Can a new grad have spidey senses??

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SOOOOOOOO I have literally been driving myself crazy trying to "secure the bag" as a new grad by applying for several jobs. So far I have been offered two positions, but I'm not sure which one to accept. Although the first contender is located an hour and a half away from me, I'm attracted because it's a critical care RN position and offers several certifications during the course of the residency program. Whats weird is during my interview with the director of the unit she only asked me two questions and told me to reach for the stars.(LOL IF I DIDNT HAVE TOUGH SKIN I COULD HAVE CRIED) Two weeks later I got an email from them saying that they have selected another candidate blah blah, but within hours of that same email, I got a phone call saying oh that was a mistake "insert director name here" actually wants to hire you. The second contender is at a hospital closer to my home, thirty minutes to be exact. It is on a med/surg floor and the interview went 10 times better than ole "reach for the stars and follow your dreams" lady. I want to take the position as an ER nurse but the way I was offered the job seemed weird especially in conjunction with the way the interview went. What should I do ignore my gut or follow my heart and hope for the best?

I thought I was the only one who had this pet peeve...now I realize I'm not alone. "If I could I'd hug you up big and kiss you on the forehead, I would, "literally.":yes:

The "literally" thing is my daughter's pet peeve also. :)

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Nope nope nope to that commute. Remember it's not just the shifts. It's the mandatory staff meetings, the "can you stay after your shift for a meeting," the competency fairs, the "required" classes...I could go on. As others have pointed out here, you will be wiped out after 12 hours anyway. You don't want to drive 90 minutes after that.

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Specializes in ER.

The commute will be unsafe, and you will be mentally exhausted trying to learn all you need to know in ICU. It's a hard no on that job from me. BUT in a couple years you will have nursing experience, and know what questions to ask during an interview to make sure its a supportive environment you can live with. Maybe you'll want to do it then, or you'll keep applying for your dream ER position and get it. For your first job, go with the supportive learning environment, and coworkers that you can trust. You have TONS to learn. After a year, go for the more challenging spot.

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I think, deep down, you know the answer to your own question. The commute is long and potentially unsafe, the manager is flaky...you might want ICU, but you don't want this job. Start in med surg, transfer down the line. It might not sound glamorous, but it will most likely be a better fit for you.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and emergency nursing.
I thought I was the only one who had this pet peeve...now I realize I'm not alone. "If I could I'd hug you up big and kiss you on the forehead, I would, "literally.":yes:

I think we can literally blame the Kardashians for starting this madness.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I'm going to echo what a lot of folks here have said. Stay away from that job that's 1.5 hours away. Any job that the manager wants to hire you after asking you about 2 questions isn't likely going to be a good job as the manager will likely be less than reliable. I'm not saying that a new grad can't do well in ICU or ED, but not having a MS background definitely makes transitioning to one of those specialties more difficult. In order for a new grad to do well in an ICU or ED setting, they must be in a very well structured and supported program that basically is an extended orientation. This is because the new grad has to really learn how to be a nurse as well as learn how to be a nurse in that specialty. MedSurg is a great place to learn as it's going to be more like school (you're pointed toward being a MS nurse) and you get exposure to a lot of different diseases, conditions, post-surgical care, and a ton of comorbidities all while learning to assess all of it in an organized manner.

I was lucky in that I started out in the ED and I did get an extended orientation along with some mentorship for my first year. Even so, I didn't have an absolutely fantastic time as I did have to work with people that weren't exactly thrilled with the idea of having a new grad starting there.

One other thing I must caution you about is the extended drive. Being 90 minutes away doesn't seem too bad at first, and usually it isn't that bad. It gives you time to mentally prepare for the shift and decompress afterward without having to do any of that at home. However if you don't get good sleep, it will bite you. You work 12 hours, so that means often 12.5 hours. Add another 3 for commute time and you're now at 15.5 hours. Toss in about an hour for getting ready for work/bed and you're now at 16.5 hours. That means you have 7.5 hours for sleeping. On one hand that's great. On the other, if anything keeps you up, you're in for a world of hurt. That's bad enough as an experienced nurse. That's worse as a new grad. I know. I have nearly crashed my car because I was nodding off (forced microsleeps) because I was too exhausted after some shifts.

My current job is in the ED and it's just a few minutes away from home. Great gig! Of course I'm also now a reasonably experienced nurse in the ED... Even if I'm mentally exhausted at the end of my shift, I have to only drive less than 15 minutes and I'm home. That means I can decompress if I have to (rarely do I need to), take care of a couple chores (like take kid to/from school) and get some decent sleep in the meantime. I have a lot more "me time" than I used to and it's wonderful because on those days I work (especially if it's back to back work days) I'm not spending most of my time at work, commuting to/from work, or sleeping.

My advice: take the M/S position close to home. You'll learn lots, you'll retain more than you realize, and you'll just have an easier time transitioning from student to working nurse. If you want to later branch out to a high-speed or high-acuity specialty later, you'll find you will be a better nurse for starting out with a solid, well-rested job under your belt.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
The "literally" thing is my daughter's pet peeve also. :)

Pet peeve of mine, too.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
I have learned to ALWAYS trust my gut...

Learning to trust your gut (about jobs or anything else) is one of the most important lessons we can learn... in nursing, and in life. Congratulations and here's to your success!

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Go with your gut. Hopefully you got a tour of the unit and met some of the staff nurses, if you got a positive vibe in one place in particular that is where you will have the best experience. Even as an experienced nurse you need help sometimes, having people around ready and willing makes your life so much easier

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