Has anyone worked two nursing jobs because they had more than one passion?

caliotter3 · Jul 4, 2017

Most new graduates work at the job that hires them. Few are lucky to be offered a position of their choosing. Best to temper one's expectations to the reality of the employment market.

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 5, 2017

That particular combination would be difficult -- and maybe impossible for a new grad. You'll need to go through orientation for each job and orientation often requires a full time commitment. Even if you could work that out somehow, you would still have commitments to each unit for holidays, weekend, rotating shifts, etc. That would be too difficult to work out, and as a new grad your skill level is not worth it to the employer to try to make it work. Also, if you were working in 2 units for the same hospital, you would have to be paid overtime pay for any hours over 40 in a given week. It's not realistic to expect to do that any time soon after graduation.

What might be possible over a period of years .... Work in one area for 2 or 3 years, then transfer to the other unit and work full time there for a couple of years. Then you might be able to be a per diem employee of both units or be in some sort of float pool where you might work some of your time in both of those units. At my hospital, someone with a few years of experience in 2 highly specialized areas could work in the float pool and get lots of shifts in their 2 areas of expertise, but wouldn't be guaranteed to work in one of those 2 units every shift. Not all hospitals have float pools like that, but you might get lucky.

You're probably going to have to make a decision and "go with that" for a while. Then, if you want to add another specialty to your repertoire, switch to the new specialty for a while. Good luck with whatever you decide.

metallaces · Jul 5, 2017

I should have specified that there's a huge nursing shortage in my province, especially in rural areas. Pretty much all of the new grads areally finding jobs in their desired areas :)

metallaces · Jul 5, 2017

That particular combination would be difficult -- and maybe impossible for a new grad. You'll need to go through orientation for each job and orientation often requires a full time commitment. Even if you could work that out somehow, you would still have commitments to each unit for holidays, weekend, rotating shifts, etc. That would be too difficult to work out, and as a new grad your skill level is not worth it to the employer to try to make it work. Also, if you were working in 2 units for the same hospital, you would have to be paid overtime pay for any hours over 40 in a given week. It's not realistic to expect to do that any time soon after graduation.
What might be possible over a period of years .... Work in one area for 2 or 3 years, then transfer to the other unit and work full time there for a couple of years. Then you might be able to be a per diem employee of both units or be in some sort of float pool where you might work some of your time in both of those units. At my hospital, someone with a few years of experience in 2 highly specialized areas could work in the float pool and get lots of shifts in their 2 areas of expertise, but wouldn't be guaranteed to work in one of those 2 units every shift. Not all hospitals have float pools like that, but you might get lucky.
You're probably going to have to make a decision and "go with that" for a while. Then, if you want to add another specialty to your repertoire, switch to the new specialty for a while. Good luck with whatever you decide.

This is excellent advice! I will likely start in imcu as this particular unit would give me a large variety of patients