A hopeful new-grad RN with too many options!

[mzjennx, BSN, RN]

Hi guys. I have not posted with Allnurses in awhile. Been busy, but here is my story.

I graduated with my BSN in December 2008. I passed my NCLEX in March 2009. Hawaii has a hospital freeze. I am in Oahu where there are only like 9 hospitals here: Queen's, HPH (Straub, Kapiolani W&C, Kapiolani P&C), Kuakini, Hawaii Medical-East, Hawaii Medical-West, Wahiawa, and Kaiser. Usually only the first 2 companies have new grads, the rest are direct hires in which you compete with experienced nurses. There is a lot of RN working as ward clerks and NA until a RN job opens up in ALL hospitals.

So I started work as a ward clerk in HPH while I wait for a Labor and Delivery position to open up in September 2009. In the mean time I have been applying to other hospitals and LTC. 2 weeks ago I had an interview for a hospital aide for the float pool and then a RN position on med-surg/oncology for Kaiser. I received a call back for a hospital aide position last week and started processing the paper work for the position, but then received a call back for the RN job too, so the paperwork is transferred for the the RN job.

Well on top of all this, I got a call back/interview for the army hospital on Oahu, Tripler Army Medical Center. I initially applied for a nurse aide job, but they might offer me a new-grad RN for their ortho, vascualar, neuro inpatient ward. They normally dont have a new-grad position, but they noticed that I was a RN. So if they like me they might offer me the position.

I dunno what to do!!!

The Kaiser RN job is call-in. Of course I still need training. I am waiting for my start date.

But if I get the job at the army hospital, should I accept?

Should I keep my ward clerk job in hopes to eventually get a job with the labor and delivery floor that I wanted to work in?

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

No, I wouldn't wait for a new grad opportunity. It might never come. Sometimes your best bet is to start in a hospital and than transfer when the opportunity occurs.

Kaiser v. Army Hospital...

you got to look at the benefits of both I guess. The advantages of Military: It's a government job which tends to have excellent benefits.

Kaiser being call-in, less hours, usually government jobs will give you a guaranteed number of hours. I would just go to both interviews, and I personally, would greatly consider the Army Hospital.

Good luck!

[NC Girl BSN]

Definetly pick the job thats gonna start you out as a RN. I would not take any of the jobs a a aide or clerk to wait on a job that may never happen.