I could use a little advice...

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

OK...so here's my dilemma...I am currently a pediatric and woman's health nurse working in an under served low-income community hospital. There are days I hate my job and days I love my job...so overall I would say I tolerate my job. The perks to my situation is that I am a 0.5 evening shift nurse now and I bump my 5 days together so I can get 9 days in a row off and spend those days as a stay at home mom to my 2 little girls. My husband has a flexible work schedule so we currently need absolutely no daycare. My oldest just started Kindergarten and my youngest is 2-1/2. I currently LOVE my schedule and my home life the way it is now HOWEVER, my dream job has always been to work L&D and I've recently had a 2nd interview (they passed me up the first time the job came around but gave me a peer interview the 2nd time the position was offered) for a LDRP position at what appears to be a great smaller hospital in a decent community. This position is everything I want EXCEPT for the shift (3rd) and the FTE's (0.8...4 days/week). I would be working much more than I do now and I would have a TON to learn and need to do a lot of work related reading even after I got home. I'm torn between loving my life and tolerating my job and loving my job and tolerating my life...it seems like an easy decision, right?...stay in my current job and keep looking...the right job will come along at the right time...but the hospital I'm currently employed at appears to be on shaky ground. The new nurse manager for the hospital is awful and constantly changing our staffing, uniforms, reporting methods, charting methods, it's ridiculous! Furthermore, funding for our peds unit is deplorable and we don't really have all the equipment we need like continuous pulses ox machines, hand held pulse ox machines, etc... Also the level is professionalism is embarrassing. Nurses drop F-bombs loudly and repeatedly in the nurses station, staff are constantly on personal calls on their cell phone or texting in the halls. We can never get anything from pharmacy that we need in a timely fashion and diagnostics even when ordered stat are a joke! I'm actually embarrassed to admit I work there! Furthermore, our pediatric unit does not have a true unit manager...we are co-managed by another med/surg unit manager and they don't seem to understand or care about the needs of our unit. We are a small and overlooked unit and it is sometimes quite scary. I genuinely like almost all the people I work with (bad working habits aside) and can almost always find someone to work for me if I need them to and have almost always had a fantastic schedule...I'm so torn with what I should do... There has been a lot of talk about unionizing throughout the hospital since many of the other units are finally starting to deal with the same BS we've been dealing with for years now. The census is frequently so low hospital wide that other units are finally losing their CNA's and secretaries and are being forced to do primary care and unit secretary work that a lot of other nurses are beginning to rally together. But I honestly don't know that it will make much of a difference.

Oh, and another thought to consider...If I take this new job that is in the area that I want to be in and that values and encourages continuing education...I will have to put my youngest in daycare which will eat up all the extra money I will be making by taking on more hours. So I will be working 3 more days in a pay period and making the same or possibly less money than I make right now. I know it's only temporary and soon my littlest will be in school but I am the type of mom who likes to cook, sew, make Halloween costumes, and decorate birthday cakes, etc.. I'm afraid I won't have the time for all these things and be able to live my home life as fully if I take this new job. I'm stuck in a cross roads between professional development and family life and i don't know what to do. I really think that if things weren't so abysmal at my current hospital I really wouldn't be as torn but I think that not only is this a great position, it's in general, a better run hospital where I would actually have a future. Sigh....so what are your thoughts?...

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Specializes in OB, L&D, NICU, Med-Surg, Ortho.

Hooligan,

Wow. Tough decisions.

It seems as if you've made up your mind to take the LDRP job. Labor and delivery can be a tough field to get in to.

I say take it. Take it and get all the education you can get for free. Get your NRP certification. Get ACLS, PALS, and your fetal monitoring certification. Get in one good year of experience.

Then.. if you need to... find another job in the L/D field at a hospital with hours that suit your needs. Or maybe a day shift position will open by then.

Good luck :)

~Sherri

"The new nurse thinks like a mom. The experienced nurse thinks like a lawyer."

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Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.

Sherri I love your quote.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Sherri, I also love your quote...I just noticed it this AM.

OP, seems to me that you know the answer to your question. When you consider professional development, there is no doubt which way you should go.

Your home life? Well, it's entirely possible that you will realize more satisfaction and home time than you are anticipating. As Sherri mentioned, L&D is hard to get into - here's your opportunity.

It sounds as if your current hospital situation is deteriorating. Are you willing to stick it out there or will you always regret not taking your chance to move on?

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Specializes in LTC, Psych.

I'll play devil's advocate (although this is not necessarily how I feel).

1. Your kids are only this small once. They still depend on you for so much. They will be much more self-sufficient once in school.

2. What are the chances you'll end up hating your job simply b/c you are bitter about the time you are losing with your family?

3. How does your husband feel about this?

4. Lastly, are you a nurse first or a mom first? Or can you effectively juggle both at the same time the way YOU truly want to?

Again, just food for thought. You sound like a great mom and I'm sure you'll make the best decision for you.

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Just to throw out there that working four days a week gives you more time to do "mom" things than many people have, because many non-nurses work regular work weeks of 5 days. Yeah, you're used to more time, but I hardly think working four days a week would make you an absent parent or give you no time to do things for your children. I say take the new job.

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Tough decision and probably not enough time to make the perfect (if there is such a thing) choice for yourself and your family.

I am at the other end of your decision, so maybe this can help-not sure. I am exactly where I want to be professionally-the hospital I ALWAYS wanted, working in L&D.........but I am FTE 3rd shift-not my choice schedule. I have 3 children-grade school and high school. My husbands schedule if VERY friendly for our family, but my schedule is not. I have put in for days, but I will not get it for quite awhile..........so considering putting my "ideal" job on hold for a few years to enjoy more time with my family. I am not leaving nursing, just going to find a better work schedule for us!

The reason I bring up my "issue" is that you first need to decide what is MOST important for today........it sounds as though no matter which choice you make, it will not be perfect-but wat area would you feel most comfortable? For each person it is a very personal decision! Make a list, as generic as that sounds that is what led me to my decision-now I just need to follow through!

good luck!

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I can relate. I am (hopefully) leaving my school nurse job to work in L&D. My job right now is low-stress, and I get so much time off (weekends, holidays, 2 weeks winter break, spring breaks, summer break, etc). I have a toddler and preschooler. However, my hubby is unemployed and we need the money. A position in L&D opened and I never in a million years thought I would even be considered. I've always wanted to work L&D. I know it will be a huge adjustment for our family, but I don't know when/if the opportunity will present itself again. I hate, hate, hate leaving my kids every morning, 5 days a week. It's always hard to juggle family and work. The guilt is horrible. I say go for it with an open mind. It doesn't sound like your current job is secure. What if you pass this opportunity then your current job crumbles?

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Specializes in OB, L&D, NICU, Med-Surg, Ortho.
Sherri I love your quote.

Thanks :)

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Specializes in L&D,postpartum,acute rehab/medsurg.

I would recommend being very cautious about your next move. It is a HUGE change to go from 5 evening shifts to 8 night shifts. I know because I work this schedule, don't have kids, but still dont feel like I don't have a life.Personally, I would rather tolerate my job then to hate it and have the effects spill over into my personal/family life.

As far as L&D goes, it is difficult and challenging at best. I worked L&D for 5 years but before I started in it I imagined myself taking care of Moms and their sweet babies. I was not prepared for many emergencies, screaming doctors, fetal demises, bad outcomes, etc. I wished I had known beforehand. It is very much a job that stays with you after you go home. All I am saying is, be sure you are ready for that level of stress and also working nights. I don't know how it is in your area, but many L&D nurses are stuck on nights for many years because there are no openings on days. They are put on waitlists in order of seniority.

All that being said, if Labor is what you truly love, then go for it. Personally, I like the sound of your job, 5 days on with 9 days off at a time. But you know what they say, grass is always greener.....

Good luck with whatever decision you make!

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

~Sherri

"The new nurse thinks like a mom. The experienced nurse thinks like a lawyer."

Bingo on the lawyer thing. THAT'S why people don't like my bluntness, but extremely honest POV. Love that quote!:D

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Specializes in chemical dependency detox/psych.

Just wanted to share: I did a few years of the putting the career-first-thing. Honestly, it didn't compensate me enough to miss out on my family-life. I'm now working PRN (usually 2-3 AM shifts/week), and loving it. I fell like I actually have a life, plus I love that I'm there for my family. I'd rather (while the kids are young) have a so-so career and a fulfilling family-life than the other way around. Just my :twocents:. As someone else mentioned, have a long, honest, heart-to-heart with your husband, as this will affect him quite a bit, too.

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