Split on jobs. I need insight. Public Health Position of Medsurg Floor.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · May 7, 2016

What are your future goals? That will determine which job you should choose.

Kandake · May 7, 2016

What are your future goals? That will determine which job you should choose.

Community and Public Health and/or clinic setting. I would like to even work overseas at some point. But I feel that regardless of my goals, the skills and critical thinking in the acute setting are fundamental. am I correct in this thinking?

hson15 · May 8, 2016

Take a part time or casual position(On call) in the hospital, and try the government job, too. New grad orientation in med surge floor is not long (Probably 6 weeks or something like that). I will take a government job. The government job always works better in a long run-benefits are great. However, you do not have any experience, so better try both of them if it is possible.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 8, 2016

Community and Public Health and/or clinic setting. I would like to even work overseas at some point. But I feel that regardless of my goals, the skills and critical thinking in the acute setting are fundamental. am I correct in this thinking?

This is the never-ending question. I did not go to a Med/Surg setting as a new grad and have never regretted it. Each area of Nursing has its own learning curve and skills that you need to master. mastering M/S will not, IMO, necessarily make it easier to go into Public Health.

It sounds like you do not envision yourself having a future in M/S, so why endure the hell that M/S is in today's world of Nursing? If you change your mind, you can always go into it at that time.

Good luck.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 8, 2016

Take a part time or casual position (On call) in the hospital, and try the government job, too. New grad orientation in med surg floor is not long (Probably 6 weeks or something like that). I will take a government job. The government job always works better in a long run-benefits are great. However, you do not have any experience, so better try both of them if it is possible.

Government is not always better. It depends on the budget, for instance, how fast an employee gets vested in the pension, and whether or not the worker has to contribute to the pension.

Also, there might not be an employer match for the deferred compensation program.

I wonder if a new grad can take an on-call position without previously having been hired and trained. Even if she can, she's going to be working presumably full-time in Public Health, so might need to limit her other work. But I guess it could work out.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · May 8, 2016

I have done outpatient/clinic nursing for 23 years with no regrets.

Calm_Down · May 9, 2016

You typically need at least 1 year of experience before you can work PRN or Oncall. Keep that in mind.

annabanana2 · May 9, 2016

If you don't envision yourself working in acute care at any point in the future, why do it now? I think the "mandatory 2 years of med-surg" is an older way of thinking and not fully applicable to the world that new grads are coming into now. I went straight into community health nursing from school and so far no regrets. To be fair, I'm only 2 years in, but I have coworkers that are significantly more advanced in their career trajectory who did the same thing and are glad.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 9, 2016

If your aspirations are to work as a PHN, and you have a health dept job offer, why not take it? I would think relevant community health exp would make you more more marketable in that field than med-surg exp. They are two completely different specialties.

SheriffLauren · May 9, 2016

I went into acute/lt psych straight out of school, for the state too. I did that for three years, the experience was excellent and i feel confident that i could do any behavioural setting/any related psych setting. If you were able to get the med/surg interview as a new grad then you can get the med surg interview again if it becomes necessary to your future career goals. i think the public health training will teach you everything you will need to know for that job position. and if you want to do the clinic for women down the line then your will already have related experience. The counseling and communication/managment skills you get from public health would be very valuble to your goals.

2mint · May 9, 2016

...I have an offer...will be working on a medicine floor...I really wanted to work on a general floor and gain 1-2 years experience so I can possibly relocate. The second job offer is at the health department...is something I am very interested in...I will be starting on the medsurg floor on May 31st and the health department job would possibly begin around August/September....
....I am really concerned about not making the choice now and regretting it.

New grad here, with almost 1 month into my orientation here in SoCal. Read some of my posts, most of my advices are tailor-made for millennials, as I am one. During my orientation, I declined 3 interviews and am still on 2 other hiring lists.

Here's your regret-free plan of action:

1) Accept both jobs.

2) Start M/S job; should you like it and stay; it's a win-win.

3) Should you really dislike M/S, you'd have gained (enough) good experience that could provide you with a more stable foundation to begin your PHN career.

*Stable foundation: what to do and how to act during medical emergencies. Career PHN's may be adequate in this arena, but no one doubts that a one-year M/S nurse would be above-adequate.

Clarification: "losing nursing skills" should be "losing nursing skill sets", i.e. the physical actions of said skills and the critical thinking process that goes along with the skills.

The performance of tasks can be easily youtube'd, but OP will never get the chance to apply and gain additional critical thinking skills should she go and stay as PHN.

OP, leaving a first job too soon is a 20th century concern....