Need help.. which job to chose! Need expert advice!!

[Epona]

Here's the pickle I am in and need all experienced nurses input here!!!

I was recently diagnosed with tilts in both my knees. They started hurting me when I was working the floor recently in a docs. office were I landed a job. I am a new grad.

I was offered a job at a state mental hospital doing RN recruiting and PR. I was also just offered a job on a busy Med/ Surg floor in a local hospital.

Most of the people I have spoken with are saying DO THE HOSPITAL, BUT I am not sure PHYSICALLY if I can do it because of the knees. I am in PT and they are getting better. I have also only worked two 8 hours at the docs. office and I do get to sit down there, get hour lunch and so forth. So they are getting better. If I am not able to build the muscles up around the knees to stabilize them, then I have to have surgery. Ugh.

The pay is going to be around the same.. so that is not really an issue.

SO... SO.... I am at a real dilema... work Med. Surg for 12 hour shifts with no breaks.... wonder about knees... not sure if I can do it..... get some benefits, make a little more money, maybe go into Cardiac in a year......( if I stay in Nursing, what I hope to do).

OR... do my RN recruting job sitting down in my office... no benefits (govt. cutting back), a little less money... and do my one day at the docs. office. (THIS I CAN HANDLE).

My heart wants to do the nursing, but realistically I AM NOT SURE IF I CAN DO IT. The doc. said he usually gets good results with the knee surgery.

Since I have been off them and in Physical Therapy... my knees are doing a lot better. I think personally, Med, Surg is the better option, BUT I am not sure PHYSCIALLY if I can do it. I could take that job, NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT, and lose everything.

OR>>>>

I can do the recruting and the one day at the docs. office. I can work that and make my money, BUT I am not sure of future possibilities there. I MIGHT be able to get into state legislative politics, but that is a maybe. Otherwise, there is not much room there for advancement and I will lose a lot of clinical skills.

I am an older student so it's critical the path I chose.

I talked to my Aunt who helped me get into the Med, Surg unit, and she said under the circumstances, she would recommend the recruiting job. She said on the hospital ward, there are very few breaks and I will be standing continously.

HELP HELP HELP!!!! I am not sure which to take!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!

[Jules A, MSN]

Will you be without health insurance if you take the state office job? I would suggest the one that is easier on your knees but definitely don't go without health insurance. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Epona]

My hubby has the health insurance covered.

[barb1959]

I am an older nurse also (50) keep that to yourself. My suggestion would be to follow you instincts. If you don't feel that you can physically handle the med/surg [and it will be grueling both physically and mentally] go with the sit down job. Maybe not as challenging but we all have to perform within our limits. It has been difficult for me to handle the aging process and I am healthy. There are many opportunities out there for nurses in all specialities. You will find your niche. Yes, is is a fact of life that sometimes our physical abilities are not ready for the challenges that our heart and soul are set upon. Go with your gut and you won't be dissapointed. Good luck to you.

[RNBSNMe]

I say take the recruiting job..your health comes first!

[misplaced1]

I am also a new grad and have some health issues. Go with what you like. I was in another field before this and everyone said you MUST do this and you MUST do that in order to get to THIS PLACE. Well, my ex husband and I , both in the same field, both opted not to do THE MUST stuff, the dues paying stuff that it is the unwritten law you HAVE to do. And guess what? He is mega mega successful. I was on my way to being mega successful before falling ill and having to take years out of the workforce. Now I am better but don't travel as well as I used to and want to live in this area hence the career switch.

Heres my take and remember I am a new grad and I also was in my other career at a different time when the economy was better. But honestly I don't think it would have made a bit of difference. If you go with what fits for you I suspect you will not regret it. The job market is tight right now of course. All jobs are hard to get. Many people would love to have the nurse recruiter job you have with its more regular hours. Lots of people want to end up with a non clinical job eventually. If you are one of them, why not go for it now? My experience with the government is that as the permanent jobs come up, and they will, they will get people in there they want to keep. Then you can move around within the government if you want.

If you want a clinical job, like you want to be a floor nurse for most your career or something then that is the only way I would even consider putting my body through what you are describing with your problems. The thing is if you change your mind and decide later that you want to be more clinical and your body is up to it why not just take a refresher course.

If you keep yourself healthy as possible and I doubt you will regret it. Do you think your employer will go o so sorry your knees are so messed up you can't work the floors anymore and we will find you something else? Doubt it. I gotta tell you this all became clear to me when I was finishing up school and pulled a large muscle in my leg. I could barely walk at first but luckily it healed enough that I was able to go back in with my leg splinted only missing one day. I was on a floor I loved but I only had two or three patients at a time cause I was a student. If I had been an employee and that happened I could NO WAY do the job because I would have more patients and would be too slow for that.

I asked my instructor, so what would happen? She said well you would be out of work until you could walk better because you are too slow. That took about 6 weeksso we are talking six weeks with NO PAY. Nursing, although it requires a college degree, is much differnt from many other professional jobs. It is actually more like being a waitress in many ways when you have a clinical job. No walky, no worky no pay-ey. I honestly can't think of another professional job that is like them, although there must be. But your recruiting job, thats one you can do even with a broken leg!

One more caveat. Do you think you are making yourself unique by being an RN with med surg experience or an RN with recruiting experience? Who do you think would be more in demand by corporate recruiters, an RN who worked wo years of MEd Surg OR an RN with experience as a government nursing recruitor? My experience tells me that "having the required training" offers the most jobs but being uniquely trained or having unique skills gets you the BEST jobs.

I think you are lucky.

[Rook]

Med/Surg isn't the best place to go if you got a bad set of knees and if your husband has benefits I'd go with the recruiting job. Remember the recession is causing hospitals to understaff, my gf works on med-surg/oncology floor, has 5 pts (some of which are at deaths door) and often is lucky to have a CNA for 1-2 of her patients.

[jdethman]

I am not an expert, but if you have bad knees you will need to make a transtion at sometime away from bedside nursing. It would seem to me you have been given a great gift by skiping all together. Many a bedside nurse would kill for a PR recruiting gig and i would bet not many the other way around.

[ONCRN84]

The recruiting job. You'll miss your knees when they're gone. If you don't think you can physically handle it, don't do it. Take the recruiting job, work on your knees, get surgery if need be, then re-evaluate.

[Vito Andolini]

Is the government entity actually hiring? Just curious.

I think you should take that job and the doc's office job for now. You could recruit yourself later for MedSurg if you like, LOL, even get a bonus probably for hiring yourself!

[Epona]

These are some excellent comments and great advice! I thank you all very much indeed! :) I decided to do the PR recruiting job and my one day at the docs. office. That way I am not killing myself and still getting SOME medical experience. It really worked well I think!

Yes. I can always do a refresher course. I want to get my knees better (which I am happy to say they are getting better)!

I am going to also try and get involved in the state govt. now and join my local political party. With my first degree in Broadcasting and now the RN degree, I think this is a GREAT opportunity!

PS- I asked one of the interviewers on the panel how many people they interviewed for the job, and he said a SIGNIFICANT number. I am thanking my lucky stars! I get a nice office and own bathroom too!

If the knees had not been an issue then I probably would have gone the clinical route. I still believe, however, that there are wonderful opportunities ahead.

Wish me luck and thanks to all!! Best regards,

[llg, PhD, RN]

With your educational background ... and horrible knees ... it sounds as if you probably made the right choice.

Good luck!