New Grad Having Trouble Deciding Where to Work

Hello All,

I am a newly graduated RN, BSN in Florida. I have applied at quite a few hospitals in my region of Florida. Luckily, I have been selected for interview at two locations. At this time, I'll keep the institutions anonymous.

One hospital, a large hospital in my area, interviewed me on Wednesday. The opening was in fact for 3 positions: 2 new-grads and 1 with experience. With a large amount of applicants, the managers said they'd let me know if their official decision Friday at the latest. This floor is considered an infectious disease, complex care floor. The patients usually cared-for on this floor include: vents, tele, dialysis, palliative care, HIV, etc. The patient/nurse ratio is roughly 4-5:1 according to one of the managers. For whatever its worth, this hospital is also roughly 10 minutes away from where I currently reside. I would be working weekend nights.

I had my next interview today at the second hospital for a position on a step-down-type floor or intermediate care neighboring the ICU. The patient:nurse ratio is 4:1 and the patients are more acute on this floor as their care may include: vents, tele, drips, etc. This hospital is roughly 30 minutes from where I currently reside. The nurse manager who interviewed me today offered me the position on the contingency that I meet with the night staff next week for a semi-formal type of interview just to meet the team leader and some of the staff with whom I may be working. At this location, I would be working primarily weekday nights with 2 weekend nights mandatory/month.

Essentially, the former hospital also is slightly more 'renowned' and has a slightly better 'reputation' than the latter. The latter is again smaller, but the manager told me that he and the other administrators are trying very hard to improve patient satisfaction. The hours are not an issue, as I prefer nights anyway. Another concern is picking a job that will suit my needs as a new-grad nurse, possibly giving me room for advancement in the future.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated,

-AliasMunky