New Grad dilemma: WWYD?

[midwifemae]

I am a new grad. My DREAM job is in labor and delivery. I am willing to work in any area of nursing in the hospital tho, to get experience and work my way into L&D. The problem is my family cannot go 4 more months without a second income so I have been offered a job in peds home health. This is NOT even close to what I want to do, but it pays well. And the patients are pretty acute so I would get good experience (I think). Anyway, the dilemma is do I take this job bc we need the money, even though it isn't want I want to do, OR do I wait for a better hospital job to come along...basically I am worried that if I do home health that I will be trapped so to speak and won't ever get back into the hospital where I want to be. Thanks for your guidance!

(I am not at all saying there is anything wrong with home health--it just isn't what I want to do.)

[caliotter3]

You are a new grad. You can't depend on another hospital job offer appearing soon. Every shift you work at the home health case is a day of nursing work experience. Take the job and continue your application efforts.

[ponymom]

Are you even *in* the hospital yet?

Just sayin's all...

[Triddin]

Take the job

[mediwizard]

Take the job. I do not know where you are but from where I am from, L&D is hard to get. They specifically offer you training for it and those jobs do not come easily.

[midwifemae]

I worked in the hospital for over 6 years. I left during nursing school. I worked postpartum. I have a huge network of people/nurses in L&D. The 4 months is to wait for the new grad residency program. I realize I didn't give enough info in the post. Anyway, in order to qualify for the new grad program, you cannot have worked even one day as an RN. Just a difficult decision bc we need the $ but the new grad program sets me up for great future success in the hospital, no matter where I start out. Just sayin'

[kaporo22]

Although you need money you should wait for the new grad program. Pass my board two years ago get an agency job. Then get a job offer medsurge at a hoospital. Because I told them I have work with an agency for few months they don't consider me as new grad. I was given 6 to 8 weeks orientation. Felt orientation was short I decided to quit during orientation I was not comfortable with few weeks orientation. My friend told me I should have never told the managers I have work as an RN so that I should have the 13 weeks orientation which should have been prepare me more better. You can take the home care job but don't let the managers know or you can wait for the residency program.

[caliotter3]

Since you knew the answer to this already, you did not need to pull our chains by withholding the key information. Nobody gave you bad advice based on the information you chose to make known.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Well, now that you have disclosed all the pertinent information the answer is pretty clear. If your goal is L & D and you have been accepted into a new grad residency program for that specialty it would be shooting yourself in the foot to accept a position elsewhere that you 1] don't want in the first place and 2] removes your eligibility for the job you do want.

It might sound like a long time, but believe me 4 months isn't long to wait for the right job. Especially if not waiting means you can't get the job you really want at all. Figure out an admittedly tight family budget and stick to it for that 4 month wait. You'd be surprised at what you can do without when you need to cut corners financially. At least in your case you have a relatively short and predetermined time of unemployment to deal with.

[rnhopeful82, ASN, RN]

Why can't you get a non nursing job for the 4 months?

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Why can't you get a non nursing job for the 4 months?

Yes, this. Wait tables. Walk dogs. Drive for Uber or Lyft.

[TruvyNurse]

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, young Grasshopper...