Complicated Job Search - Advice please!

[JessRN672]

Hello all I am a long time reader first time poster so please be kind

I am a new grad, associates prepared with a BA in another field and just 2 weeks ago I was getting depressed and thinking I would never get a job. I was applying everywhere, and hearing nothing...then I got a deluge of calls for interviews!

I currently work for a large private health system in the north east as a per diem employee, it is here that I want to work in the long run (as a critical care nurse), but the position I really want here (the critical care fellowship) requires a BSN. So this week I got an interview for a state psychiatric hospital AND one for a position in the hospital that I want to work in long term. I have really good networking connections to the critical care fellowship available to me.

The position that I am interviewing for in the hospital that I want to work in long term however is not in a setting I want to work (its med surg, I REALLY don't like med surg...at all, it is not for me).

No, I haven't gotten any job offers, but I am stuck on what I would do if I were to get both offers, which is a possibility. My original plan was to work at the psychiatric hospital to see if I like psych as much as I think, and at the same time work on my BSN. When I finally get my BSN, I figure in about one year, I would either a) go ahead and apply for the critical care fellowship or b) During that year I will have realized I love psych and go on to get a psych NP degree and go down that path.

I am just concerned that I would burn bridges and/or upset HR/nursing dept at the large health system by rejecting them (temporarily) in favor of waiting until I am eligible for the critical care fellowship - sort of a beggars can't be choosers situation? Or if the critical care fellowship would look down on me working in behavioral health? Should I just be honest with them about my true goals in the interview for the med surg position? Should I just do both? I am so new and so in the dark here. Yes I do have a third "backup" job in the event I get neither. I know I'm kind of "counting my chickens before they're hatched", but I want to have a game plan for any situation that arises. Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance guys!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I would advise you to begin by clarifying your priorities. What is most important right now? Getting your BSN since you need it to be eligible for the ICU training program? If so, choose the job that will best fit with that goal. Why are you attracted to ICU? Many people find that it is difficult to re-enter acute care after working in psych for any significant period of time.

[jandramauri]

So what did you end up doing? Did you get into that fellowship program? Did you do psych or med surg? I'm in a similar predicament so...please share your experience. Thanks.