Move onto new job or stay at current one?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi ladies & gents,

I'm looking for some advice about whether I should accept a job offer or stay in my current position. I currently work at an endoscopy lab within a hospital.

It is Monday to Friday with one weekday off every other week. Weekends and holidays are on call and it rotates between the nurses. Weeknights after our shift ends is also on call which also rotates so you can be on call for that several nights a month. (Call is overnight into the next day). We've been very short staffed lately and have been worked to death.

Pros of current job: super short commute (10 minutes tops), familiar with hospital and doctors and other ancillary services, enjoy working with most of my coworker's. Kids only go to day care 1 day a week.

Cons: Taking call and constantly getting stuck late at work. Pay is not great.

New job offer is for an ASC (Ambulatory Surgey Center) located in a freestanding building run by a private company. Pay offer is $1 more than current job.

Pros: Monday to Thursday schedule. No Fridays or weekends, paid holidays, no call.

Cons: Commute has increased to about 30 mins a day each way and it is roughly about a 10-12 hour work day. One day a week must commute 50 minutes one way to a different office. Kids will have to be in daycare 3-4 days a week vs 1.

Thoughts? I'm not sure what to do. Each place has its pros and cons and there's always the unknown of a new position.

But how many hours are you actually putting in besides the scheduled ones? How many additional hours are you losing with your family?

I love the idea of a 3 day weekend EVERY week and if there's a major holiday such as Thanksgiving or whatever we don't have to work and we get paid for the holidays. I was told you automatically get 2 weeks paid vacation after 90 days. 4 weeks paid after a year. My current job you have to slowly earn your PTO based on the amount of hours you've actually worked. My PTO bank is really crappy because holidays here they dock your PTO bank regardless if you were called in or not.

I believe the insurance isn't bad but I'm under my husband's so I didn't really consider that. They offer a 401K and will match you 6%.

Thank you ladies for the input. To help clarify some things.

New job: 40 hour work week/4 10 hour days.

The new job requires I obtain my nursing license in another state as we travel there one day a week for work in another office/ASC. That is roughly a 50 minute commute each way without traffic. During rush hour I'm sure it will be way longer. Plus side to all of this is no more emergency call-ins or being on call. Every Fri, Sat, Sun off with the kids and every major holiday off.

Current job: 36 hours week (split up weird) over 5 days/ every other week have one weekday off.

Current job is 3 miles from my residence. Commute is very short regardless of traffic as I don't need to get on the highway/parkway/freeway to get there. Downside: being on call. Like someone else mentioned, I don't relish getting called out of bed at 3am for a food bolus or because someone decided to eat pens and then still having to report in for a shift the following day on very little sleep.

I think I'd take the new one.

But how many hours are you actually putting in besides the scheduled ones? How many additional hours are you losing with your family?

I'm usually stuck late at my current job because we're so short staffed. When I'm on call I'm usually stuck at the hospital way after my shift has ended and then get called back in when I've just pulled into my driveway. There have been days I've worked a full 9 hour shift then did 8 hours of call and then still had to haul my butt back in for shift the next day. And when we're on call, we are on call all by ourselves which is why it takes so long to get done with a case or two.

New one

Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

As someone who changed jobs six months ago and added to her commute, I can tell you it was NOT worth it. Granted, I love my job, but I do not like the commute. I went from commuting 35 minutes three days a week to commuting 45 minutes in the AM and 1 hour in the PM five days a week. That time adds up. Literally as soon as I get home I have no time to relax as I have to start dinner then chores then school work. I'm currently looking to go back to a similar schedule to the one I had before.

I'm usually stuck late at my current job because we're so short staffed. When I'm on call I'm usually stuck at the hospital way after my shift has ended and then get called back in when I've just pulled into my driveway. There have been days I've worked a full 9 hour shift then did 8 hours of call and then still had to haul my butt back in for shift the next day. And when we're on call, we are on call all by ourselves which is why it takes so long to get done with a case or two.

Definitely the new one. I'd rather drive 20 min more than be at work hours more when my kids were at home waiting for me. Unpredictable hours can be the worst with kids.

And 3 day weekends give you a day for appointments with never having to miss a soccer game. Well.. maybe that isn't an incentive for everyone lol.

The cost of the extra commute would be covered by the small pay increase but that would just be bonus for me anyway.

Oh, and you sound like the type that is going to get along where ever you go.

Congratulations on having a great option to choose!

Definitely the new one. I'd rather drive 20 min more than be at work hours more when my kids were at home waiting for me. Unpredictable hours can be the worst with kids.

And 3 day weekends give you a day for appointments with never having to miss a soccer game. Well.. maybe that isn't an incentive for everyone lol.

The cost of the extra commute would be covered by the small pay increase but that would just be bonus for me anyway.

Oh, and you sound like the type that is going to get along where ever you go.

Congratulations on having a great option to choose!

Thank you! I'm still weighing my options and trying to get childcare locked down for those extra days but either way I have to let the new job know by Monday. I'm just so afraid that I will dislike it and then be stuck. I feel like it would be bad to job hop on my resume.

I love the idea of a 3 day weekend EVERY week and if there's a major holiday such as Thanksgiving or whatever we don't have to work and we get paid for the holidays. I was told you automatically get 2 weeks paid vacation after 90 days. 4 weeks paid after a year. My current job you have to slowly earn your PTO based on the amount of hours you've actually worked. My PTO bank is really crappy because holidays here they dock your PTO bank regardless if you were called in or not.

I believe the insurance isn't bad but I'm under my husband's so I didn't really consider that. They offer a 401K and will match you 6%.

Based on this, new one!

Does anybody know the best way to find RN'S & LPN's in the Winston Salem or Greensboro are with great pay and flexible scheduling for a Home Health Care agency. The company is offering a sign on bonus this month. 701-912-9750.

I understand you are on a 72 hour pay period now, but you keep talking about being on call and being worked to death, which translates to OT in my mind. A $1 per hour "raise" is quickly negated when you consider the lack of OT at the new job.

Plus, you're going to quadruple your day care expenses (that's an $8000 difference in my area)! And don't forget about tripling your commute in time, gas, and vehicle wear and tear. That's about another $3000 when considering a $0.55/mile rate.

If I simply guess at your OT (say 5 hrs/pay period at $45/hr = $5700), you're going to have a net reduction of $17,000. Your numbers will vary, because I don't know your specifics, but you need to put the numbers on paper to help with your decision.

That's a massive financial consideration that would require an incredible amount of career satisfaction in the new job itself. Also, and more importantly in my mind, there would be the massive reduction in the time your children spend with you and your husband.

I usually try to keep my personal opinions to myself, and try to provide facts in order for you to make a decision yourself. However, on this particular topic, I cannot imagine a scenario where I would take such a huge hit to my family life and financial life.

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