Help! First year new grad can't pick which job to take

HermioneG, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2017

Hi Amae13, congrats on the job offers!

Do you want to be an ER nurse? What are your goals?

Sour Lemon · Sep 9, 2017

Hi everyone! I just graduated in May 2017 and I currently have two job offers lined up. I am very grateful to be able to make a decision but I don't know which to pick and I have to make a decision by Monday morning .
So my first option is an ED residency program that will last 4 months and I will be able to receive various certifications such as ACLS, PALS etc. I believe it would be a great learning experience as a new grad however it is a small hospital that does not have a magnet status. Starts Nov.
My second option is at a larger hospital on the Orthopedic floor working as an RN. It is a magnet hospital and I believe has better benefits. Starts Oct.
Please help I have a day and a half on which to pick and my family, friends and coworkers and some say the ED program and others say the ortho floor. THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

Magnet status is the last thing I would consider when choosing between two jobs. I've never done ER, but four months of orientation sounds pretty good. I have done orthopedic and it's heavy ...literally, like lots of heavy lifting. How long would your orientation be on the ortho unit and how much better are the benifets?

And most of all, as the first responder asked, what do you want to do career-wise in the long run?

Amae13, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2017

Hi HermioneG and thank you!!

I have volunteered in the ER for a year in a different hospital and have always been interested in the dynamic but I did not think that I would be offered an ER position to be honest. I do know that I want to be involved in critical care from the other experiences I had during my time in nursing school and through an externship I had last year. I initially knew that I wanted to do the ER residency but some friends and family (nursing and non-nursing) were telling me that I should not work at the hospital that was offering it (the hospital had past financial issues). Some say that it is a risk working there while the ortho position is a safer option.

Amae13, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2017

Sour Lemon hi :). Ok thank you I thought that magnet status was a big thing to take into account but I was not too sure. The orientation for the ortho unit is about 3 months with some class time for 2-3 weeks I believe and then I follow a nurse on the floor for the remainder of the time. Benefit wise I don't think they are much better compared to the hospital with the ED program but I am not entirely sure. Thanks for the reply!

oceanblue52 · Sep 9, 2017

I worked for a hospital with Magnet status and was not happy with the working conditions. I suppose every hospital is different, but I agree with Sour Lemon, I wouldn't make that a deciding factor. If you are wanting to go into critical care, the ER is probably a better option.

Wuzzie · Sep 9, 2017

Boil it down to do you want to do ED/critical care nursing or med-surg nursing? In your heart what excites you the most when you think about it?

And SL is right. Magnet status sounds great but all it is is an expensive program with very little impact on you as a nurse. Many hospitals are now not even bothering with being re certified.

TriciaJ, RN · Sep 9, 2017

Magnet status is the last thing I would consider when choosing between two jobs. I've never done ER, but four months of orientation sounds pretty good. I have done orthopedic and it's heavy ...literally, like lots of heavy lifting. How long would your orientation be on the ortho unit and how much better are the benifets?
And most of all, as the first responder asked, what do you want to do career-wise in the long run?

I second this. I've never worked ER but a 4 month residency sounds nice. Otherwise, you'd get a brief orientation and thrown to the wolves. Ortho is heavy - I used to float there on occasion and I'd be lifting people on and off bedpans and commodes all shift long. And for some reason they didn't use PCAs so I was running with syringes of morphine in between everything else.

Also, the ACLS, PALS, etc would be good things to have for future mobility. The Magnet thing is truly a naked emperor.

Otherwise it's down to pay, benefits, commute time and which area would be more suited to your temperament. Congratulations and good luck!

bbcewalters, NP · Sep 10, 2017

ER hands down.....

But I'm a former ER nurse :) Now nurse practitioner.. If you get a good orientation you learn so much

Good luck!

Marisette, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2017

As a new grad, I would go with the hospital offering the longest orientation, and one that appears to have an interest that you are successful as a new graduate. Do you get a feel for the management and staff at your future workplace? Do you feel comfortable asking questions? If the hospital closes, you can always get a new job. However, being a new graduate with poor or rushed training and a difficult work environment is not something tolerable, no matter how good the pay and benefits are.

tyloo · Sep 10, 2017

I would say ER if you want to get into critical care. More importantly go with your gut instinct. When you toured the units was there one that you felt more inclined to be at? How was the staff? Did some make eye contact with you? Was the staff running around crazy busy and appear overwhelmed? Did the hiring manager say hello to the staff as he/she passed in the hallway? How did the staff interact to the manager? Are they hiring just one position, or are their multiple positions at once? Your orientation experience will be affected by the preceptor availability. If there are alot of nurses being started at the same time this may cause your orientation to be chaotic. You are looking for a place that you can dig your heels in and grow as a nurse. You can have a long orientation, but be stuck in a terrible unit that you can't wait to leave once on your own.

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Sep 11, 2017

Hands down ER, you will learn a lot, utilize critical care nursing in many cases.........your critical thinking skills should soar....