New Grad, which job should I take?

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  1. Which job should I take?

    • 29
      MedSurg Fellowship
    • 3
      Pediatrics office RN
    • 0
      DaVita Acute Dialysis RN

32 members have participated

Hi my fellow nurses and murses,

I am a new grad with no RN experience. I need some really good advice and opinions.

1. A fellowship on a medsurg floor at the top trauma hospital in the state. A little about this...I will get one on one attention. Attend a couple seminars. I get the regular 2 week RN orientation and training and then I am placed on a floor for 4 weeks with a preceptor. Then another 4 weeks a different floor and then another 4 weeks a different floor. So a total of 12 weeks. Afterwards I give them my top 3 places I want to work. For instance 1. Medsurg 2. ICU 3. OB....they said they try to give the 1st choice but if not they will make sure to land me with a job for my second pick.

2. Pediatrics office...this position would be Mon, Tues and Friday 10 hours each and rotating weekends.

3. DaVita Acute RN Dialysis. With the company I would be at 3 different hospitals. The 3 hospitals are owned by the same company just about 15 minutes apart from each other....these are well known hospitals in my city as well (we have A LOT OF HOSPITALS in my city...nursing job shortages whaaaaaaaaaaaat? lol). I would get training for 3 months and never be allowed to be the only RN since I will be working as a acute nurse as opposed to chronic.

I am asking for an opinion because well obviously I cant get my dream job right now but these are all 3 things I honestly wouldnt mind doing if I cant my dream job. I like all these options but I dont know what to pick....I want something that will lead to many opportunities in the future. The average new grad RN here gets paid $22-24. I read online DaVita RNs are making over $30 an hour....I am NOT doing nursing for the money if that was the case I would have picked another career BUT if there are two jobs I really would love and can see myself doing and one is paying higher than the other obviously Id go with the higher one. The money is just the "perks" for me...seriously.

I know a lot of you guys on here are older and more experienced and I would LOVE your insight and input :) Thank you in advance

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

I'm not a nurse but number 1 sounds like the best opportunity! Good luck!

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Specializes in Nursing Management.

#1 would be best.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

#1 will give you better experience and training and allow for many more future possibilities. The other 2 choices lock you into only that.

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Specializes in Public Health, Med/Surg.

I would also suggest #1! You will have the opportunity to see so many different floors. You can always take a job doing #2 or 3 later on, after you have some experience.

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I would say absolutely go with #1. I am a new grad nurse 7 months into my first job (I was lucky and somehow got a job in a pediatric ICU at a prestigious hospital).

Med-Surg at a great hospital will give you the best range of experience, and give you a solid foundation from which you could branch off in any direction you want! I have heard that once you work in an office or in dialysis, it is hard to get out of those and go a different direction. I've also heard dialysis can be boring and in-hospital experience is great when you are starting out.

If you choose the med/surg one and end up liking the job or the hospital a lot, it would be the perfect opportunity to have your foot in the door for other jobs there and to build relationships and connections with people. There would also be a lot more potential for climbing the "professional ladder" if you took that one.

It really depends what you want to do with your life though. If your passion is for office-nursing or something else like public nursing, the office job might not be a bad idea.

Hope that helps. :)

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Specializes in Postpartum, Med Surg, Home Health.

Number 1 definitely sounds like the right choice. Once you have hospital experience, then you can basically go anywhere.

I am curious, what area do you live in? Since you say there is no nursing shortage there I'm interested in knowing.

Also, I'm a bit confused, so you have job offers from these 3 places already?

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Specializes in Public Health.

1! YESS

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Specializes in Postpartum, Med Surg, Home Health.

Well then congratulations!! Let us know what you cjoose

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

What IS your dream job? Are any of these 3 options a stepping stone to that?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

The hospital job sounds amazing. You will get exposure to a couple med-surg floors and then decide if you want to stay on the med-surg floor or go to a different specialty. Sounds like a great opportunity!

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I would choose #1. Those are some great options! I have to ask where are you located? I live in NY on Long Island and the job market is VERY tough here for new grad RNs. :-( I've had my license a little over a year, prior to this I worked as a LPN for 6 years. My options have been very limited and I've been stuck at a home care agency barely using my skills. It seems when the hospitals DO hire a new grad they give preference to those from private institutions. I graduated from a community college and went on to complete my BSN with Chamberlain.

Any tips on areas with particularly high demand willing to hire & train RNs without acute care experience?

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