Good-paying job vs. low-paying experience

[all4ofus, ASN, RN]

Hi all,

I am a working professional and just finished my first semester of nursing school. I don't really feel like the program offers enough clinical time and am concerned that I will not be able to handle a "real" hospital experience as a new grad. I just got offered a job as a patient tech at a very large, nationally recognized county hospital in my area. The problem is that the hourly pay is about 1/3 what I am making now, not to mention this is a huge change for me. I have been working for this company for five years and they have provided me with incredible opportunities, yet I yearn to do more to help people on a daily basis and get out of cubicle-land. My superiors have been extremely supportive about my decision to go to nursing school, but this final decision to "cut the cord" is so hard. Will it be worth it to do it sooner rather than later in exchange for patient care tech experience?

Thank you all!

[Anne36, LPN]

Do you think it would make it easier to have an inside track to a job when you are done with nursing school?

[all4ofus, ASN, RN]

Yes, according the recruiter that I am working with, virtually the only way to get a job at this hospital as a new grad is if you worked for them as a student nurse.

[RNTutor, BSN, RN]

If you think this is the hospital that you want to work at when you graduate, AND you can afford to take the pay cut, AND they are willing to work with your school schedule...then you should seriously consider it. It never hurts to have more clinical experience, or an inside track to an RN job down the road.

[caliotter3]

Kudos to those at your present job who are being supportive. Most employers would have been looking for excuses to sever their relationship with you as soon as you brought up the subject of a new career.

[jorjaRN]

If you can afford to take the pay cut, I would absolutely recommend the hospital job. With the current market for new grads, your best chance of getting a good job right out of school is to have clinical based experience outside of your school clinical hours.

Also, the experience you gain working in a hospital will prove inavaluable to you as you work your way through nursing school. You will have a leg up on your peers who lack experience in the hospital setting as you will be familiar and comfortable on a nursing unit.

If it is an option, you could look into going part-time at your current job, and working a day or two a week at the hospital. If the program offering you this job is geared towards students, they are generally very understanding of a variable schedule.

Best of luck to you!

[Morgan0429]

I would take the job at the hospital that pays less. Nursing school is allllll about sacrafice! You will not be at that pay for long...I have learned that there are pay raises quite often (at least where I work) and you can make up for it a little bit with shift differentials. You need that big hospital experience and it could also help you in getting that job after graduation! :) Good luck!