Career Advice: which job should I take?

[tserofw]

So I was hoping to post here and get some sage advice. This is my first post so please bear with me.

Some background: I am currently a nursing student about to graduate. I know for sure I want to work in critical care and have a couple options on how I can pursue this.

The first option for a job is working in the critical care float pool at the hospital that I attended nursing school as a GN. The way the float pool would work is I would orient on each of the critical floors at my hospital: PCU, MICU and CVICU/SICU for two months each. At the end of my orientation I would float to each of these floors as they need me. I like this option this most because it is a hospital I am familiar with and I like the idea of floating around to different floors. I like the change of pace and change of environment every so often. Plus, the GN money right out of school is really nice. My only concern is how this will look for me for future employers. Does it look bad that I have not worked on one floor for an amount of time? Also, will this be valuable experience or will it be disorienting?

The second option is after graduation studying for the NCLEX and once I am licensed start working at a different hospital in the area in their CVICU. The positives for this option are that I have a "home" so to speak and have all of my time and experience on one floor and I have time to study for the NCLEX. The negatives are that it is a new hospital to learn on top of transitioning to being a nurse. Also, there will be a lull in time where I am not making GN money.

I realize that I am lucky to even have the option of working in the kind of nursing I want to do right out of school. My concern is about 1.) getting the most valuable experience for my time and 2.) being employable based on the experience I choose to have. I want to be a well prepared critical care nurse. I would really appreciate any advice you may have to offer!

Sorry for the long post!

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

Do you already have a job offers for either of these positions?

In my opinion, experience as an ICU float nurse would not be a detriment to future employers. It actually gives you a broader base of experience than a single subset of the ICU and will make you just as marketable, or even more marketable in the future.

My caution to you, though, is that float nurse positions are very socially lonely. I don't just mean that it will be difficult to make friends a your job, though that is a factor. I believe peer support is important for nurses, particularly those who are new and working in a high stress environment like the ICU. I also mean that you won't be familiar to your co-workers on these units- they won't immediately recognize that you're a newer nurse, which might make them less likely to offer help during your shifts. It can be difficult to identify colleagues who can act as resources. It's also possible that, because you're not a regular on the unit, your assignments will either be 1. the most stable patients (i.e. those ready for transfer to step-down) or 2. the least desirable assignments (behavioral, challenging family, etc.). It's also entirely possible that your assignments will be fair and equal, I'm just repeating some of what I've heard from coworkers who used to work float pool.

I don't know your financial situation, so only you can decide if a few months without a GN salary is a significant factor. Orienting to a new hospital, especially since it will be your first nursing position (thus a longer orientation period) is really not a big deal.

[tserofw]

Thanks for your reply! Currently I work as a Student Nurse Assistant in the hospital at which I go to school. As an SNA I float to all kinds of floors and I don't know where I will be until I come to work that day. In doing so I have found it has had the opposite effect on me socially that you describe. I have met a lot of interesting people. Also, I would not be the only person in the float pool and the intention is to have us as a group do our training and classes together. I think this is done to create that feeling of a support network.

Thank you for your advice though! I think you are right about orienting in a new hospital.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Go for the float position, get the agreement to have orientation for two months on each unit in writing.

[tserofw]

They said they would do the orientation for two months on each floor. Do you think that's something that they would go back on?

[dishes, BSN, RN]

They intend to provide the two months of orientation, but staff call outs can disrupt these plans, I would get it in writing.

[FloatRN19]

Floating makes you more attractive to future employers. Shows you're flexible, adaptable, experienced in several different areas giving you multiple points of view. Someone who might not always know the answer, but knows how to find it. Never afraid to ask questions and you're excited to always learn new things.

Floating isn't socially like lonely. You always get the big hello. Assuming your competent and helpful, everyone is always happy to see you. And in so me cases units will get your number and beg you to pick up.

The real downside of floating is that if a certain unit loses staff, has a higher than normal census you might get stuck there for a few weeks. Which is bad if that unit can't keep staff for a reason or they have a few patients living on the floor.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Hello.

I've moved your post to AN's Nursing Career Advice where you'll find advice and support.

[MgoBlue, BSN]

I 100% agree with FloatRN19. I'm currently working in the float pool and I started there as a new grad last August. I love it. It has been an incredible learning experience. Of course it's not always easy but getting to know people on every unit is key. I would go for the float job any day, especially if your orientation is that long.