Got Offered a great job with not enough pay!

Nurses Career Support

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Hi everyone,

I am currently a Psychiatric Technician in a psych hospital. I have my bachelor's degree in psychology. I've made a career change and I have been accepted into a BSN program for the fall. I wanted to explore different CNA positions to get some more experience. I applied for a PRN healthcare tech position on the oncology floor in our metropolitan hospital. I know it is a great opportunity to learn and grow, but they are offering me almost a dollar less than what I am currently making (both jobs are in the CHS network so they know what I'm already making). They said the healthcare tech position is a "demotion" from psychiatric technician so I have to be paid 5% less. That is a problem for me! I was expecting to make at least the same as what I am making now, if not more.

Also, since it is a PRN position, I would like to keep my current job part time and work PRN on the side so that I can keep my health insurance/benefits until I can get it through the school in August. I was planning to work part time and PRN until school starts and then just work PRN. HR said they would look into seeing if there is a part time position open on the oncology floor and let me know tomorrow. But - if they call me tomorrow and offer me a part time position at almost a dollar less than what I am making, I just don't know if I can accept.

Does anyone have any advice about my predicament???

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The CNA job is not going to offer you any more advantage than your psych tech job (assuming you hold the psych tech license on par with LPN, such as in CA, not the psych tech position that is more on par with CNA). If I were you, I would work on making your present job schedule work better for your school schedule and forego the demotion.

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Well, I'm in NC and psych techs here are more like CNA's. I am tired of working in psych and want to get other experience. The oncology floor wants to hire me specifically because I am a student and they want to "groom" me I guess for a nursing position.

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If that is what you want, the employer informed you it comes with lower pay. Your decision. Keep in mind there is no guarantee of a nursing position. Find out if you can revert to the better paying position should the new job not work out to your satisfaction.

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Specializes in ICU.

Take the CNA job and continue working part time at your current Psych Tech job. PRN is nothing, time wise. I worked PRN in the CHS system myself for about a year and a half, and after orientation, I worked the bare minimum two shifts every six weeks and I got along just fine. A foot in the door's a foot in the door. It's worth working two shifts every six weeks to have a foot in the door in a major health system on a nursing unit. :)

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Thanks for all the advice!

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