Need opinion from experienced CCL nurses immediately!

[snbell]

Hello, all! I'm a new grad (December 2013) and have finally been blessed with a few job offers. On 2/28, I was offered a position in Emory's nurse residency program for the ED. I was very excited and happy since my senior practicum was in the ED. Then, today (3/4) I received another call offering a position in Emory's first cohort for the cardiac cath lab nurse residency.

After the initial excitement of another job offer from a great academic hospital, reality hit. Both are great opportunities. However, I have only had exposure with the ED. I love interacting with the patients in the ED, but I would enjoy the challenge of the ccl. I'm leaning more towards the ccl, but being a single mom, I don't know how I will be able to handle the on-call requirement for ccl. I have some family in Atl and could always have a babysitter for on-call days.

It appears that nurses come from the ED and ICU to the CCL. I will eventually go back to school to earn my DNP, so would it be better to get experience in the ED or CCL?

Both positions require a two year contract, so I want to make sure I'm making the best decision. PLEASE HELP ME!!

[gigglestarsRN]

First of all, congrats on two great offers! My initial reaction is that the ED will give you a broad range of experiences. Unless you want to specialize in cardiac, I think that's a better place to start and acquire many skills. Good luck with whatever you decide!