HELP QUICK!!!! Career change- LTC Floor RN vs Home Health Nurse Manager- 2 Days to Decide

Nurses Career Support

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Hi!!! I am a RN. My background is in Pediatrics. I started out in the PICU at a top hospital. Then I relocated and couldn't find a similar job, so I took a job as a Nurse with a child protective service agency. I am a consultant. With this position I do some med administration and care planning. But, it is mostly medical case management, care coordination, advocacy, education, and evaluation. My job is to make sure that children are medically safe in the homes they are in and if not to assist in finding the best medical placement for the child.

Anyhow, I am looking for a new job opportunity. This has become very overwhelming as there is no work/life balance. I work all day and sometimes at night, also on weekends from home at times. It pays so well and is a rewarding job. I make 74k a year plus overtime, plus bonuses, plus benefits. However, the stress of the job has caused medical issues for me and I need to move on despite the pay and other rewards.

The two job opportunities I have been presented with are pretty different and both pay less.

Job 1- LTAC facility. Awesome shift, 7-3 and every other weekend. Benefits free. PTO. Union. 60 patients to 2 nurses (idk how many CNAs). Because I don't have LTC experience its $28/hr. So, 58k a year.

Job 2- Nurse Manager at Home Health org. Its pediatrics. Rotating shifts for the first 6-9 months. One weekend a month on call. So, a somewhat crazy schedule to start but, no work from home. After a year mostly days with occasional evening visits. Great training program. 70k. Benefits are offered but, I am assuming I would pay for them.

There's a learning curve with both jobs. I've never done management or LTC. I know both jobs are good opportunities with great potential for growth. They have their own kind of stress to them. Please help me pick the right job.

Hours, Pay, Work/Life balance, Helping others, and Professional growth are all factors I am considering!

justmovingon

21 Posts

I would take the nursing manager home health position. I did that for 3 years and was the most fun I ever had. Unfortunately, the position had to end because my boss couldn't afford the staff any longer and had lost a lot of contracts. What I did gave me a world of knowledge from supervising, case management, to teaching PSW, attending mandatory goverment meetings, developing flu shot clinics and so much more. Including developing administrative skills. It's a completely different pace. But I never regretted the opportunity. I suggest you research the business to be sure it is well established. Never worked in clinical setting as a manager so can't comment on that.

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