Should I take the clinic job?

Career Columnist / Author · Jul 7, 2015

Dear Nurse Beth,

I'm 6 years out of school, worked oncology exclusively, RN, BSN, OCN, CCRP. I'm working now in bone marrow transplant - one year next month. I recently applied/interviewed for a clinic job in the city I moved from to take this job. They are very interested to get a nurse with oncology experience who can be the triage, dr. nurse and is chemo certified as well. But I'm not sure what to do. I would love to travel at some point, and I think clinic nursing is a hindrance to that. My lease has 6 months to go so I'd have to commute until then. I was offered a sign on bonus and won't get that until another 6 months goes by. The clinic is offering a 6% increase in pay, but doesn't have dental or 401 K or education assistance. How do I decide what to do?

Dear Can't Decide,

You are a valuable commodity with 6 years of oncology experience plus your certifications. Kudos on your OCN certification. I personally know how difficult the chemotherapy provider exam is (I just took mine!), not to mention OCN certification.

I bet the clinic really wants and needs someone with your qualifications.

I would negotiate with the clinic. You could probably get a higher salary (example, ask for 15% increase, settle for 10%), with the reason being your loss of dental, 401K and education assistance. If there are any like jobs in your area, see if you can do some research to compare salaries and benefits.

You could also negotiate for relocation costs, commuting expenses, higher bonus, etc. It's very possible that you'll soon have opportunities for advancement in the clinic. You'll either be advancing or turning down offers.

If you were to stay in an outpatient setting for a long time, yes, that could hinder your travel plans if you are looking for acute care contracts. But by then, it might be a cut in pay for you to travel, who knows?

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth