jumping from med-surg to jail nursing

[GraceNotes]

I've been offered a job, very part time, at the local state/fed jail and am seriously considering giving up full-time med surg for it. With only six months nursing experience, I've had enough of hospital nursing. Since I started, patients are more critical, staffing's been cut. We're a stroke & telemetry unit, too. I have an hour's drive to work. I'm finding I can handle more & more and am proud of what I accomplished on this job, but still feel like I should "git while the gittin's good."

The jail job has potential to be more hours, is flexible and the hourly pay is the same, I'm giving up vacation/sick pay (the job's

I applied for LTC, but the hourly wage was way, way low. Jobs are scarce & I don't know how smart it is to give up a full-time hospital job for a part-time jail job with no benefits and a promise of more hours and benefits, eventually. At least I'll be working. Will I still be getting good nursing experience at the jail? How will jail experience transfer to other clinical settings?

[SurvivorRN]

I say stay at the hospital for a year...it looks good on ur resume for the future, but if u truly hate it ..then leave

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

jobs are scarce & i don't know how smart it is to give up a full-time hospital job for a part-time jail job with no benefits and a promise of more hours and benefits, eventually. at least i'll be working. will i still be getting good nursing experience at the jail? how will jail experience transfer to other clinical settings?

ok, this is the deal... if you want to work in a hospital you need to remain in a hospital setting. if you truly hate the hospital, it will not hurt your nursing to work outside of it and remain that way. jail experience is a lot of clinic and sometimes emergency work from what i am told so if you wish to later work for an outpatient clinic or doctor's office the experience translates well. you may be able to later work home health too if you will be exposed to a lot of primary skills (drawing blood, starting ivs, etc).

but still feel like i should "git while the gittin's good."

i know how you feel; i am heading for the hills too. i am a new grad with a little over 6 months working experience and i just landed two jobs; one pt and one ft. i accepted both offers because i am working on the worse floor in my hospital and was rejected twice to transfer onto a specialty floor of my choice... the ft position is my dream position in an er! the pt position is something to keep my sanity... i can work as little as one day a week so it will not kill me. it will be extra money with flexibility to gain outpatient nursing experience. thus, i personally think you need to take the jail job since you can handle living on a pt job.

i doubt that the pt position will not turn into ft position at the jail (at least that is how my local jail works... they hire within before they hire outsiders). however, if you really want to remain in the acute care setting, take the jail job pt, reduce the number of hours you are working at your current job, and then quit your current job when you land a ft job at another hospital or facility. gl and congrats!!!!

[GraceNotes]

I told the jail I needed more hours to consider leaving my current job & figured that would end it, but sounds like they may reconsider!

Like you, I also applied for a transfer and was told that I wouldn't have enough experience until I had at least a year of med-surg. I, too, work on the worst unit in the hospital... (are we at the same place?) Telling a new grad they're not worthy is a pretty effective retention tactic. Another six months there would, no doubt, help me grow a thicker skin. I saw another orientee crying the other day--broke my heart.

Well, it will be interesting to see what the jail comes up with. Thanks for your post & congrats on your new jobs!