Advice on current job

[rjay22]

Hello Nursing Community,

I am in need of advice regarding my current career. I made a career change and entered the field of nursing last year. I was unable to find a job so I volunteered and started grad school. Last Feb I was offered a part-time position that is a hybrid between behavioral health and school nursing, no bedside care or consistent medication distribution. The job is more paperwork and being a liaison between various groups. As of August I will be employed part-time for six months.

I just had my first hospital interview, literally finished thirty minutes ago, and the educator brought up my work experience. She said I barely qualified for a new-grad position because of my current job. So here's my question:

If I'm still trying to qualify for a new grad position, in the event I do not get the job I just interviewed for, should I quit my current job? If I stay until Sept it will be longer than six months.

Financially I'm okay if I quit, but will definitely need to adjust.

I would like hospital experience for at least 5 years as a bedside nurse.

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply.

Rjay

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Any experience is better than no experience.

Any money is better than no money.

[rjay22]

Absolutely right. Let me rephrase this, would you take one step back to move two steps forward or stick with your philosophy?

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

ask if they would hire you if you had NO experience. Point being, sometimes people do not qualify for new grad programs because they have been out of school too long. If that is true, opt for any RN position in the hospital for which they are willing to hire you then you can transfer after you get time under your belt.

[elprup, BSN, RN]

I would stay at your job. If you quit it will look bad on your resume, and be even that much harder to even get an interview because if you quit, it will look,like somethings wrong. Does not make sense. Just my opinion based on what I have experienced. Best

wishes.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Keeping your current non-bedside nursing position: RN pay + RN experience

Quitting this job to hold out for a hospital job: Zero pay + Zero experience

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I find it difficult to believe that employers are basing eligibility for "New Grad" programs on the length of time since graduation. . . that's not the way we do it. Our training program curricula is designed to move from a 'baseline' to the desired outcome - has nothing to do with how long it's been since graduation. I am also ashamed that an "educator" would have made such a disparaging comment . By virtue of our (staff development) specialty, s/he should be thinking in terms of competency rather than opining on the value of OPs current job.