Experienced nurse- Career Advice

[HealthyNurse]

Hello everyone! I'm looking for some feedback on what is an extremely difficult career decision for me. I've been working as a Medicare surveyor in my specialty area (home health and hospice) for the past 3 years. I absolutely love my job! Before getting this position, I never would have imagined saying that about a nursing-related job. I genuinely enjoy the work and the benefits are unprecedented (home office when not on survey, 13 paid holidays OFF, tons of vacation time, etc). It's a cushy government job and I'm not afraid to admit it! The problem is that I've been wanting to move to Florida for quite some time. I have no family in the state where I live and I never wanted to move here years ago when I married my now ex-husband. I've been trying to get out since our divorce 5 years ago, but life has gotten in the way. It would be wonderful to think that I could just transfer my position to something similar in Florida, but unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. I'd be taking a $25,000 pay cut and I can't afford that.

I've been interviewing and searching for the right position and I finally thought I found it working in staff education in a hospice. It's a job similar to one that I've had in the past, so I would be fairly comfortable with it, although it's not something that I would *love* like the job I have now. Unfortunately, when I was given the job offer, I was also told that the hospice will soon be moving their main office location and it would be about an hour commute from where my family lives and where I would also want to live. On top of that, the job also requires about 50% travel, which is not something that I want. I'm willing to do some travel, but I wasn't expecting as extensive travel as this apparently requires. My dilemma is that I feel like I'm running out of options for reputable companies in my field. I don't know if I should continue to hold out or just go for it and worry about finding a different job later if I find that I don't like the commute or travel. I'm most worried about the long commute, as I used to have an hour commute to work and it about killed me. Thoughts?

[IVRUS, BSN, RN]

Well I can honestly say that I know where you are coming from! I too moved away from family once upon a time, and though 800 miles seperated us, I longed for home, my son, my parents and my sisters. After four years apart, I moved back, and though after 10 years of being back home, I still do not make the same amount of money that I was making in the other state, my emotional fullfillment is priceless. I too travel in the job I perform now, tracking anywhere from 38,000 to 40,000 miles EACH YEAR... but for me, being with those who truly love me, truly get me, and those which are blood means so much to me that each mile I drive is quite okay, as I know each W/E, my families face will be there to erase many, many miles.