Help me decide please?

[Guest321574]

Not that I will be basing my decision entirely on the opinions of "strangers" but it is helpful to have some feedback from others with no direct investment on my decision (like my family does).

I have been lucky to receive 2 offers in a specialty area that I've always wanted to work in.

Job 1:

-Full-time night position,

-job includes base pay + night differential

-Commute is 30 minutes.

-Orientation is 3 months.

-I've already technically accepted and begun the physical, fingerprinting process, since this offer arrived first, and I did not think I would be offered Job 2.

-I prefer to work nights, over days generally, but who knows if that would change in a new specialty?

Job 2:

-Part-time day position

-Base pay is $2more, but since it doesn't include differential, it works out to exactly the same amount.

-Commute is 40min.

-Orientation is 5months.

-Day shift requires me to find extra childcare for after school.

-I have a prior working relationship with the manager of this job, and I feel I may burn a bridge if I turn down a job I've been asking about for 2yrs.

I don't technically need the extra hours that full time offers, because I have 2 per diem jobs, to make it up. But of course guaranteed hours is better than potential.

Thoughts? I am leaning toward #1, but the longer orientation for #2 is really stalling my decision! And technically would pay more if I were ever to get a night position, but that is not guaranteed to happen. Do you all think that 3 months for a specialty is okay for a not new grad?

[pinknblue82]

Number one seems to be a better fit. I got three months of orientation to my specialty plus was scheduled with more experienced nurses for the next couple of months and it was plenty. Hope it all works out for ya!

[33762FL]

#1 is better. The manager at #2 will understand why you are turning that job down, as full time is a better deal for any employee than part time. Nobody will blame you for choosing FT over PT.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Pretty close call.

Go with what's better for your kids.

[Born_2BRN]

Number 2 if you don't need full time for insurance reason, because you will get to spend more time with your kids. Have you worked night before? I had and hated it. I work 12 hrs shift now. Although I wake up and leave the house so early but I get to come home seeing my child before he goes to bed. On my day off I don't spend time sleeping during the day. Just my personal opinion.

[Guest321574]

Thanks for all the input. I went with option 2. I really feel a good strong orientation is going to be critical to my success, and I want, more than any other consideration, to be successful in this new field. I do enjoy, prefer even, the working environment of night shift, however, that is one of the things that was always a hard decision for me, because I don't feel very engaged in life in general when I'm working all nights. So its one of those things that I have to choose, do I value my work life or my family life more. I will adjust to days :)

But thank you all! I do appreciate that you all took the time to help me :)