First job advice...

[sdugan07]

I had two different job interviews yesterday, and I got both of them; what one should I go with?

A little background to me first would probably help. I graduated last December with my BSN. I passed my boards in April. Then I started a really long hike, thus forgetting many things I learned in school. I finished the 2,184 mile trek of the Appalachian Trail a few weeks before Christmas. Now I am back in northern Maine, and I have been out on the job hunt. Apparently taking a thru-hike is considered professional way up here, because both interviews I had yesterday basically hired me on the spot.

The first interview was at a very small hospital. They offered me a 24 hr position, doing night shifts at $20.05/hr. As a new nurse I know that getting hospital experience is very important.

The second interview was at a nursing facility - a pretty large, really nice one. They do not have any open positions, but they extended an offer for a 40 hr position that they will create me; this position is day shifts at $24.00/hr. I do have 5 years of CNA experience in gerontology and I love working with the elderly, but I really don't know if this is the best choice for me to make in the long run.

What do you all think?

[ukjenn231]

What do you feel? If you feel like the nursing facility is a good fit for you, then take it. It sounds like they want you, are accomodating you, and the pay is better. While it is important to get hospital experience if you are pursuing certain career paths, it's not for everyone. Every other post on this board is from some floor nurse who is "burnt out" and "wants to quit." I am a floor nurse, BTW, so I'm not saying any of this because I think the hospital is horrid. It's where I want to work. So just go with your gut, unless you want to go to CRNA school in a year or something and need the specific hospital experience.

[Starkrav]

I think it depends on what is most important to you. Schedule? Pay? Experience? Nurse-patient ratio? Any long term goals that you need to consider? Also, at the small hospital, do you know if low census is a common problem?

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Get the hospital experience. You then can go to LTC with great skills. Much harder to try to go from LTC to hospital.

[Kittypower123, BSN, RN]

It really depends on your long term goals. If you want to work in geriatrics/LTC, go with that one. If you see yourself in the hospital in the future, it would be better to take the hospital job.