HELP!!!

[skysafari]

Hello to all my fellow nurses !

I recently graduated and I was offered a position for MPCU (Cardiac) - NIGHTS in the largest hospital organization in my area and PACU -DAYS in the same organization, both have labor and delivery units in which I can transfer in 2 years from now. I also interviewed for LABOR and DELIVERY- NIGHTS in a small hospital that's a 40 minute drive. I have school age children and I enjoy being a part of each moment. I became an RN to become a L&D nurse. The large facility closest to me wont be offering any opportunities this year, it would be sometime next year. Nurses have told me that if I start out in L&D my skills will be limited to that specialty. If I start out in the MPCU I will gain alot of experience in cardiac procedures, open heart, I will get to float to the cath lab as well. If I start out in the PACU there wont be holidays, weekends but my kids will have to stay very late in school 5 days a week and no lee way if something happens. The wait for a 7-3 position in the PACU will according to seniority.

For all the working moms out there how is the night shift with little ones ?

Where will I learn the most ?

Where will it be more stressful ?

I want to make a decision that's going to benefit me as a nurse and my family. I know I cant get everything I want

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

Take the "bird in the hand". You will have more opportunities in the large med center

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

If you want Labor and delivery then take that one

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I would be somewhat unhappy working in cardiac or PACU if I entered nursing with the desire to be a L&D nurse.

If you have the opportunity to start out in L&D, start there. Who gives a rat's behind if L&D experience makes you unmarketable in other areas of nursing that do not interest you anyway?

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

I think the PCU experience will be valuable. So many women now have co-existing comorbidities- obesity, diabetes, CHD, etc. Being in a PCU, I've had quite a few pg patients with CHF and that sort of thing. ( and they were all under the age of 30 too:( )

then when the opening comes up in L and D , you will be right there to take it.

Pacu days might be handy for L and D cesarean experience, but not sure I'd want to wait 2 years for an opening on that one.

My friend went straight to L and D right out of school. stayed there for many years- has not worked in any other setting.She enjoyed it.

Good luck

As for the working nites with little ones, do you have reliable help? I just think back to a coworker who was single with 2 youngish ones. It's tough if they arent in school yet. Basically, she didnt sleep more than a couple hours on workdays cause of the young ones.She still had to pay someone to stay with them overnight. Therefore couldnt afford someone just so she could sleep

[skysafari]

Thank you, everyone that replied. I feel like I have great opportunities on each one. It will be a tough to decide.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Just talking scheduled hours, as long as your kids are school age a night position is great if you can tolerate those hours. You are working when they are sleeping, sleeping while they are in school [except for the weekend requirement of course] and you can still have evenings together for family time. But there are also pros to the straight days, no weekend or holiday schedule if the kids can be in an after school program until you get home. You also need to consider what you have available for reliable child care when they don't have school but you still need to work.

Then you need to consider the 40 minute commute if you decide on the L & D position at the smaller hospital. Might not be a concern at all if there are good roads and few winter weather concerns. I know living where I do I would think twice about that commute as winters can be brutal.

As for the unit you choose, well that's a tough one. There will probably be more opportunities down the road for transferring in the larger hospital, but if you know L & D is what you want the later flexibility to move may not be important to you.