I'm in a pickle!

[mondkmondk]

I have to be careful here because nurses I know may also be members here...

Anyway, long story as to why I quit/resigned my LTC job of 2 years but am now seriously needing a job. I receive disability, but can make up to $940/mo. before they will consider taking it from me. So, depending on what I make an hour, that will determine how many days or hours I can work per month.

Plus I am still trying to complete enrollment to attend further education to complete my BSN, MSN, then NP school....which I plan to take years to do this since I have 2 children and one is just a tad bit above a year old. My long term goal is to get off of disability and work at least 32 hours/week as an NP.

Anyway, I digress. My dilemma now is that there are 3 potential jobs for the taking...2 of which I have done before so I would need little orientation. Then there is a PRN position open at another that I've never done before. I think it would be interesting to try the PRN one, but my interview with them didn't go too well because I had not submitted a resume due to computer problems. During the interview, I was asked 5 pages of questions that reminded me of RN state boards. I knew I was nervous because of my extremely dry mouth (thankfully they let me bring in my water bottle) but closer to the end of the interview, the nurses interviewing me were joking around and they seemed more personable to me then. Anyway, I am going to use my mom's computer and go ahead and submit my resume. They said it would take them a couple of weeks before they decide anything, so I called the DON and told her she could expect my full resume sometime beginning of this week.

So...should I hold out for the PRN job with an orientation time of 30 days and higher pay or should I go with the LTC job which would require little orientation, weekend option, and a slightly lower pay...or go with an agency for a weekend hospice nurse with also slightly lower pay and lots of travel connected to that.

I SO don't know what to do. I told the LTC DON (whom I love to death) that I wanted to wait to see if my weird interview ended up getting me the job that I would be doing something new at and if not, I would definitely go back with her to that particular LTC job.

I'm nervous about doing something I've never done, but yet excited at the same time. From reading all I wrote, what would be your impression of what I am wanting to do?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and support/advice!

Blessings, Michelle

[TopazLover, BSN, RN]

Depending on your situation prn work can be tough with little ones as you will get called to cover shifts for illness, etc. as well as have hours scheduled. You may find this difficult with child care. If you are just getting off disability you may find that the new job is quite stressful.

I don't mean to be discouraging just point out things you are already thinking or you probably would not have talked to the LTC at all.

In any case, best of luck. Glad to hear you are well enough to get back to work.

[MissouriBSNstudent]

Isn't disability supplemental income designed for people who are unable to work?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Since you are asking what job to take, I would say take into consideration what your "disability" is - which job is going to aggravate it the least.

[MN BigJ]

I'm sorry but I have a real problem with this. You obviously can work and the way it sounds more that what they say you can to get full benefits, isn't disablity supposed help people that can't work or suppliment the income you make at the job you can work at. Granted I don't know what your disability is, however, using disability to pay for your way of life to get through school even though you can work is really an abuse of the system and it chaps my hide.

[Bluehair]

I too would be interested in a little more detail re; the disability thing - is it short term disability? It seems odd, but I know sometimes it is difficult to post everything needed to understand.

One thing to ask re: the possible PRN position is how often you get called off or put on call. I currently have a PRN position, and went for an entire month of being put on call, or getting called off entirely, due to low census. It's something else to consider from the financial perspective.

[Cherry2000]

Its not like she is getting rich off of the disability income and she did say she was trying to get off of it....... From what I know about it, its not even enough to survive on and that would explain why she is trying to supplement it.

[TopazLover, BSN, RN]

I am a little surprised at the critical views I see about being on disability and trying to get off. I certainly would rather be able to work than having to receive disability. You don't get disability because you choose not to work. There must be adequate documentation of why you cannot.

I had a Pulm Embolism in the past and had disability until I was able to go back to work. I could not wait to get back in the saddle. Being a nurse is more than a job to me, it is a career, and part of my identity.

I would support any one who is honestly trying to return to work. Please try not to be critical of a situation that you may not know much about. I doubt if disability would "pay your way through life". It certainly did not in my case.

MN BigJ

I'm sorry but I have a real problem with this. You obviously can work and the way it sounds more that what they say you can to get full benefits, isn't disablity supposed help people that can't work or suppliment the income you make at the job you can work at. Granted I don't know what your disability is, however, using disability to pay for your way of life to get through school even though you can work is really an abuse of the system and it chaps my hide.

[MN BigJ]

The thing that gets me is the fact the her goal is to get back to work once she has her NP in 2 years. That was the statement that gets me. Like I said, I don't know the situation, however, if you have an oppurtunity to make more than disability pays I believe you should do it and stop living off other people. There are other programs out there to help with bills and food, no reason to abuse one system when there are systems out there to help.

I know that there are people out there the legitimately need disability. However, there are millions out there on disability that don't need it. I know to some of you I sound cruel and horrible, but that is the real world, like it or not. By the way, you miss quoted me, I didn't say paying her way through life with it, I said using it to pay for your way of life to get through school.

[mondkmondk]

Oh, I'm sorry...let me explain my disability. It is for bipolar disorder. I've only gotten it the past few years...back when I was dx'ed in May 2001, I could barely parent my only child back then, I was that unstable. They tried all different meds with me and nothing seemed to work or the ones that did work a little had horrid side effects. I went on disability as a last resort and ended up having to get a disability lawyer and finally got it on my third try.

Now, about 4 years ago...2004, I met up with this wonderful psychiatrist during one of my hospital stays who recommended to me this really old med that hardly anyone prescribes anymore. I said sure go ahead let's give it a try...anyway, it is my miracle drug and I told myself at the time (I was unemployed) that if I could stay stable and out of the psych hospital for years at a time, then I could give my disability up and go back to work full time, which has been my goal ever since getting on the new/old med.

My psychiatrist now knows of my plans but wants me to take things slow; she actually recommended working very minimally to see if I could handle the stress. If I jump into full time without gradually working up to it, I would lose my disability pay for good which wouldn't be good for me. Right now she says I should try to work prn or maybe only weekends and be gradual about working up.

There are also some people here on the "nurses with disabilities" forum who have suggested ways to work full time and put my SSDI on hold as it were to see if I'm able to work full time.

I definitely am not abusing the system...my bipolar was bad enough at one point that another hospital psych director dx'ed me with "schizoaffective disorder". My own psychiatrist disagrees with that, however, in all the pages of my file it says that now which is I think why the judge granted me my disability in the first place. I actually feel I have BEEN schizoaffective, but am not now. I think the dx came as a result of a situation way back when.

Anyway, I really just wanted everyone's opinion about the jobs, not to get into a battle about my disability. I'm not ashamed of it because I don't see it as me abusing anything; just taking some time to work up to full time with my long term goal being to get off of it.

I hope I've made sense...I sure didn't think people here would accuse me of abusing something that was put into place because of a real need for it.

Blessings, Michelle

[MN BigJ]

No that doesn't seem like abuse. Now if you would have said that 3 years ago you hurt your knee then that would be abuse. I think it would be a good idea to check on how they will work with you to see if you can handle the stress of work without some sort of relapse. School, family, work is a lot of stress so take it slow, but also realize that as an NP you will have even more stress than as an RN. So testing the waters a little might not be a bad idea. What does your psychiatrist think about trying to finish an NP program while managing the rest of life?

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

SSI is for people that are disabled according to federal standards. These standards may not be what some are thinking. My son receives SSI for a heart defect and I too can only work a certain amount or he'll get cut off. Now personally speaking, I could give a hoot about the meager funds, what is most important is health insurance for my son. Being a student, puts me in a pickle. According to the law, the first job I take that offers health insurance, I must take (if I work the number of hrs that qualifies me for benefits). By law, my employer must insure my son. If I move on, that second employer can deny him.

I can certainly understand why the op doesn't want to risk losing the ssi. My goal is not to have my son on state insurance once I can support us (including his medical needs).

In many states, once you earn more than the amount of your monthly SSI payments, the state will deduct $1 to every $2 you make. Once you reach the last dollar, you automatically lose all benefits. You may want to check into that.