confused about which position to take.

[law3576]

I am a nursing student and will graduate this coming June. On Friday I had an interview for a tech position on 2 floors. I have a friend who works in this hospital and she has her opinions about each floor and I don't know if I should listen to her advice or go on my own. I am confused about which position to take. One is on a pulmonary medicine floor which is brand new and my friend said that everyone gets along great on that floor. My reservation about that floor is that I won't get as many clinical skills. The head nurse told me that I need to get 20 blood draws with someone else and also 10 EKG's before I am on my own. She said it may take months before I get my 20 blood draws completed and also that the censes may be low sometimes so they will call you out alot or if a sitter is needed elsewhere you get transferred to that.

The other position is on an oncology floor which also has some med-surge. My friend said that floor has alot of nurses who don't get along and I could sense tension as I walked that floor. The head nurse was very nice. She said that I would have my blood draws and EKG's done in a matter of weeks because the tech's are constantly drawing labs. I am interested in possibly pursuing a career in hospice when I am finished with nursing school so the oncology floor is appealing to me.

My question is would you take the job where you feel you could learn more but I am sure alot of gossipping and back stabbing go on which could add to my stresses while finishing nursing school or take the job where everyone seems to get along better but you won't gain as many skills.

I was offered the job on the oncology floor which also made me concerned becuase that means they are desperate. The pulmonary medicine floor said she had a couple more interviews to finish and I would be from her sometime next week. I am really confused right now.

Thanks for any advice and have a happy labor day!

[llg, PhD, RN]

As a nurse with 30 years of experience -- most of those in Staff Development working with issues related to related to the orientation and futher education of nurses -- it seems very clear to me.

Go to the pulmonary unit.

In the long run, whether you learn the technical skills quickly or slowly will make little difference in your career. You'll learn those skills as you need them, and it is a mistake to think they are more important than they really are. The relationships with your colleagues that will nurture you (or make you miserable) as you launch your career are FAR more important.

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

As a nurse with 30 years of experience -- most of those in Staff Development working with issues related to related to the orientation and futher education of nurses -- it seems very clear to me.

Go to the pulmonary unit.

In the long run, whether you learn the technical skills quickly or slowly will make little difference in your career. You'll learn those skills as you need them, and it is a mistake to think they are more important than they really are. The relationships with your colleagues that will nurture you (or make you miserable) as you launch your career are FAR more important.

I agree completely! In the long run, you will probably learn more on the pulmonary unit. If the atmosphere there is much better and the staff is happier in their jobs, they are more likely to teach you things that will help you later, than on a floor where people don't get along and aren't satisfied.

Don't focus just on the skills. You can learn a lot outside of that. Let it be known that you are willing and eager to learn all you can, and the nurses on the staff who like to teach will take you up on that.

Good luck!