Need job advise PLEASE HELP ME

Nurses Job Hunt

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I am a new grad RN who passed her boards. I had an interview at my hospital of choice last week for a spinal cored injury/ head injury rehab unit for nights 11-7. The interview was tough and she made it very clear it was a difficult floor with a 10:1 ratio on nights and doing full transfers with only one LPN on nights and no Aids. She didn't seem that impressed with me so i kept interviewing. I interviewed at the same hospital for a SNF. The woman was very nice, seemed very interested in hiring me, loved all my answers, and hired me on the spot pending a drug test and background check. So NOW the SCI/head injury woman just left me a voice mail, and i think it might be a job offer. What do i do? I told the SNF woman i interviewed with SCI and she said i could take which position i wanted. Which one do i want? Am i going to get stuck in skilled nursing forever? will other floors not take me because my experience is sub acute versus acute? Why should i take a job that 10X harder for the same money? and have a boss that I'm terrified of? and for the record.. what exactly is skilled nursing?

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

no such thing as being stuck forever. The SCI sounds like a nightmare. You will ruin your back with all that lifting and no help. Too many patients. I would do SNF then, if it did not seem like a fit after a year or so, transfer. At that time you will be able to make a more informed decision. Good luck

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Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

Perhaps you should see if the voicemail is in fact a job offer or not.

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well i know if i call her back to see if she's going to offer me a job, i need to tel her yes or no, and i don't have an answer as of right now, so i don't want to call yet.

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No you don't. You can tell her you need to think about your options and you will call her back with your answer in X days. If you are so intimidated by her that you feel you cannot say this to her, then you need to rethink if you can go to her with any other issues you may have related to your job. Did they not have a lecture on job offers and interviews?

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I am terrified of her. The SNF RN was so sweet and nice, and i could see myself going to her about anything. When i interviewed today the woman said pending a drug test and background check my orientation will be the 26th. Does that mean i definitely have the job? Now I'm starting to doubt myself. I just left a message for the SNF RN just to clarify that i do have the job, and then I think i'm going to turn down the SCI because I just don't want it. and no we got no guidance in school about interviewing, job offers, applying, NOTHING. all they said was "good luck getting a job in this market" and "you'll never get a job as a GN but we give you the paperwork anyways"

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Specializes in Pedi.
well i know if i call her back to see if she's going to offer me a job, i need to tel her yes or no, and i don't have an answer as of right now, so i don't want to call yet.

You don't have to give her an answer the minute she offers you the job. You simply say, "I need some time to think about this. I will call you back by ___________."

If just thinking about this woman gives you this much anxiety, I'd take the other job. My boss sounds exactly like the woman you describe and I do not sleep at all if I know I have to work a day shift and face her. It's not worth it.

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I am a new grad RN who passed her boards. I had an interview at my hospital of choice last week for a spinal cored injury/ head injury rehab unit for nights 11-7. The interview was tough and she made it very clear it was a difficult floor with a 10:1 ratio on nights and doing full transfers with only one LPN on nights and no Aids. She didn't seem that impressed with me so i kept interviewing?

This job sounds like a disaster. I work on a rehab unit and most of our patients are stroke and hip/knee arthoplasty. Everyone's a fall risk and it takes 1-2 people to help patients ambulate to the bathroom, pivot/transfer, or pull up in the bed. I can only imagine what it would be like working with patients who have spinal cord and head injuries- it doesn't look good. Would you want to injure your spinal cord lifting all those patients? And five days a week is too much, even if you are working 11pm-7a. You didn't mention the hours for the SNF, but If I were in your position, I would take the SNF job. Make the best choice for yourself!

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I realized i forgot the hours on a SNF job. its 7a-3p full time 40 hrs. WITH full staff, a hand full of LPNS and many CNAs. The RNs on SNF don't do the lifting and transferring, which is the part i was most afraid of on the SCI floor. I'm 5'4 120 lbs, i know there's ways to transfer people easily, but 10 patients multiple times a night seems a little crazy. The SNF is sub acute and the nurse manager said i would not loose skills and they have many GSW patients, and MV accidents and also have a vent wing. So i don't think I'll be bored, there's a lot for me to learn, and i think it's the better choice for me right now fresh out of school.

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

I worked in rehab, and let me tell you, with 10 patients, you need a CNA, most definitely. Every patient will need help transferring, and keep in mind, they are slow since they are either post-op or weak (that's why they're in rehab), and most of the patients are elderly, so you have comorbitities, which means a ton of meds/respiratory treatments/and possible higher level transfers. Sounds like you already made your decision, and you got day shift! That's pretty sweet, good hours, nice manager, and fully staffed. (what was your ratio at the SNF again?)

Just make sure you get help when you have patients that size so that you don't hurt yourself. You'll get some good time management experience in a SNF, and you'll get good with phlebotomy, too (since I'm assuming you'll be doing your own blood work). And, you'll get experience with vents among other things.

Congrats!! :)

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If you are already terrified of the lady and you haven't even started working for her that should be flag #1..Flag #2 for me would be the patient ratio and lack of support..what if a patient goes bad or needs something a little more than just usual and customary care for the night? Where does that leave the other 9 patients and you? Sounds like a unit that is trying to save $$ and overwork the staff. I'd pass for sure on that one..and no nurse is stuck anywhere that has good skills and strong work ethic.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Normally going straight into acute care would be my vote, but given the description of the job...what are the odds that you will last there for the 2 years (used to be 1 but the market's bad) you need to be competitive for the next job? I'd bet those odds are poor.

In this case, I also agree with going into the SNF. It IS nursing, you WILL learn a lot, and it is NOT a dead-end. Plus you can always look for something PRN on the side if you want to dabble in other areas or get some acute care experience.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

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