, I do not start working right out of school, the chances of my getting hired a year or so from now is slim. On the other hand, I don't want to think that if I start working in this nursing home, I will be forever working in nursing homes (I might love it, I just don't know at this point). What do you think about this. At my age, starting at a nursing home, will I ever be hired into a hospital?

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

welcome to all nurses

where do you live? i haven't seen a hiring freeze around my area in quite a while.

did the hospital tell you this or is it common knowledge?

i finished my rn when i was 30...and i was afraid to apply for a job until i got my state board scores.....so i didn't start work anywhere for over 6 months......that was a mistake. no matter where you work you will use your education. knowledge is never wasted. now i've never worked in an ecf but i do know i got really "stale" by not going into a job right after graduation. experience is experience and any is better than none.

btw when i took the boards it took up to 2 months to get your score.....mine exceeded 99% of the applicants....so much for fear.

[Noney]

Can you get a contingent position at one of the hospitals to get your foot in the door? Any docter's offices closeby that you could apply to? If you don't find anything else go to the nursing home and keep an eye out for other possibilities. I'll tell you that my hardest jobs were in nursing homes, but I also enjoyed it for many years.

Noney:)

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

i'd say that you may like nursing home work. as someone else said, you could apply to the hospital and see what happens. they may call you later on down the road, if they aren't hiring now. no matter where you go, starting out isn't usually easy, so have patience with yourself. it takes a while to get use to the pace. good luck!