New Grad Apheresis Nursing or Out Patient Clinic?

Nurses Job Hunt

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Hi all,

I am a new grad BSN. I just got a job as a nurse at blood center. I will be trained as a phebotomist/apheresis RN. The training is 6months.

I have been looking for jobs for more than 2months and the only place that has called me for an interivew was this place. I am grateful and accepted the job. But I have been getting calls/interviews for hospital RN jobs. I am 27years old, single, with no children. Moving is not an issue, but I consider my social/dating life. But I worry I may not be able to secure a hospital job.

Just got offered a job to work in an outpatient clinic. $10,000 relocation, 31.14/hr and 6%bonus for two year commitment and IHS will possibly pay for my student loans. 4.5 weeks PTO, 10 holidays. But cost of living is high. If I go I want to work a lot of overtime and make my self a nest egg.

This is a big move. But I am looking at the trade offs. In the blood center, I will have to pay my student loans $45,000, live at home with parents, and will not use a lot of my nursing skills.

At the other, I will get to use my nursing skills, live in a new area, meet new people, but it is really cold and I wonder about my social life. They only have about 5500 people, the average age is 28years. But I heard this could open doors for me in nursing. At most I would stay there for 2 years.

What do you guys think would be the best move? I would like a hospital job but I have not been able to find one.

Thanks so much for your feedback.

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My wife and I could have worked at (moderator edit of city name), we didn't accept and I regret it. My wife and I love the outdoors and I think of all the kayaking, fishing, and hunting.

That being said we simply could not afford the move. Housing is hard to find and very expensive. Utilities are crazy high but not as high as food prices. Not to mention the costs of maintaining your vehicle and cold weather supplies.

I would visit BEFORE accepting. They offered to pay for us to fly out and visit, see if they will do the same.

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Personally given your age and being single I would opt for for the first one. I know of two people who lived in (moderator edit of city). While beautiful you are cut off from the rest of the state during the winter months, not a lot of singlesl. Have you visited it? I know the this area is a tough market (also new grad in the area) it WILL improve. We just need to wait it out.

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You will be trained for 6 months as an apheresis nurse.

That is an awesome opportunity. You will certainly be using your nursing skills. If you feel you are not... after you sink your teeth in.. FIND something within that position to do so.

I have traveled. It is very difficult to be away from home .

Good luck on what ever path you choose, keep us posted.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Well, I have to disagree with the above posters--sorry! I worked in blood banking for more than six years prior to nursing school. As an unlicensed, uncertified phlebotomist (blood banks are exempt from phlebotomy certification requirements here in CA), I performed apheresis procedures and did everything that the nurses did, other than act as charge nurse. It really is a good job, but you will not use many nursing skills. Even if you are doing therapeutic apheresis procedures (plasma exchange, leukapheresis, etc.) where you are interacting with patients, it is still highly specialized. It will be difficult for you to get into an acute care environment if blood banking is all you have. If acute care is not your desire, go for it! Blood banking has a lot of perks such as frequent donors that you can get to know and no one is dying, generally. It is fun to run the Trima machines and talk with the donors, but it really wasn't nursing, since I could do it with minimal education. The nurses there were pretty much there because they hated acute care, burned out, or wanted more predictable hours. All in all, it was a great stepping stone for me, but I would not go back there now that I am a nurse.

On the other hand, working there sounds intense! I don't envy your decision, but wanted to give you a little more background info on blood banking.

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Thank you so much for the feedback. I like getting straight forward answers. I have decided not to go to (moderator edit of city). I will work at the blood center and try to find a part time hospital job. My age is the biggest factor in this decision. If I was in my early 20s I would be more likely to go. I put my dating life on hold to goto nursing school and now I am in (moderator edit of city) it would be nice to meet people and start dating.

thank you.:)

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While I am here I will try my best to utilize my nursing skills and get the most out of it. I think I will really like it. I want a hospital job to solidify my nursing skills but I know in the long run I don't see myself working in the hospital rather as a Nurse practitioner in an outpatient clinic or something. I am leaving myself open to the possibilities.

Thank you so much for your feed back.

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Thank you so much for your info on blood banking. I decided to take the blood center job. I will be looking for a part time hospital position in the mean time. I will just keep on applying.

I want to thank everyone for the feedback it really helped in making my decision.

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Specializes in Specialty Oncology Pharmacy.

I've been a Therapeutic Apheresis nurse for 3 years. Are you going to be working in an outpatient apheresis center or doing therapeutics in the hospital? If you are doing therapeutics in the hospital, the job will offer probably some form of flexability as well as on-call pay, and mileage reimbursement. The training is intense...I wasn't fully comfortable with my job till about a year and a half into it. I do believe that you will lose some of your nursing skills since pheresis and phlebotomy will be all that you are doing. So no more passing pills or giving IV meds, injections (except for possibly one type of sub-q) tube feedings, dressing changes, trach care, vent maintenance...etc. You do, however, hone in on your people skills. You learn to get your point across effectively and especially learn how to talk to physicians without being nervous. You will interact with a variety of departments on a daily basis such as blood bank, lab, pharmacy and different types of floors. Your patients can range from itty bitty infants to the oldest of the elderly. People that are full of life, but happened to experience unfortunate circumstances that left them with having to receive therapeutic apheresis, to patients that can't live without a ventilator and pheresis is pretty much their saving grace that will pull them through. You have to weigh your options: Would you rather have a job that sounds like you are bound to for a period of time, even if it might not be the correct fit for you, or a job where you can leave if you decide that it isn't for you ? I don't want to influence your opinion in any way. I'm just telling you the perpective from a therapeutic apheresis nurses point of ciew. Good luck in whatever decision you happen to choose:-)

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