New grad RN needs advice: Med surg offer waiting on perianesthesia outpatient position

[stephaniekendrick]

Hello everyone, I just received my RN license two weeks ago (YAY!), and have a slight situation. So the day I graduated I went into the Hospital I did my clinicals at and talked to the manager on the Orthopedic Surgical floor (OSC) AND went in to an outpatient surgery center and talked to the manager there (a friend of a friend works there and loves it). So, I interviewed for the outpatient surgery center for a full time perianesthesia position (4 10's with weekends and holidays off) and the OSC floor position at the Hospital (3 12's day shift). After I interviewed with the surgery center they asked if I would like to shadow the following Monday and I did (for 3 hours with one patient). The day I interviewed for the OSC job the nurse manager told me they loved me and I should be hearing from HR (which I did, submitted references, etc, waiting to do pee test).

Here is my question: I am pretty high energy, I have never worked a 12 hour shift, I am fit (a swimmer), I am organized, and I realize that med surg floor nursing will be brutal for up to a year. I am 50/50 on either job, one day I want the outpatient center position and the next day I want the floor job. I have basically been given the floor job but the surgery center still has "a few interviews to do", and I did write the manager and told her I enjoyed my shadowing experience. What do you all think about either job and do you have any advice for me? Thank you all so much!

[laney1733]

4 10s, no holidays, no weekends AND a positive work environment (per a friend of a friend), I know which one I'd be hoping for. Good luck and congratulations!

[OCNRN63, RN]

Everybody is different. I worked in day surgery, and I was glad I had med surg. experience under my belt, because you may have one patient having eye surgery, another patient having gyn surgery, another a peds. patient having T & A, etc., etc. You're constantly shifting your gears. Some people are good at that and don't need any experience working with a variety of patients prior to going to a fast paced environment such as day surgery.

Which seems to suit your personality best?

[purplegal]

How long do you have to decide whether or not to take the med-surg position? The schedule for the outpatient position seems more appealing, but you don't want to wait too long, or you may lose the med-surg position. After all, you haven't been offered a position in the outpatient setting, and sometimes hearing that they have "other interviews to do" isn't good news (although, of course, sometimes that is truth and means nothing). I'm not sure about where you live, but, where I am, new grads aren't as likely to be granted outpatient jobs as those who have already worked the floors. Either of them sound like good opportunities though. Find out how long you have to make your decision about your actual offer, and then decide if you can wait to hear from the other job.

[Libby1987]

An awesome schedule at a great place to work, offered to a brand new grad. It sounds fantastic but I doubt all it how it appears to be.

Depending on how many years you plan to work and all of your long term career goals taken into consideration, I might want to get the med surg experience concluded while I still had the energy for it.

[mkrn32]

Great question! I am a new grad nurse myself and accepted a position in an outpatient surgery center (not affiliated with any hospital) 6 months before I even graduated nursing school! (I do conscious sedation in the Procedure rooms and rotate into pre-op and pacu). I had been working there for almost 2 years prior as front desk then a nursing assistant. I was lucky that I didn't need too much training after I passed my nclex because I had already been there so long but I couldn't imagine another new grad coming in and having as easy of a transition. I think it would definitely help to have some acute care/med surg experience under your belt. I actually plan on looking for a hospital job on the side to get some more experience. On the other hand, what are your future goals? Do you see yourself doing bedside nursing long-term or becoming a nurse practitioner or nurse educator? If so, you will definitely need some hospital experience at some point. If you think in the near future you'd like a steady schedule then I would definitely go with the outpatient center! Many times, those places require nurses to have at least a few years of acute care experience so you are very lucky!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

Four tens with no weekends, no holidays? No crazy ratios? Supportive environment? No family drama?

Med-Surg units often have high turnover. Jobs will always be there. OR/outpatient surgery? Not so much.