Job choice

Published May 15, 2014

180 Posts

Specializes in Adult M/S.

Hi: I've gotten two job offers both at about the same salary. Job 1 is at a smaller community hospital 20 min from home .8 FTE 4 x 11P-7A med-surg with future possibility of training in ED or ICU. The hospital is expanding with a new wing to be completed in 2 yrs. It is an older hospital with semi-private rooms and generally an older patient census. They get a lot of "behavioral" patients with drug/EtOH addiction and psych dxs. They do not have a separate psych wing. Job 2 is a larger community hospital that is part of a well respected network although the hospital itself does not have good reputation in the community (long ED waits, poor nursing and MD care). It is 1 hr 10 min from home (part of that time in on a ferry) and is .9 FTE 3 x 7P-7A surg-onc. This is a newer hospital also expanding in the next 2 years. I've not worked onc before and am interested in the new learning and education that will go along in the position. They do not have the number of behavioral Pts that hospital #1 has and they do have a psych floor. The benefits at hospital #2 are a lot more affordable for including my wife on the plan. I am leaning towards hospital #2. I've worked at a small county hospital med-surg before and while it was an OK experience, I'm thinking Hospital #1 may be too much like that hospital again and I'd like to go further with my nursing career. There is the commute though for hospital #2 which is the only reason I hesitate. It would be on 3 times a week.

Any comments?