Choosing an NRP

[egm09100]

am looking for some outside advice. I'm set to graduate with my baccalaureate in Nursing in 30 days. I have worked so hard to get here, and it's truly disheartening to know that my senior celebrations have crumbled at the very last minute. But I won't even get into that...I'm sure many of us are feeling the pain!

The good news is that on Tues/Wednesday of this week I interviewed with two separate organizations. A large, well-admired academic medical institution in a large city; and one a 265-bed urban community hospital in the suburbs. Both are in the same Midwest city but in a completely different state that I live. Both are going to require my fiance and I to move across the U.S by July 1st.

On Friday of this week I received offers of employment from both! I want to be excited that my nursing goals have led me this far! It is amazing! (again, I feel like I cant really be happy about it d/t current circumstances), but I surely can't complain. Both residency programs hired me for a cardiac unit, but the medical center offers more options (I.e. VAD/Transplant, Cardiac Step down, etc.). Throughout my undergrad I've always kind of figured I would be a NICU nurse at the end. Before recently, I had never really considered going into cardiac care. Maybe for a day? Regardless, I know I could do good work even if it is not my passion.

My dilemma now lies in the fact I have 5 days to make a decision on taking the offers. I need to decide which hospital is better to begin my career. The smaller hospital offers more money and a shorter commute to where we think we might live. The Med center would be a 45-minute commute with less pay but more prestige and opportunity right away.

How do I even decide? I see the pros and cons of both, and yet am terrified to make a career decision. How do I decide which option is a better choice as a new graduate nurse? Also, knowing I haven't considered cardiac nursing much, are these even the right choices at all?? Should I hold out and keep applying to NICU jobs as a new grad knowing how hard it is to get in?

If you have dealt with this situation and had to choose between two jobs offers, how did you do it? Have you ever regretted your decision?

I appreciate any bit of advice! Thank you for being my inspiration. I am honored to be joining the profession very soon!!