PICU or Ortho to start?

[none the wiser]

I wavered between posting this here or in the New Grad section, but I thought everyone might see it here. I'm hoping to get experienced and inexperienced nurse opinions.

This week, I had two interviews.

First was the PICU. I have really been pursuing this job, and I finally got an interview. It went well I think...it was a typical interview, and she said she would let me know if I get a second interview, as she is interviewing several others for one new graduate position.

Afterwards, I was taken downstairs to a surprise Ortho interview. I felt like she spent most of the time telling me about the floor, and before I left she offered me the job. She said she had not posted the openings yet, so I was the only one interviewing. I really had good timing on this.

Salary is the same, excepting night shift/day shift differential. PICU is night shift, and could be for a couple years. Orthopedics is day shift. Staffing is reasonable on both...PICU is 2:1 with techs 1:15 or so. Ortho is 5:1 and techs 9:1 on the busiest days.

My concerns are this: PICU is so very acute and emotional, and I am a new grad. I know they won't toss me in the deep end but it is still daunting. Also, I do not do well on little sleep as it is. I'm getting married in October, and I worry about a new marriage + night shift.

Ortho, I am worried I am backing myself into a specialty that will not allow me to go anywhere else but more med-surg. Not to mention I am very small and I have some back pain already. I also worry that the skills I will learn on the ortho floor are not as impressive/expansive as the ones I would learn in PICU.

I love both these specialties...I don't think I was prepared for the possibility I'd have two interviews so close together in two places I actually like. And I was definitely not prepared to factor a day shift position into all of this.

As a new graduate, should I accept the position I was offered? Wait to hear from the PICU? What if I lose the ortho position and then don't get selected for the PICU position? I don't want to lose two perfectly good positions because I hesitated to commit.

[none the wiser]

Thank you so much for all the responses! I read them all and appreciate them very much.

The Ortho interview was the recruiter's idea...while waiting for my PICU interview, she asked me what other specialties I liked. I said ortho, and she called up the manager right there, because she had heard there were 2 positions coming available, one day and one night.

I have a slight curvature of my spine in my lower back, and it causes weird nerve pain sometimes. It's nothing serious (in the grand scheme of things), and has not been an issue yet.

I shadowed today on the Ortho floor...the nurse I was following said it was close to the hardest day she had had, and very abnormal. Lots of medical overflow, and all of her patients were medical, not Ortho, and very heavy care-wise.

We talked for a long time, and she was very upfront with the pros and cons of the unit. I would feel comfortable taking a position on this floor...I have been on several med-surg floors in the past...people were unhappy, understocked, understaffed...that was not the case here. I left a good 4 hours later than I had planned to and really enjoyed the day for the most part.

I am thinking I will call the PICU tomorrow if I don't hear back and see what's going on. I really see myself being happy on either floor...just two very different kinds of stress.