Great Experience vs Good Experience & $$$

[Sfrazilus]

So I've got a good problem. Right now, I'm working full-time as an aide at a subacute facility and getting $14.25/hr. Good environment, they've shown flexibility with my hours so I can finish school and I'm finally vested in tuition reimbursement. Unfortunately, it's a looong commute and I'm getting limited med-surg exposure b/c it's subacute, but the nurses and doctors are more than happy to share knowledge about anything that does come in.

Because of my interest in wound care, I've apply to PCT positions at Wound care centers. This led to me being offered a job at a major hospital much closer to home. But it's an aide position in the ER, not the wound care center. The pay is $12/hr and no tuition reimbursement. It's part-time so more flexibility with hours and I'll get a lot more exposure to critical care, but less exposure to management of wounds than I do in current job. The last 2 semesters of full-time with school have been physically draining and hurt my GPA, and there's 1 semester to go.

Any thoughts?

[WideOpenHeart]

That commute has to be a huge burden. The lower pay may well work out to be less of an issue when that commute is out of the picture (gas, eating out when over-stretched for time, etc.).

[MommaTy]

I am kind of in a situation like yours (not all the way). I am currently working at a rehab/nursing home as a Unit Secretary and sometimes pick up CNA hours. I only make 13 an hour and I work mon-fri 4:15p-8:30p, no holidays no weekends as a secretary (unless I pick up CNA shifts). I just got offered my dream job working at the hospital as a PCT 16.50 an hour (not including all the differentials I will be making) part time 7p-7:30a 2 nights a week. I start the ADN program in the fall. I did accept the offer because I have always loved pediatrics and that is the unit I will be working on. The hospital is closer, the pay is better, I would only work 2 days instead of 5 days. So I am going with the hospital for me. I think you need to think what you really want/like better. For me it worked out to be the better closer paying job. But you always want to think about your schooling, you want to pass, so if you need more time to study then you should maybe think of that. Since you plan on becoming a nurse and not being an aid forever. Good luck to you, sometimes we have tough choices but we will make it through. I have 5 kids, so I have to work and do school, no option to not work.

[funtimes]

This is kind of a tough call. My first inclination would be to stay in your current job since school should be the priority. Work experience is valuable, but not if it seriously harms your education, and its not like you arent getting work experience in your current job.

ER can be a great place to learn, but its far from being the end all be all. Remember that most ER patients arent really seriously sick or injured, so its not like you are going to be seeing serious trauma patients and people having a medical emergency all the time.

It also depends on what your long term goals are. If you plan on being an ER nurse, then maybe it would be worth it, otherwise it wont help so much. There are tasks and duties that a PCT on an inpatient unit sees and does that an ER tech has little to no exposure to, so its wrong to conclude that an ER tech is a higher level of tech. Personally I think the ER is the easiest place to work as a tech and if its a really large ER some of the tech positions are pretty much entry level.