Employment Dilemma

[Kim, HHRN]

Dilemma

I'm a fairly new grad, graduated in Dec. Took a job on a med surg floor where I worked as an intern. I'm still on a 3 month orientation which will end in a couple of more weeks. I never was what you would call "excited" about the job in med surg or even in a hospital, for that matter.

Here's the issue, my friend and I are a lot alike regarding our goals; we both want to eventually become NPs. We both do not like the hospital. She now has a job at a home health agency and has been orienting over the last 5 weeks and loves it. She is encouraging me to come to work there, too. It sounds really good. I have an interview on Friday.

If I get the job, would it be acceptable to keep my job at the hospital PRN or is that for nurses who have more experience? They did invest a lot of time into training me and I just don't want to up and quit. I don't really know how to approach the floor manager about this. Any suggestions?

[lkwashington]

In my opinion, I would get a year of hospital setting but if you are very lucky to get a job doing home health care that is great. When you decide to go back to school a lot of things they would teaching would be a hospital based at times. As a NP you would have to do clinical hours somewhere at a doctors office. A lot of them have patients admitted to the hospital. You dont have to do med surg but I earn at least a year of hospital setting then transfer to somewhere else. Just a thought. I hope I made some since.

[JB2007, ASN, RN]

I would just talk to your manager. Tell her/him how you are feeling and what you are planning on doing. However, I would consider the fact that a med-surg unit would be a very good place to work if you want to be a NP. You will learn a lot of skills that will help not only with your advanced schooling, but in your practice as NP.

I am not saying that you will not gain important skills in home health, but there are many benefits to working for a hospital when you want to be a NP. Also, being a new grad you will want to have a nurse with expereince close by that you ask questions of if there is a problem that should arise. Trust me the problems always arise. I can not tell you how many times I have dragged one of my co-workers into a room because something is not right. I have learned a lot from those co-workers too.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

If I may answer also. I went from A bunch of non hospital jobs; Headstart etc to hospital and then to Public health. I found myself floundering. I had skills but not what was needed in home health or WIC. I'd say stick it out in the hospital and get ALL the skills and then go to Home Health and get ALL their skills. That way you are set for whatever life throws at you. By all means if you are determined to leave, give your boss the option of offering you PRN. You are correct in that it costs a lot to train a new Nurse and it would be a fair assumption that they would love to have you under any conditions. Remember Home Health is going to spend a bunch on you also and you don't want to be labeled as left right after orientation on your records.

[goodstudentnowRN]

I would stick to the hospital for the minimum a year, then go to home health.

[Kim, HHRN]

Thanks to all who replied and your input. I wish one year had already passed by. I definitely don't want to be labeled as being undependable.

[delilas]

While I'm also with them, I was talking with an NP today at my clinical facility - the majority of her clinical time as an NP was spent in hospital settings (though she is now working in LTC). You're going to have to put up with at least a few more years of hospital no matter which way you work it; and experience on a med surg floor is invaluable and will help you progress where you want to go, no matter where that may be.

I would recommend you to stick with it, if for no other reason, because I am one of those people who has a couple positions on their resume that lasted around a year, and I suffered for it. Don't let it happen to you unless you're positive it's what you want.

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

Don't most NP programs require 1-2 years full time acute care experience to get in?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

If NP is your ultimate goal: stay in the hospital. Home health will not allow you to establish the multi-tasking, multi-care patient skill set needed as an APN.

[flbeau]

The NP programs I've looked at require 2 years critical care. I would research the school you're applying to because I'm not sure home health may fit your needs. Keep your eyes on the goal, if it is to be a NP then make the sacrifices now to meet that goal.

[Kim, HHRN]

I did not know that an NP required a couple of years of acute care. Thanks for the heads up. It's good to ask and find out before making a mistake. :)

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

You must have very, very strong med-surg skills to be a good home health nurse.

Not so sure your friend will not miss something/compromise someone along the way. Just from statistics about new nurses alone..I would bet the odds are your friend will overlook some major problems or may not be able to deal with certain issues as they arise.

I wouldn't be too excited about going it alone...I would be very, very....scared.