Career vs Family

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Mar 1, 2016

"Am I a fool for second guessing taking this promotion?"

YES.

A management position, in the long run.. will offer you MUCH more flexibility. YOU will be in control of your hours, not the powers that be.

nutella, MSN, RN · Mar 1, 2016

I did do both - bedside and management.

It is much harder to juggle everything with a 9-5 job 5 times a week and a hubby who works shifts as well. Not to mention that management often means longer work times,meetings, and so on and forth. If your support system is great and you are all set in case your kids are getting sick or need to get picked up from school - by all means - go for it. But you will loose some flexibility and management is not necessarily as forgiving if you have to leave meetings or getting phone calls because your kids are sick or need to be picked up for other reasons. Also, find out if the management job requires on call 24/7 because in that case you will be called to the weirdest times. I gave up management because I was not interested in 24/7 coverage and middle management is the worst in my opinion in terms of how you get pushed form all sides.

Good luck!

dishes, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2016

Agree with nutella about middle management positions being the worst for being pushed from all sides and endless meetings. Are there any clinic positions available at your hospital?

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Mar 1, 2016

My days as a manager were not just a 9-5 job 5 days a week. I often had to stay and finish things that I couldn't get done because of meetings, interviews, etc. Granted I did not work weekends or holidays but it was tiring during the week . I stepped out of management when my kids were young so that I could be home more and be able to do room mom etc. And much easier when they were sick and couldn't go to school. I went back to management for a few years when they were older and more of their activities were in the late afternoon or evening and they were able to be at home by themselves for a period of time.

Just have to think about what you and your family need.

Farawyn · Mar 1, 2016

The ongoing, forever, conundrum of being a woman.

No, you aren't crazy. I had 2 kids under 18 months and a LEO hubs and we did the shift work trade off. I eventually went per diem. While I was often charge, I never worked as a full on titled NM.

I have NO regrets about that.

But that's me. You are you, and you already know your answer deep down. Don't feel guilty about it either way. Do what's right for YOU and YOUR FAMILY.

Libby1987 · Mar 1, 2016

I've done both and I finally returned to administration when my youngest started his senior year. I didn't miss anything before that. Now I miss a lot, but he's independent and busy with his life while I was alone quite a bit anyway.

The thing is, if you're stellar at your job, both patient and company focused and stay relevant both positions will remain remain open to you. I'd be more concerned if I were near retirement age.

Your bedside position is more task oriented, even if the day goes long when you're done you're done. Management on the other hand requires a different type of dedication, ownership and investment. That's what I love about management, it's more a project than tasks, and it's ongoing. Instead of taking care of patients, you're taking care of staff who take care of patients. To do them justice requires a lot of perseverance and you can't just clock out and leave it. Don't take management for what seems a great schedule, take it for the job itself.

twozer0, NP · Mar 1, 2016

You'll have to decide what you like. One thing I've learned is management have to be "yes" people. I'm not a yes person as I question everything. Coming from the ICU this might be a difficult transition as most ICU nurses are type A personalities. While they can function in mangement effectively there is also a portion that find it extermely difficult and unrewarding due to the conflicts you'll have to endure. You might get asked to do something that you dont agree with and its part of the job but do you want that type of stress riding on your soulders? Having a more stable home solution is great, and I love spending time with my kids even though im in the same boat as you (i'm also in school for NP so another year and this job is toast!). There will always be management jobs available but your kids are only young once. Its up for you to decide what is most important to you. Family is forever and those memories you make are what you'll live for in the long run. I look at it this way, would you want to be on your death bed thinking about the great times you had with your loved ones or the those awesome management situations. Work to live, dont live to work. Best of luck on your decision.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2016

I would take the promotion. If it doesn't work for you, you could always step down to bedside again.

I don't know how it works on your unit, but we have one manager and two unit leaders per shift. Our manager has been here for five years, one unit leader has been there for eight years, and one unit leader just left - after more than fifteen years working on the unit, ten of them doing unit leader. The daytime unit leaders have also been unit leaders for years. My unit always promotes from within and has not hired a unit leader from the outside for decades.

You are possibly looking at waiting another five or ten years for this opportunity to come around again if you don't take it now, or maybe even longer. It's easier to step down if it becomes too much than to spend the next however many years until a management position opens again regretting your choice.