Help! Which job should I choose??

Nurses New Nurse

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Specializes in RN: L&D, LPN: Med/Surg, CNA: MedSurg/LTC.

I am a LPN student who is trying to choose which job to go to when I graduate:

Job A: Med/surg floor at a hospital where I work at as a tech for the past year and a half, excellent coworkers that are very knowledgeable and helpful. Approx. 12 wks orientation. Would be great to use on resume for acute care experience when I become RN with future goals of NICU or L&D. Lots and lots of skills. LPNs and RNs are used pretty interchangably here with the exception of having a RN signature after certain things. Con: extremely low pay of $12/hr day shift, however would be able to get $16/hr working nights and weekends (I only do nights). However since you only can get weekend pay for 2 of those nights, the third night would only be at $13/hr. This is less than I get paid now as a tech!

Job B: long term acute care facility, pay is $21-23/hr for nights/weekends. Has an ICU so I would be able to get ICU experience. Orientation is approx. 6 weeks I believe.

Pay wise, job B is much better of course (and I'm a single mom), but having great coworkers would be very helpful with starting my new career that I don't feel confident with but at the same time, it's considerably less pay. also, these coworkers have been here for many years, some more than 20, so they most likely won't be going anywhere else anytime soon. My bosses are great, having been very flexible with changing my schedule often with the needs of school.

I'm just at a loss as to what to do. :uhoh3: If I leave the hospital and go to the LTAC and don't like it there, then I'm pretty sure they won't hire me back since I left in the first place...

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How in the world are they offering you that little for the med/surg floor? Esp. since you have been working there for a while already!! That's pretty crazy. I would say go for the first since you are more familiar with it, probably better experience, and they know you and you know you like the people that work there. But, if you can't negotiate that pay, I would not stick around. But the LTC has an ICU, so you could also get good experience there.

Is there a way for you to test the waters at the LTC, maybe see what the people that work there are like and what the environment is like before making a final decision? Because with that much more pay, it would be easy to decide if I liked the people and the atmosphere.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Agree with Blackbird, job A is offering you way too little.

However;

Don't confuse money with happiness. Choose the job where you'll be happy! All the money in the world isn't worth a job where you're miserable.

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$16/hr is too less, how you have been managing? I can imagine how difficult it would be for you to sustain with such a pay. Also being a single mother, it must be far more difficult. I know money is not everything but still you need to get the minimum pay at least. Though job A is giving all kinds of facilities and help, but then they are not paying you enough, for a comfortable living even. I know it would be difficult for you to sustain in job B, but you have to compromise on one way or the other. What is more important for you at this moment, the money or your happiness? Just try to find out the answer and your confusion will be solved.

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Specializes in RN: L&D, LPN: Med/Surg, CNA: MedSurg/LTC.

Thanks guys for your input. I'm worried about burning bridges and losing out on a job in the future if I need it as well so there's a lot I have to take into consideration however it IS considerably less pay. If anyone has any other insight please let me know :(

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Wow where to they get off with pay that low? Do you live in a very low cost of living state? Just wow. I would say the acute care because in actuality unless you have acute care experience as a new grad RN they just don't count LTC experience.

But dang a girl has got to eat!

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Specializes in RN: L&D, LPN: Med/Surg, CNA: MedSurg/LTC.

Yes I'm in OK, but job B is a long term acute care facility, not just LTc.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Any chance you could have a talk with the unit manager and say, dang! Paying a nurse less than a tech? Especially when you already have an established work record there and will be way ahead in orientation?

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Specializes in RN: L&D, LPN: Med/Surg, CNA: MedSurg/LTC.

Unfortunately not. There is a LPN here who was a tech on this floor for 6 years and still started off at $12/hr base.

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