I have two job offers which I need help in deciding which to take. I'd love to know your opinions. By the way, I just graduated, so this will be my first nursing job.
(Private) Hospital 1: Pay is $24.28/hour - includes 1 year residency position (non-accredited), 2-year contract, about 12 miles away from my home, will be on med-surg, urology/bariatrics, respiratory, or oncology. Probably will be working nights Relocation agreement is $5,000!
(Public and Magnet!) Hospital 2: Pay is $23.07/hour - includes 1 year residency position (nationally accredited!), 1-year contract, about 4 miles away from my home, will be complex-medicine, days, working both sat. and sun. every other weekend. Relocation is only $2,000.
I am drawn towards Hospital 2 for the nationally-accredited residency program and the magnet status, plus it is close to my home, and I've already met the nurse manager and the other nurses and I love the floor and their attitudes!! I am just upset about the decrease in pay. But do you think it is worth it? I am leaning towards yes, it is, but I want to know what you think with your experience.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Perhaps meanmaryjean is trying to say that the title of your thread is misleading; it makes it sound like you have a job and are considering a move to another job that pays less. I don't think she means any harm. TBH, i thought the same thing.
I wouldn't base a job choice on Magnet status. Just because a facility has Magnet doesn't mean it isn't dysfunctional. I do agree with others that say you should pick the job that feels best with your "gut."
Consider yourself very fortunate. You have two job offers; many new grads are struggling just for one.
Thanks Namaste! Yes, this magnet hospital seems incredible! Its won the award 3 times, and its apparently very nurse-driven and they even have a nurse council! Its hard to pass that up
Again, no 'cut' as you do not have one job and are going to another. You are choosing between two potential jobs, one pays slightly more than the other.
What's with the preoccupation with semantics? OP..I agree with most of the posters. Go with your gut..and congrats on the offers! Best of luck with your nursing career.
The difference in pay is negligible. Not worth the scrutiny. Go where the gut is.
Before I read the figures my answer was going to be heck no I'm not taking a pay cut for a fancy name on my resume. But I agree with Been there, done that, there is almost no difference in pay between these two offers so whatever you think you would like better is what I would do.
I also agree that the whole magnet status thing wouldn't play into my decision at all but thats just me. I have worked at 3 magnet hospitals and one was great the other two a joke.
Do they have the same patient ratio's? Do they have CNA's? Do they have ceiling lifts and proper lift equipment? These are important things to consider beyond just starting pay as these play a major role in working conditions and safety!
Patient ratios are about the same, while magnet hospital has a 24/7 lift team to call! I do know they also have CNAs, probably both do actually.
The lift team was something I never knew about until the interview with hospital 2, it's a great feature!
Do they have the same patient ratio's? Do they have CNA's? Do they have ceiling lifts and proper lift equipment? These are important things to consider beyond just starting pay as these play a major role in working conditions and safety!
I applaud your effort to make sure that you're starting your nursing career in the best learning environment, but you may want to keep some things in mind when making those decisions.
Nursing residency program accreditation is largely meaningless. Of the only 17 programs in the entire country that are accredited, many are not generally considered to be top-level programs. There is an excellent residency program in my area, and it's not accredited, there is another that is absolutely horrible in comparison and it is accredited. Residency program accreditation basically means the facility found it necessary to pay an additional fee for accreditation in order to try and offset the poor quality of it's residency program.
There are some great hospitals that are magnet, and just as many that aren't; it's not a particularly reliable indicator of whether or not a hospital creates an exceptional environment to work in as a nurse. Since you mentioned nurse practice councils we'll use that as an example. Nurse practice councils (Shared Governance) have the potential to greatly improve patient care conditions, there are share governance models out there that have proven to be successful and models that haven't. Overall, shared governance initiatives have a lifespan of about 18 months (they typically fail once nursing staff realizes they serve no purpose). But there are also shared governance programs that have been highly successful. The program at Overlake hospital in Washington state is by far the longest continuously running and most effective shared governance program, yet it's never been a magnet facility.
In other words, I would take residency program "accreditation" and magnet designation with a grain of salt, since often your best opportunities as a new nurse will be at facilities that have opted out of both of these too-often-meaningless labels.
I am a "seasoned" nurse, and, in order to work in a place I'd prefer to work, I just took a BIG pay cut from what my experience should pay. I didn't even negotiate it...I just wanted the job. I'd say go where you think you'd be happiest...as happy as your can be in the scheme of it with it being "work"...and also since you'll be committing for a certain period of time.
OCNRN63, RN
5,979 Posts
Perhaps meanmaryjean is trying to say that the title of your thread is misleading; it makes it sound like you have a job and are considering a move to another job that pays less. I don't think she means any harm. TBH, i thought the same thing.
I wouldn't base a job choice on Magnet status. Just because a facility has Magnet doesn't mean it isn't dysfunctional. I do agree with others that say you should pick the job that feels best with your "gut."
Consider yourself very fortunate. You have two job offers; many new grads are struggling just for one.
Best wishes in whatever choice you make.