Agonizing Over Job Decision

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Hi, I graduate in June and have been trying to decide where to work. I have a job offer for a local peds hospital, which is where I work now as a tech. I was very eager to be a GN on the floor I currentally work on. Three months after HR offered me the floor and I verbally commited to work there, they told me I was suddenally going to another floor to work on instead of the one I had been hired for. They wish to send me to a floor for kids that "aren't sick enough to be admitted" (their words)---kids who should come to the ER, but aren't sick enough to be on a regular floor. I would see things like minor asmatha attacks, flu, and concusions with normal CT scans. As my goal is to work in an ER (hopefully a PEDS ER) someday, I had my doubts as to if this floor would adequately prepare me for the ER.

In comes Job #2. As I wasn't sure if I really wanted to work on a low accuity PEDS floor, I interviewed at a local adult hospital. I was offered a job on a med-surg floor that sees a variety of accuities and conditions, esp nursing home pts and drug addicts. While I had hoped to have some time to way my options, I was told by HR that I had to make a decision in less than a day if I wanted a sign on bonus. I knew if I came back to adult I would work this floor, and since both facilities are owned by the same mega corporation, I would only have to stay on a floor in either one for 6 months before I would be eligible to transfer. So, after shadowing on the floor for a morning, I said I would take the job.

Shortly after my decision I began wondering if I made the right decision. I know in 6 months I can transfer back to PEDS, and I know that on an adult med-surg floor I'll gain time management, assessment skills, and prioritization. Honestly from what I've seen, adult looks harder than PEDS because of more than one disease process per pt, most pts generally have more meds, and nurse having more pts.

I guess I just needed to think this out, need to know I made the right decision. :typing

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

you can make yourself sick worrying about what might have been and be so anxious that you do not learn from the present. My advice is to not change anything now. No matter where you work the first year or two is "learning how to be a nurse". You will be able to make better decisions once you get your feet on the ground. Every job is temporary, even if it lasts 20 years. Doubtful you will stay in the same place forever. Relax and learn and think of it as on-the-job-training!