Need your opinion!

[ldnurse2004]

Hello, it has been a very long time since I have posted but have recently been dealing with a situation and don't know how to handle it. The OB unit that I am working on is closing, suspected date 12-31-11 unless of course our staff and/or doctors find other jobs and there isn't enough staff to support the unit. It makes me very sad and upset to be dealing with this as I love the unit Im on its not too big not too small but just right. My coworkers are ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL and we have all become a family. We are being offered severence and stay bonuses if we stay until the end. The hospital is offering to relocate us to other units which is great to some extent but IMO I am an OB nurse because I love what I do and can't imagine doing anything else. I have been an OB nurse for 7 years. I have only been on this unit for a year though. My coworkers are great but don't really like the way the hospital management handled the whole thing, so have not decided what I should do. There really aren't any OB positions currently within reasonable driving distance. So my ? is. Would you stay until the end and take a transfer looking at it being an opportunity to gain experience in another specialty, would you just keep looking for a L&D position and take a chance of getting stuck with no job and only 2 weeks pay of severence, or would you send out applications like crazy and if something comes your way take it and forget the severence and stay pay. I feel like Im screwed either way and have worried myself sick over this. All non-nurses say I would just stay and transfer but they don't understand that we as OB nurses have a true passion and LOVE what we do. Please any ideas or comments will be greatly appreciated.

[glutton4punishment]

why can't you do both? Stay until the end while looking for another position? Transfer to another unit, and keep looking.

[ldnurse2004]

It has been said that if we transfer we will have to sign a contract, they don't want to spend time and money training us for something else and we leave now with experience to work for another facility.

[RxOnly]

How long is the contract for? Could you stay and transfer, then look for another OB job sometime down the road if you don't like your new unit?? I think it's great that your facility is at least letting you keep a job rather than just cutting you loose, but I'm sorry to hear your bad news. Seems like the positions we like never last!!

[cabanaboy]

"would you send out applications like crazy and if something comes your way take it and forget the severence and stay pay."

That seems like the easy answer to me. You didn't say what the bonus was, but two weeks of severence isn't worth staying around for if another job you want comes up.

That's what I'd do. The hard decision will come if you don't get another job by the time 12/31 comes around.

[beast master RN]

look for the ob job and move on...if possible. you no the corp people will move on from this unit, nothing last for ever , not even the heavens and the earth, what if you take some new position and spend 6-12 month regretting your decision to move to a diff field and wish you had just stayed as a ob nurse, if thats your passion and your good at it , and like it , fight for it, just my 2 cents

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I am not sure the contract would be binding. Depends on your state laws, but I have seen docs and nurses successfully contest the contract as it prevented them from earning a living. A new employer might agree to "buy out" the contract, or you might be able to negotiate a start date when the contract expires. However, since you are worrying so much, why not just ride it out, transfer to another dept and then start looking? That way you have income and no rush to make decisions.