Career Advice: Stay in Med/Surg as Charge or Go to ICU

[NurseRotten]

I am currently looking for a position with more growth. I have been offered a position in ICU. I also recently was offered a position as a charge nurse in Med/Surg. I can see the benefits of the advanced knowledge that critical care nursing will give me, but at the same time, I want to go forward into management.

If I go to ICU, I will start as a novice. I am an experienced Med/Surg nurse. If you faced the same decision, what would you do?

Each job pays about the same.

The Med/Surg position requires a longer commute, and a different shift than I am accustomed to working. The boss that offered me the MS position knows me from her previous job, and has told me that she would serve as a mentor to help me step into management. I trust her, and she gave me advice about how I could stay at my current place of employment and still advance my career.

[RNDreamer]

you said "I am currently looking for a position with more growth." It seems to me that the charge nurse position would be the obvious choice.

[nursenpnk, RN]

I am an ICU nurse and I have talked to multiple nurses that have come from the floor and it is a different world. Many have said that it has helped them to expand their knowledge base and see nursing in a different light. If your heart is in mangement go for it, if you want to see a different side of nursing i would check out the icu. both sound like promising positions best of luck with ur decision and future position :-)