2 Job offers in 1 day

[lulusmom]

Hi Allnurses,

I have been an RN for 10 years now but never really worked med surg or any acute care setting. I mostly worked in psych and blood donation centers. And so recently I finished an RN refresher course program to get reacquainted with acute care. After doing so, I applied at several hospitals, and lucky enough I had been offered jobs by 2 different departments. The first was correctiojal nursing and the later was med surg. I could try to debate the advantages and disadvantages of the two but with my limited experience, its kind of hard. I would like to do med surg but I'm afraid that it would be overwhelming for me and I think correctional nursing is a great opportunity as well but I'm a little apprehensive about getting locked in with inmates. I would like some feedback to maybe ease my mind a little before deciding. I know it has more to do with making the step on the right direction because this is a major step in my career. Having only one offer would have been so much easier, not having to think about what could have been in the future. I wish there was a way for me to find out which one would be the better fit. I feel like and I kind of am a newbee again.

[Levitas, BSN, RN]

If you really wanted to do correctional nursing, then go for it. However, I see an advantage of taking the Med/Surg position, and that is, if you didn't like it as much as you originally thought, there (might) be the possibility of transferring to a different department (maybe back to Psych, if they have it, and you want it).

Ultimately, even if we all shared our experiences with you, only you can tell where you really want to be.

I'm in Med/Surg myself, and never had any experience with correctional nursing. Med/Surg is absolute chaos at times, but that's a reason why I enjoy it. There is usually a great deal of charting, and a lot of time management... Overwhelming at times. I like it because there is seemingly always something new. I was never fully keen on the idea of long term care.

I think in your mind, you're already leaning towards one. Go with your gut.

[tmartin83]

This recently happened to me (choice between med-surg and endoscopy), and I had to go with the med-surg position. I'm sure some folks would say that I was crazy for that, but given the fact that I've been a med-surg nurse my entire career (only 3 years), and got certified last year, I can truly say that med-surg has grown on me. It's definitely a love-hate relationship, but as the pp said, it'a all about time management. You have your slow days, and you definitely have your fast-paced days. With both paths, you'll be able to venture into other fields easily, but I have noticed that some employers like nurses from corrections. Just my observations, but you'll be fine with either path you choose. Good luck!

[lulusmom]

Thank you for the encouraging words. I am leaning towards correction. But my cousin says its really more like clinic work and I will not get the acute experience that I want.

[favthing, APRN]

I have been a nurse for about five years, in LTC and sub-acute rehab. I recently started a job in med-surg, and am currently in orientation. I am confident about my skills (rehab nursing offered a lot of higher-acuity experience), but I'm finding it challenging in med-surg. There is a lot of chaos. Even though I'm anxious before I go to work, I am grateful for the experience. I'm looking at it almost like a class, as I now understand what is meant by the benefit of the traditional year of med-surg experience as being beneficial to a nurse's career. As I want to be a NP (and am in school toward that goal), my professional goals right now are to have a solid nursing base of skill and knowledge. I would love to go back to my cozy rehab (I'm contingent), but since med-surg has been a challenge so far, I am determined that this is the right place for me. There are so many learning opportunities in the hospital.

I think you need to really look at your career goals. For me, I am SURE I'd be happier if I were not in med-surg, but I am looking at it like a year or so that will give me fundamentals. Nursing is so broad. Good luck with your decision.