New grad cant pick a job

Nurses New Nurse

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I have been working at a children's hospital ED as a tech for the past two years throughout nursing school. I've gotten a lot of great experience and enjoy my coworkers and the facility. Since I graduate in May, my unit recently offered me a nursing position that I have verbally accepted.

After I accepted this offer, I began capstone at another hospital in an adult ICU and I absolutely love it. I enjoy learning about all of the drips and machines my patients are on, and seeing their conditions change each shift. I like the fact that all of my patients are critical, when in the ED I will spend a lot of my time caring for people that don't need to be at a hospital.

On top of this, some of the nurses I currently work with (in the peds ED) tell me that they are glad they started out on med surg unit or ICU because it taught them great assessment skills. They have mentioned that starting as a new grad in the ED can be a very tough learning curve because of the quick and focused assessments you need to do.

Both hospitals are large level 1 trauma centers, so I know wherever I go I will get great experience. The last thing I want to do is burn bridges with the facility I am currently at because my dream has always been to work for this hospital, I just didn't expect to love my capstone this much.

Half of me says to stick with the ED job and transfer to the ICU later if I still feel this way, and the other half wants to make the jump and go after a new grad ICU job.

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Is the RN job in the ED where you are currently a tech?

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Yes, the RN offer was from the ED I currently work in

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Specializes in Pedi.

Do you have an offer from the ICU where you are doing your capstone?

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Something to consider, although it may not be the case for you, is that sometimes it is hard to transition into a different role in the same place. When you advance, the staff that were techs with you might resent your newly-minted "authority" and you could get a little push-back. Also people who supervised you may have difficulty seeing you in a different role. Usually this is temporary but it can be uncomfortable and if there are one or two crunchy nurses on your unit they have the potential to make your life miserable for a bit. I'm not saying this is true for everyone but I've seen it a number of times and experienced it myself. Just something to be cognizant of.

If you want ICU I'd take the ICU position. With your experience you should be able to easily transfer to PICU should you decide to go that route.

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Do you actually have a job offer from the icu? If you don't, this may be a non issue.

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Do you actually have a job offer from the icu? If you don't, this may be a non issue.

Oops, I missed that part.

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Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.

Is your love for pediatrics or adults? If it is truly adults, then I would suggest keeping the job offer, but looking for an ICU job. If you want to stick with the pediatric population I would stick with the ER job and then transfer in a year or two.

You are an ER tech so I don't think you will do poorly in the ER, I would go for it!

Annie

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

lots of our ER techs get hired as RNs after graduation. Go for it! I love my ER and you already have a support group in yours.

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[...]

After I accepted this offer, I began capstone at another hospital in an adult ICU and I absolutely love it. I enjoy learning about all of the drips and machines my patients are on, and seeing their conditions change each shift. I like the fact that all of my patients are critical, when in the ED I will spend a lot of my time caring for people that don't need to be at a hospital.

[...]

Maybe I'm misreading it, but I'm having a hard time getting past this.

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