anyone with hospital and office experience??

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey all - I posted this on the ambulatory board, but it doesn't look like there are many people there. I thought I might get a lot of responses here because y'all are so versatile :nuke:. Anyway, here's the original post - thanks for reading!!!!

Hi all! I was hoping that those of you with experience in bboth medical offices and hospitals could help me out here. I may have an opportunity to switch to a medical office that is affiliated with the hospital where I work. I'm currently in med/surg hem/onc, but I don't want to stay there forever. I had sort of resisted leaving my job becasue I am pretty comfortable there, and the pay is pretty reasonable. So here is my list of pros and cons, but I'm sure I'm missing some big stuff. Can you guys think of anything to add to this list? If you worked in a hospital and went to an office or vice versa, what did you think? Any advice for me? Anyway, here goes:

Pros of leaving

1) I'm on 2nd shift now, every other weekend. If I go, I would be like 8 - 4 Monday - Friday.

2) It would be a different kind of experience - I want to broaden my experience as much as possible.

3) I've been on my unit now for about 6 years, and I feel like I'm in a rut. Some days I love my job, but usually I feel pretty burnt out about it.

4) It would basically be a transfer (the nurses at the practice are actually hospital employees) rather than a complete move to a whole new place.

5) I don't want to stay in the hospital forever, and the longer I stay, the harder it will be to leave (you know what I mean $$$)

Cons of leaving

1) I like (most of) my coworkers a lot

2) I'm confortable where I work now

3) I would have to work 5 days a week where I only work 4 days a week now.

4) I am just starting to some training for some "higher up" stuff (charge, etc) - if I leave now, I will miss out on that stuff (but then, do I really want to do that in the first place??)

5) I will make less per hour if I go (I'm not sure what the difference will be - we haven't talked salary yet, but I know at least my diff is $5 an hour that I would lose - then again, 8 more hours per week of work would make up for that)

I've got more, but I don't want this post to be too long. I'm really just starting to think about this - what do any of you with experience have to say about all this?

Thanks!!!!!

Specializes in onc, M/S, hospice, nursing informatics.

Wow... this post sounds like I could have written it.

The thing that it came down to for me was this: Working day shift, I could not take my son to school every day (can do that at least a few days now working 7p-7a 3 nights a week). Can also pick him up every day with current schedule. Also, the cost of gas was a big factor. Two extra days means about $25 a week more in gas. That added to the shift diff and not being able to work bonus shifts (at $50 for every 4 hours) really adds up. With a new mortgage and being a single mom, I just can't do that right now. The benefits of staying were just too many.

Good luck in whatever you decide. Let us know!

Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

Well, add this to cons. If you have errands or appointments during the day, working second shift you can usually find time to do them. Workin 8-4, monday through friday, you'd have to take time off to get certain things done. And should your child get chickenpox, just take a week off 'cause daycare and school don't want to see the kiddo for a week. (That happened to me, my youngun got the chickenpox twice after her vaccine!)

Specializes in Telemetry, Med Surg, Pediatrics, ER.

I debated on going to work in an office also, but it just did not weigh out. The "normal" schedule was appealing, but then again my hospital schedule definitely has perks. Working 3 days a week is definitely better than working 5 days a week. The hospital benefits were much better. The difference in pay was just the icing on the cake. I would not want to work more hours to make up the difference in salary. I have a friend that works in the office setting and she is content with the schedule, but in her case there is no challenge. I think a lot depends on personality and what you are looking for in a position. I would love to have a hospital position with no weekends or holidays, but I don't foresee that happening at the moment. For me, I think that being happy with the job itself is more important. Yes, if I dwell on it working holidays makes me miserable, but those are only a few days out of the year. I don't want to be miserable the rest of the year just to have a few holidays off.

Thanks guys! I know I want to make a change, but the more I sit there and analyze things, the more I feel like I shoulld stay where I am. The reason this job seems so appealing to me is that, like I said, it's still afficiated with the hospital, so as far as all the free CEs and such, I'd still be able to get all that. Plus. if I wanted to, I could do 4 days a week and stay contingent on my unit. I just don't know what to do! If anyone has any more pros or cons, let me know!!! I am having a lot of trouble making up my mind!!!!!

Specializes in Telemetry, Med Surg, Pediatrics, ER.

What do you feel you would be happier doing? Is the office position going to challenge you enough, or is that a factor? What skills would you be using in the office setting? If the difference in salary is a consideration, how long would you be happy working an extra shift to make up the difference?

Specializes in midwifery, gen surgical, community.

Worked in a surgical ward for 4 years doing early, late and night shifts (often all in the same week).

Got a job in the hospitals outpatient department about 9 months ago and I love it.

Most of my aches and pains have gone as I am not constantly lifting.

I have not been assaulted once!!

I have every weekend off with my husband (big bonus as for years he was in the Royal Air Force and we where sometimes like ships that pass in the night).

My patients thank me, the doctors I work with thank me, and my colleagues are really great to work with.

Would I go back to ward nursing? No.

This is only my experience. Hope you work things out.

Specializes in Oncology, Research.

If you require any kind of flexibility in your life then stick with the hospital. While I love my job now, I do miss only having to work three days a week. I am also back in school and it is difficult to find classes that suit my preferred schedule. Luckily, I have a fairly autonomous job with no set schedule except that I need to work 40 hours. I also work in heme/onc (although I am a uni employee) and have heard that our clinic nurses (hospital employees) are paid about $1-2 less than in the hospital but they are generally much happier. It is just as crazy in our clinic but you do have a lot of opportunities that you don't find on the floor. Funny thing is, when you ask them what they like most about working in the clinic, the thing they like the most are all of the free lunches catered by the pharm companies! Trivial really, but it is a nice perk.

Specializes in physician office, ortho/neuro.

One of your pros was that your feel like you are in a rut in your current position. I worked in a clinic for 8 years before going to the hospital. I left the clinic because I felt like I was in a rut. I am out of my comfort zone right now working in the hospital, but feel there are more options for me in the hospital. The pay is also significantly higher at the hospital. Also, I know they say the clinic is a 8-4 job, but many times the physicians are running behind and you need to stay until the patient's are gone. There are also a lot of skills you won't use in the clinic. If you enjoy patient contact, you are probably better off at the hospital. Lots of paperwork and phone calls in the clinic. Best of luck to you in your decision.

What do you feel you would be happier doing? Is the office position going to challenge you enough, or is that a factor? What skills would you be using in the office setting? If the difference in salary is a consideration, how long would you be happy working an extra shift to make up the difference?

Good questions, good questions. I honestly feel like it is time to start thinking about making a change. I don't even know if this job is going to work out - they may still go another way, salary might not be enough, etc. I don't know all the details as far as skills, but I do know drawing labs, calling results to pts, some scheduling - pt appointments and setting up for tests, etc. It's a wide variety of stuff, really, definitely not as clinically challenging as my job now. I don't think that would necessarily be bad. I don't know about the working 5 days a week. On one hand, I really don't want to have to do that. On the other, I would be able to see the people I love. I feel like now, I can't even call my friends because they are asleep when I get off work, you know? It would be a big plus to have weekends and holidays off, and even if I did have to take the plunge and do 5 days a week, it might be better. Also, as I said, it's still a hospital job - there is a possibility that I could do 4 days a week at the office and one at the hospital, etc.

Nice thread! I have an office interview coming up, and these are all great things to consider. I would say make a list of pros and cons, and start with the biggies. Can you afford to make the change? Is it worth it for your sanity? Try not to get too attached to coworkers, though, because you never know how long they will be there. True, great coworkers make the job better, and bad ones make it worse, but like I said, staff changes. Good luck!

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