Am I Nuts? Should I just take this job??

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Hi everyone!

Please bear with me as this is my first post and I am extremely anxious with my life at the moment!

I am a new graduate BSN student as of May 9th and am waiting on authorization to take me boards ASAP.

I am VERY passionate about OB (yes I know, all new grads are) and very desperately want to work in this area after NCLEX. Unfortunately, OB is very competitive and most of my area hospitals want 1-2 years experience for both L&D and Mother Baby. I have worked the past two years for an OB/GYN office and did my final 120 hours of clinical in postpartum so I have experienced the area well enough to have some passion for it.

I have an informal job offer with the Postpartum floor I did my leadership floor on this past semester. Both the practice manager and the education coordinator have encouraged me to apply after NCLEX and I would be brought in for an interview. This hospital in the top hospital in my city (and one of the top in the country) with the busiest OB unit. I LOVED my clinical in postpartum and would surely work here as a new grad except......

1. I am not from the area that this hospital resides in. I was living at my university when I did clinical there so the commute wasn't terrible. I am now back at home 40 miles away so the commute would be over an hour daily into downtown, major metropolitan city traffic. I am not at all opposed to commuting but downtown traffic is the WORST in my city. I can't quite move that way because it is EXPENSIVE to live downtown and I am just starting out on my own. I have pretty substantial student loan debt, manageable with good pay of course :/

2. Being that this a downtown hospital, you have to pay daily to park. $10 a day to be exact.

3. The nurses on that floor HATE HATE HATE this hospital. They are quite bitter and told me not to work there repeatedly. Even though it is a top hospital, it is understaffed chronically and since it is so busy (sometimes, up to 6 couplets per nurse!) the older nurses have been leaving in droves. What kind of environment am I walking into?

4. The pay for this hospital is below average because of its name in the medical community. It is a nationally recognized hospital; the name may mean a lot to future employers and graduate schools.

I have been searching and applying for other opportunities in OB in my area. I am just afraid that I won't find anything better. Others would probably be dying for this opportunity but I don't want to put myself in a bad spot. Should I just give up on OB all together and look in different specialties? I love OB but I'm getting a lot of outside pressure from my family to just take a job and work. I don't think it would go over to well if I am unemployed for a year waiting for OB.

AM I CRAZY???

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency.

Honestly, if you have so many reasons why you shouldn't take it, I wouldn't. I went through the same thing, I fell in love with pre and post op and got a position as an OR intern but turned it down because the hours/pay/parking/etc. just weren't feasible for me and I accepted a med-surg job that will make me happier. I'd say that you should branch out a bit, it's hard to get a job in general so trying for just one specialty, unless you can afford to wait to get a job for a while, is going to be really difficult for you. Apply for other things, get your foot in the door, and then apply to OB jobs as they open as an internal candidate, it will probably be easier for you that way and who knows? You might find you like another specialty even better.

I wish you the best of luck!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

There are several red flags, run! I know you want OB but you will be much happier in a hospital that is closer, pays better & doesn't have a bad reputation.

Keep putting applications out & good luck!

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