Need help deciding about a job

[oakley1031]

Hi, I am a newer grad nurse, graduated April 2013 and passed boards in June 2013. I have been working as a nurse at a LTC and rehab facility, but have been applying and interviewing for a hospital job with no luck. I live in the Detroit area and have been looking into the hospitals around here, but I did look into one hospital in the Grand Rapids area. Things are looking promising with a couple different hospitals around detroit, but no job offer yet. However, the nurse manager in Grand Rapids has told me if I'm willing to move to Grand Rapids and can commit to working on his neuro unit for over a year, the job offer will be made. I haven't given an answer back to him yet because I'm not sure if I should move from detroit to GR. I am from the detroit suburbs and my family is located here. I'm not opposed to working a neuro unit and have interviewed for neuro units around detroit. I want to start working in the hospital, but I'm not sure if I should take this first job offer and move across the state or if I should continue looking around detroit and hope a job offer comes soon. So far the pay offered in GR is less than the going rate around detroit. Any advice or comments would be appreciated as I consider this. Thanks!

[HarryTheCat, MSN, RN]

The way the job market is these days for nurses, I would certainly consider the position in Grand Rapids. You are probably well aware that Detroit has been steadily losing population, and that means a steadily shrinking job market. Unless you have some compelling reason to remain in the Detroit area or some reasonable assurance that there is going to be a position for you in Detroit, you might want to jump on that offer before they give up on you and hire someone else.