Need advice Fast

[jean333]

I am in the process of looking for a job and have my first interview tomorrow. It is more of a nursing home although they do rehabilitation services. I don't want to make the same mistake my sister did. She took the first job offered than later got call backs on her dream jobs paying more money. This will be my first job as a LPN and I am really nervous. If I am unsure if I want to take the job what could I say to stall for a few days just in case other places call. I am going on vacation this week and will be gone 4 days. I don't want to burn my bridges. I really thought it might be nice to work in a doctors office but they are harder to get into for first time jobs. I also thought a hospital would be great. I live in NY and we do have several hospitals that hire LPN'S still. Is it okay to ask what the job pays? How could I ask for a few days without insulting the place if I do get offered the job. Any advice would be appreciated.

Jean

[jmking]

Always ask question first....see what the facility has to offer. You can interview at several places, and be upfront. Tell them this is you first job and make sure you have a window of time where you can give them an answer to take the job.

[jmking]

Always ask questions first....see what the facility has to offer. You can interview at several places, and be upfront. Tell them this is you first job and make sure you have a window of time where you can give them an answer to take the job.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

It is more of a nursing home although they do rehabilitation services.

Beware, because nursing home rehab units tend to be very rough places to work. I currently work on a fast-paced rehab unit inside a nursing home, and sometimes it feels like a med/surg floor with all of the skills involved. The patients tend to be fresh postsurgical cases that are directly admitted from local hospitals (hip and knee arthroplasties, CABGs, thromboembolectomies, ORIFs, gastric tube placements, colectomies, new ostomies, total hysterectomies, kyphoplasties, back surgeries, etc).

Also, you'll see plenty of post CVAs, post MIs, uncontrolled diabetics, end stage renal failure, and so forth. The acuity level of these patients is far greater than what you'd see in a traditional long-term care unit. Also, you'll be doing a lot of IV therapy.

Whatever you do, absolutely do not accept an evening shift on the rehab unit. When I refer to evenings, I mean 2pm to 10pm, or 3pm to 11pm. This time frame is when the hospitals tend to discharge the sick patients and dump them into the nursing home. Nursing home rehab units generally do not have admission nurses, so you'll likely end up doing your own paperwork on 3, 4, or even 5 newly admitted patients.