Hospital vs. Office

[jlthompson]

Would anyone suggest skipping work in the hospital if offered a job in an office for a new grad? I would love the experience of the hospital but I am not sure I can pass up this other offer and my future goal is to get my FNP. Any thoughts?

[enchantmentdis, BSN, RN]

Go straight to the office or urgent care setting--you will love it. Trust me--the large hospital floors are a nightmare!

[nursel56]

Though I worked in offices/clinics for years - and I agree . . . the hours and working environment are less stressful by far imo however I find my first years of acute care work in a hospital invaluable for the confidence it gave me as a nurse. Maybe it's because I'm old school and though I embrace all the branches and different practice areas, I needed to know that I could function and succeed in a med-surg environment first. I sometimes wonder what the "N" for nurse really means anymore as so many people see no problem in skipping the bedside role altogether in pursuit of advance practice degrees, though I expect to get royally flamed for saying it.

If you need a job right now because of your financial situation though ---- run don't walk right into that office job!! Best wishes!!

[Susan H.]

I did two years on a med/surg floor then transferred to a Peds office. I loved the office setting! However, I am in the process of applying to FNP school and most of the schools in my area require at least two years of acute care experience before applying so you might want to look into that.

When I worked in the office, I spent most of my days running around like crazy just getting patients into rooms, taking histories, answering the phone, giving nebs, immunizations, etc. but didn't really learn a whole lot that will help me as an FNP. I worked for a great, friendly doctor and if I could do it over I would have tried to glean more knowledge from her regarding assessment and diagnosing.