Work-life balance...stay where I am or move on??

Nurses Career Support

Published

  1. What would you do?

    • 0
      Take the 5 day/week position on current unit
    • 2
      Take the school nurse position
    • 0
      Stay in my current position

2 members have participated

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I currently work weekends only. I have been on the same unit for 5 years & have done weekends for 1 year...and I hate it now. I have my own group of 6 and am charge of up to 30 patients on the unit, and one of my coworkers is always behind, so I feel like I have at least 8 patients every shift I work. I'm holding out for a 5 day/week charge position without patients (most days) on the same unit, but it could be a few more months (The nurse in it now is definitely leaving it once a 3 day/week position opens). I miss my husband, as we only get from 5:30-9:30 during the week so we can pretty much eat and run an errand since all the baby friendly fun stuff is closed...I get home about 8:30 the weekends I work, so I don't see the baby and I barely see him all weekend. I like being home with the baby, but we have an affordable sitter lined up as soon as I make the switch. But now a school nurse position opened up near me, but in a better school district than we're in, so the baby could attend in that district when the time comes...but going from med/surg to school nursing is intimidating & would be a pay cut (like a $10,000 pay cut!). But I'd be off every weekend and extended time for holidays. The start date is in like 12 days so if I was hired, so I'd probably have to work the next month straight (no days off) to work out my 4 week notice for my current job to stay re-hireable. I would feel guilty about leaving my unit though because I've been here for 5 years. The school nurse position would alleviate the eventual stress of finding someone to watch the kid on school breaks though because I would be off, but school for her isn't for another 4 years and the husband thinks I'm crazy for worrying about that now haha (and that means less money we'd have to pay for childcare during those times off). I'm determined to get off weekends to enjoy my marriage and husband more...but do I hold out for the position on my unit, or go for the school nurse position and take a pay cut?? The husband says as long as I'm happy we can make it work financially. But I really don't know if it will make me happier??

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