new adult day center job? Lose my skills and/or become unmarketable?

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Hello all,

Recently I wrote a post on being really anxious and scared to go to work in this thread:

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/scared-go-work-446096.html

The tips everyone gave were wonderful. Now here's the thing. There is this RN job offer in a community clinic at a brand new Adult Day center. The benefits are so so in that they offer medical, dental, and no vision. There is 401K but no matching. Now I don't thiink they're cheap; it's just the way it is as they are a federally-funded program.

The adult day center is new for them and I'd obviously be in on something new, and maybe there would be opportunity for advancement.

It is five days a week job, and I've always been spoiled with three days a week. It is day shift. I will making less than in a hospital. It surely will be less stress than working in a hospital.

I don't want to accept a job like this and then run into a hospital job soon and quit the former. Neither do I want to lose my acute care skills. And if I work for a year in a setting like that I mentioned, how quickly and how strongly is it going to affect my chances when I want to return to hospital nursing.

The other thing I can do is just continue to wait for a hospital acute care position.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

I think its always better to be working in the field when you are job hunting...Adult Day Care will give you plenty of assessment opportunities,,,,

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I'd rather be employed and earning an income while waiting around for that hospital position to open up. The economy is slumping, and you've got to do what you've gotta do in order to have some security. A stable job at an adult day center might turn out to be that security blanket until a job opportunity at a hospital comes along.

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Thanks for your responses guys. My worry is that if I take the job, what I do if a hospital job comes up in two weeks!!!!

I have another interview for a med/surg job at the end of January. But it's quite a commute. Maybe what you guys are saying is that I should go for this job, or any job I can because of our unstable economy and then take a hospital job when it's almost the perfect job for me. What I mean is that I won't quit that "security blanket" job for just any acute care, but only if it was the unit that I wanted and with the benefits I need.

Again, I just hope they look at my past experience and don't discount me for the hospital when I finally do change over to a hospital job.

well, I haven't even officially been offered this Adult Day Center job, so this all may be moot. I will let you know. Thanks again!

[ellakate]

Your worry is what to do if a hospital job comes up in 2 weeks.

Sometimes that happens. Then you will have to decide. But right now, there is only one offer on the table. Adult health day care is a lot more like med surg nursing than day care.

Nursing positions with any benefits are becoming scarce. Federal jobs are well funded. There might be a possibility to advance in that health care system.

The decision is yours.

But remember this -- she/he who waits for a white knight gets to clean up after his horse.

[debi49]

I read your old thread . You were anxious about going to work in what I assume was a hospital/acute care setting. If this is the case, why continue in the cycle of starting a job, which leads to increased anxiety which leads to absenteeism, and makes you feel lousy about yourself. Perhaps a job in a community based setting would be the change you need. I have worked in community settings for years and love it. At least apply for the job and if offered an interview, go. You arent committing to anything. Why go back into acute care if the result may be the same?

There are lots of types of nursing....for everything that you may lose, you'll gain another skill. Good luck to you!!!

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Thanks all to you,

I decided to not go through with the interview. I understand all your points and actually part of me is still unsure of the decision. But, I have to take care of myself first which is the most important and if three days a week were difficult for me because of anxiety/depression, five days would be much more.

Thanks again!

Z