I am a new grad that was offered a job on a telemetry floor in a hospital where there is not a contract to sign. I was also offered a job that is an OR fellowship that starts with 6 months of training so I would have to sign a 3 year contract. When I graduated I told myself that I just WOULD NOT sign a contract. I am a married 38 year old (no children) and held my first job for 7 years and 2nd job for 12 years before leaving to go back to school so I am not a job hopper but I don't like the idea of signing my life away. I don't know if it is worth my sense of freedom. It seems like a great opportunity that I would be crazy to turn down BUT I am just not 100% sure.
The tele job is my first choice out of floor jobs (I was also offered a job on neuro and another job at a long term care facility) but I never saw myself as a floor nurse, although I could do it and would be great for experience & it would just be a stepping stone. I liked the director & she really liked me. She is big on growth and learning & doesn't expect you to stay on that floor. She says I could transfer to another department after a year.
Schedule and having a work life balance are important to me at my age. The OR fellowship is 4 ten hour shifts & I would work one weekend every 6 weekends. I would also be on-call two days every 6 weeks. They do self scheduling. I really don't like the idea of being on-call but I realize it is part of the job. The tele job is day shift 7a-7pm 3 days per week, 36 hours. I would work every other weekend (not a problem) but maybe not because some prefer to the weekend shifts for the diff. Basically OR =less weekends and being on-call. Tele = more weekends and no on-call.
I feel with tele I would move into other roles easier than OR vs OR and deciding to move to another dept because it is so specific.
Another problem is that a prior clinical instructor had her students at the hospital I would be at. She told me about this program because I was talking to her about OR. She got me the interview because she just ranted an raved about me to the charge nurse. The fellowship was full but they brought me in and offered me this position. It is kind of last minute. I feel they are doing me a favor and I know my instructor pulled strings. She just has been very impressed with this hospital. So I feel the pressure to do prove to everyone why they did this for me. However, I don't really like favors being done. So if I turn it down I will feel embarassed and that I wasted everyone's time. I honestly didnt' think it would pan out.
I think I would be a good fit for OR but I only shadowed a nurse twice in school so I can't really be sure. BUT I would be in contract for 3 years. That is a long time to not be in the right spot. Another problem (sounds dumb) is that I remember being in the OR and not being sure I could work there because it is soooooo FREEZING and I hate being cold and am always cold.
Plus, being on-call makes me REALLY nervous. So while tele may not be the dream job I would feel free and know I can grow. I graduate Summa Cum Laude so I feel I can succeed and am will move on to great things.
I can transfer to another unit if it doesn't work out. I really want this opportunity with all the training and want to be in the OR so I am going for it.
I would highly recomment taking the OR job. You have one patient at a time - I can't tell you how important that is in the long term, plus no interaction with the family. A tele floor is bedside nursing which means some days you have 5 patients, some days six patients, sometimes you have LNA help, sometimes you don't. You are personally responsible to take on bigger assignments if there are call outs or unfilled vacancies. The schedule they are offering you in the OR is much more family friendly than the tele job and your holiday obligation will be very minimal. I assume you plan on working for many years, so a 3 year contract shouldn't be a deal breaker for you.
Great idea Libby1987. I will look into those...I guess they are just thick socks? I have never heard of foot warmers before.
What a great idea AliNajaCat. I guess I will start one in the OR Specialty page I guess (seems like that would be best). & then I can let you know. Like my own little diary. :) As long as all my pre-employment stuff goes thru in time I am set to start this coming Monday!
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Great idea Libby1987. I will look into those...I guess they are just thick socks? I have never heard of foot warmers before.
Most likely you'll end up acclimating to the temperature in the OR. I can't even have my house temp over 67 degrees without sweating! Maybe that's why I don't get visitors...
I'd go Tele. I have done both. I HATED the OR. I dislike tele but it's tolerable and WAY more transferable. I don't mind my occasional weekends with Tele, and can sometimes trade with peers. But being on call for OR, especially overnight, is a hell I don't think you would like. Being berated by a$$h*le surgeons all day also a hell I don't think you would like. If you love OR, which is rare, you will be set but if you hate it you are stuck.
One thing OR has going for it is your patient is asleep and therefor not annoying, and you only have ONE patient at a time. Aaaaahhh so nice!! But being around certain OR docs can make it awful again just like that. It's fun if you like trouble shooting electrical equipment while the doc is also saying snidely "get someone in here who know's what they are doing". Yeah.... do tele
I thought that is what you meant Bottomed Out but didn't know why that mattered. I guess you would have had to travel or commute. I have never been to LA but it certainly doesn't seem worth the trouble (from what I hear).
I was on assignment staying in downtown. Just did not enjoy living in LA at the time.Things could change.
From the perspective of RN jobs in the OR, it can be said "The door only swings one way." By that I mean that moving to a bedside job after being in the OR for a while can be challenging. Generally, once nurses go to the OR... they stay there.
From the perspective of RN jobs in the OR, it can be said "The door only swings one way." By that I mean that moving to a bedside job after being in the OR for a while can be challenging. Generally, once nurses go to the OR... they stay there.
Your exactly right.Hopefully there will be no issues for this nurse. Even though most jobs in general offer you to find something else if you don't like it. Two years in OR and then trying to switch to bedside would be a disaster.
SAS2016
34 Posts
I can transfer to another unit if it doesn't work out. I really want this opportunity with all the training and want to be in the OR so I am going for it.