1 Job offer and another interview. I need HELP!

[legallybrunette224]

I finished nursing school 5 days ago. I had one interview for the CCU at a hospital I work at as a ED technician. I found out yesterday that I am being offered the position in the CCU. Tomorrow I have an interview for an ER fellowship at a different hospital. My heart lies in the ER. The hospital I work at does not accept new grads into the ER but the other hospital I have an interview at does.

IF I am somehow offered the ER job I have no idea how to turn down the other job or if I should even turn down the other job at all. I already work at the hospital offering me the CCU position. Should I stay like a year or two and build my skill set and transfer out as an experienced nurse from the CCU to an ER, or should I just take the job in the other hospital if offered to me?

The dilemma I am facing is that I was never given a time limit to accept the offer. The HR told me to call at my earliest covenience to accept the offer and I have no idea how long it will take for the ER to decide if they want to hire me. Would it be in poor taste to accept the job in the CCU and if the ER offers me a position accept that and decline on the CCU after I had accepted?

I have no idea how to handle this if I were to be offered both jobs. I am probably the luckiest new grad.

[ukjenn231]

See how you feel after the ER interview. You may also be able to get a timeline for when they will be making a decision. Also, maybe take the job at the hospital that you prefer. If you accept the CCU offer, then later change your mind, you may burn your bridge at that hospital. Of course, this may not be true since you already work at the ER. Having multiple job offers is a good thing :)

[legallybrunette224]

I just got out of the ER interview. I am completely in love with that position and what their new grad program offers. I had ended up accepting the CCU position. I'm just so afraid of not having a job so I accepted the CCU position. It would be 2 weeks til I find out if I will be offered the job. I don't think I have 2 weeks to decide if I will accept the CCU position. I know I should be so happy but I feel absolutely terrible. I feel like if somehow I am offered the ER position I may have to burn my bridge to work in the ER of the other hospital. I really don't want to burn my bridge but I have no idea on what to do.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I just got out of the ER interview. I am completely in love with that position and what their new grad program offers. I had ended up accepting the CCU position. I'm just so afraid of not having a job so I accepted the CCU position. It would be 2 weeks til I find out if I will be offered the job. I don't think I have 2 weeks to decide if I will accept the CCU position. I know I should be so happy but I feel absolutely terrible. I feel like if somehow I am offered the ER position I may have to burn my bridge to work in the ER of the other hospital. I really don't want to burn my bridge but I have no idea on what to do.

Honestly, I'd say burn the bridge. Does it suck? Yes! I hate it for you (would have gone through a similar dilemma myself if I'd gotten an offer from my preferred job), but it can sometimes be harder to transfer than it is to get hired in an area as a new grad. I know a nurse who graduated a few years back who accepted a position in orthopedics because she couldn't land her preferred ED gig. She still hasn't been able to transfer yet and she's been applying to every available ED posting that comes up... if it was easy to transfer, it would be one thing, but that's not always true. Anyone who says "you can always transfer!" may not have tried it recently or may have a million years of experience in a million different areas. It doesn't tend to work out quite as well for newer nurses where I am.