New grad- PDN or LTC/SNF?

Nurses New Nurse

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I am a new grad LPN and have been on about 8 interviews in the last week after quitting an awful ALF during orientation before I passed my NCLEX.

I found a long term care/ skilled nursing facility that I really like.

I had a decent interview, met all of the supervisors who seemed nice, met a few nurses on the floor, and got a tour of the facility. I can see myself fitting in there plus they would allow me to be on the skilled floor as a new grad because they don't accept trach or vent patients.

They had to choose between me and one other person for the job, and they chose me. I accepted the job offer the next day and filled out all of my new hire paper work online. The scheduling coordinator left me a voicemail the day after to set up my first day of work. I wasn't able to respond to her that day, so I tried to call the next morning and the phone was silent.

The DON texted me asking me if I was still interested in the job, or if he needed to interview other people.

I explained that the phone was silent when I tried to call and asked him to please have the scheduling coordinator contact me when she had a chance.

I waited until 4:00 and then tried to call her again and got through.

She said the phone lines were down all day and that's why I couldn't get through, and that she would e-mail me telling me what time to be there on my first day of orientation and my schedule for the week. Well it's Saturday and I never received an email from her this week. They might still be trying to figure out who I will orient with. I'm supposed to start next Wednesday.

I wouldn't have any set schedule at this LTC, would be required to be on call twice per month, no week end shift diff but required to work every other weekend. Decent benefits and they would get me IV certified. It would be good experience for learning all my skills.

Yesterday I got a call from a private duty agency that I had interviewed with earlier in the week. They didn't have any positions available at the time that would work for me, but now there is a full time position available. It would be with a child who has a g-tube and trach, close to my house, set schedule on a 3/4 rotation, every other weekend. The pay is $1.50 more per hour with guaranteed over time. My son had a g-tube as a baby. So even though that's not 'nursing' experience, I do have a lot of personal experience with them. I am nervous about the trach however, but she said I would get all the training I needed and as much orientation as I need with the current nurse and family.

If I don't feel comfortable with it, there is a 10 month old with just a g-tube that would be available in a few months.

At first I felt like this PD job would be great, but I know if my patient gets put in the hospital I'm out of a job and if something goes south it's only me there to handle it, and I don't have trach experience. But one on one without having to care of 30 people would be great, and having a set schedule and not being on call twice a month would be good. I would feel really uncomfortable telling the LTC facility that I found a different job, but the extra money would be great for my family and less stress on me would be nice.

Which job would you take if you were in my position?

Any advice is appreciated!

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