Need help making a career decision!!!

[thf100]

Hello all! I have just over a year of experience and have been given TWO amazing opportunities to further my career, and am having the most difficult time deciding! They are both in the same part of the same hospital, and pay is the same, so no issues there.

Choice #1 is a pediatric IMC. 75-80% of the patient's are babies. There is a lot of overflow from the NICU, and some congenital/chronic patients who still come there into early adulthood, so I would see a WIDE variety of patients. It is a rotating schedule of 50/50 day/night... 3 weeks days, 3 weeks night.

Choice #2 is a Family Centered Care (mother/baby) unit. In the beginning of my nursing career I always wanted to work with this population (I originally thought I wanted to do L&D). The schedule is also 50/50 rotating, but 12 weeks days/12 weeks nights.

It's a difficult choice because I may want to be a lactation consultant one day (but maybe not, still undecided). I originally always thought I'd want to work in L&D and become a midwife, but I'm still up in the air about that. The FCC seems much more organized. Bother units are large, clean, and beautiful, but the PIMC has colorful murals and such. I would be responsible for more patients on the FCC due to having 3-5 couplets vs 3-5 patients on the PIMC, but those patients would be much more acute/chronic. I love getting to know and spending time with my patients, and FCC is only a 2-4 night stay max... but I would get to do a LOT of teaching. I am so torn. Can anyone out there offer any insight on working in either kind of unit that I might not be considering? I appreciate any help you have to offer!

[NursingNapsNetflix]

I have been working in Postpartum/Newborn Nursery for two years since graduating from nursing school and am bored out of my mind. I recently accepted a position on the Float Team, which means level 2 NICU, postpartum, newborn nursery, and high risk postpartum on rotation. I will finally get to use my brain again! Here's the thing... postpartum/well nursery is the same patients over and over again. I was thrilled originally, i love the babies, i love the moms and i love teaching them how to breastfeed and all that good stuff, but to me i am losing valuable hands on skills. I have probably inserted two foleys in two years, I had one code, and drawing blood?? no nurses on my unit know how to do it except those with previous experience and me because im so damn bored i draw my own blood. ive had a blood transfusion or two and basically my life is making sure my moms are pain free. I have 3-6 couplets depending on the night and that can also mean mothers with multiples. my life is chartingchartingcharting ugh. so it depends what you are looking for. the PIMC sounds very exciting and FCC is relaxed and easier. do you want knowledge and excitement or laid-back chatting with patients that are for the most part healthy.