Long term care or clinic job?

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2009

32 for an 11-7 shift is great. In the LTC you will get tons of experience in time management, staff managment skills, wounds, delegation etc.

Midwest4me · Jun 18, 2009

Take the foot clinic job and do it in a hurry! It's a normal schedule--and( I think) a dream job to be offered to someone as new as you. It's also a normal shift with evenings and weekends off so you can have more quality time with your one-year-old. Childcare for when you work nights is difficult to arrange.

In LTC you will indeed get the time management skills experience, etc but most likely you'll be dealing with scheduling staffing too amidst all the other duties and most likely will NOT get out of work on time. I fear that you will regret taking the LTC job within a week if you go that route. Just my 2 cents' worth (from LOTS of years' experience).

JB2007, ASN, RN · Jun 18, 2009

When my children were younger I would have went with the clinic. Heck, I would go for the clinic job now too. Time management will come with time no matter which job you take. If you do take the LTC job make sure the facility is a good one with a strong management that will back their nurses. Take it from someone who is currently taking care of 30 + residents in a nursing home that has poor management, that does not back their nurses, the money is not worth the B.S. that you will deal with daily. Besides most LTC places you have to work every other weekend also. However, only you know what will work with your life. Good luck with your decision, just do not let money be your deciding factor.

Busia · Jun 18, 2009

Congrats on two job offers! If it were me, I'd take the clinic job because of your child. But that's just my opinion, I have three young ones at home and am hoping I can find something with "normal" days and hours when the time comes, at least until they are much older.

The Bell Jar · Jun 18, 2009

Run,don't walk,to the clinic job!lol

dream'n, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2009

Take the clinic job. The stress and the hours in LTC can be hard on anyone, especially with having a youngun' at home.

travel50 · Jun 18, 2009

Take it from a DON at a nsg home, and mom of several kids....take the clinic job. Now at my nsg home, my nite RN has it good. There are 60 residents, but there are 2 LPNs. The RN is mainly there to hold the fort down. I am very flexible on hours, days, etc. I work very hard to help my nurses, to make their jobs easier. Matter of fact, I have applicants waiting in the wings for any possible job openings. But I also know that this is not the way it usually is. I think most of the time in a LTC facility, you are not appreciated as you should be. And when you have a small child, you need to be at home nites with him/her as much as possible. You will want to be home on weekends. The clinic has my vote.

carluvscats · Jun 18, 2009

Clinic, for sure! The little ones are only little once. Plus, working nights with a baby will surely bring you lots of needless stress from sleep deprivation alone. The money will hardly matter if you are tired and grumpy!

Best of luck to you in your decision. :)

Cherybaby · Jun 18, 2009

Grab that clinic job. I had worked in a dermatologist/wound care clinic for seven years prior to going to an ALF. I could KICK myself for that. Working every other weekend is the worst. I worked the 11-7 shift too. It was so wonderful working one on one with my doctors at the clinic. They taught me so much. The staff was treated really well with exemplary bonuses come the holidays. We also treated one another very well (something I have yet to find in LTC) Our benefits were so much better. If we had to call in due to child issues, no one made you find someone to cover your shift or huffed and puffed at you.

Gotta remember something...with the 11-7 shift...you won't see much of your children during the day because you will be sleeping. I thought it would be ideal...but it wasn't. The kids were up and running around and I was WAY too tired to chase after them from working the night before.

In the long run...you know what is best suited for you and your lifestyle. But, in my opinion, as long as your little ones are still small, a clinic job is the best route. I wish I had never given mine up...and my kids are older now!

kythe, LPN · Jun 18, 2009

I'd go with the clinic also. It's not just the normal hours, there is a lot less job stress in a clinic.

I've done both, and LTC does mean good money. It also means having more patients than you can reasonably care for and far more responsibility than in a clinic. If you are the only RN on the shift, you likely will be a charge nurse responsible for resolving problems that come up on other units on top of your own patient load. You also may need to do all IV meds throughout the facility because LPN's aren't allowed to manage IV's in that context (at least where I am). Any time there is a death, you would have to do the final assessment and fill out the paperwork since LPN's are not allowed to declare death by themselves.

In a clinic setting, you rarely are expected to work overtime and the work load is much less. It isn't a sign of laziness that you would want less work related stress. It's a way of saving your mental health and protecting your license from being placed in situations that are high-stress and where mistakes are likely.

nkara, CNA · Jun 18, 2009

without a doubt the clinic job! :yeah: