Please help, super conflicted!

Nurses Job Hunt

Published

  1. Which job would you pick?

    • 16
      ED job at CRMC.
    • 5
      ICU job at Archbold.

21 members have participated

I am a nursing student who is about a week and a half away from graduating with my BSN. I have applied to several hospitals in the Tallahassee area and fortunately have received two offers. Now, the issue is that I can't figure out who to choose! Below I'll give some details about each job and if you can help me decide that would be excellent!

Job #1: Capital Regional Medical Center - ED Night Shift

------------------------------------------------------------

  • 15 minute commute
  • $21.78 starting pay
  • $3.25 shift diff for nights and an extra $2 for weekends
  • 16-week orientation
  • Staff was cool (at least on day shift they were)
  • Pretty big ER, not a Trauma center
  • HCA hospital
  • Cafeteria open at night
  • Lots of opportunity for overtime
  • Future Career paths - Nurse Prac, Trauma, Management, anything else?
  • White tops, maroon pants.

Job #2: John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital - ICU Night Shift

------------------------------------------------------------

  • 1 hour commute each way
  • 22$ starting pay
  • 3.30$ evening shift diff, 4.40$ night shift diff, 5$ weekend shift diff
  • Not sure how long the orientation is.
  • Awesome crew on night shift (I worked with them for my preceptorship)
  • 18 bed general ICU, 2:1 ratio
  • Local hospital, serves a large area. Level 2 trauma center.
  • ICU nurses respond to codes, which I enjoyed doing.
  • Cafeteria closed at night.
  • Royal blue scrubs
  • Basically I already was doing the job of a nurse on the unit, and was doing well!
  • Excellent jumping off point for CRNA, Nurse Prac, Trauma, Flight nursing and grad school.
  • Oh yeah, GA has a state tax, and Florida does not, so about a $2,000 loss per year.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in making this tough decision!

Specializes in Critical Care.

CRMC. Cafeteria's open at night.

Plus it's closer. Hour commute doesn't sound bad, but that effectively turns your shifts into 14+ hour nights.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.
Here are some more details about me to help you all see where I'm sitting.

I'm 21 and live with my girlfriend who is in grad school. I drive an efficient vehicle, and the drive is mostly a straight shot on a highway. I'm not really sure what type of advanced practice nurse I'd like to be, but I will definitely be attending grad school in the next 2 years or so. I like moving quickly and being involved in the diagnostic process but also enjoy order at times.

I think you're leaning toward job #2.

Go with your heart.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Nurse.
I think you're leaning toward job #2.

Go with your heart.

I'm still unsure, God this is a tough call. I didn't expect to see this many votes for 1. It's a great hospital too, and I think it'll be a great place to learn. I'm just not sure. 2 I know is great, but I may feel the same about 1 if I work there for a little while.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This decision isn't difficult for nurses who know people who sustained spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries after they fell asleep while driving after night shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Nurse.
This decision isn't difficult for nurses who know people sustained spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries after they fell asleep while driving after night shift.

:down: It's definitely more dangerous, but I can't say I've met anyone this happened to so I didn't really way that into consideration.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think an hour commute is too much. It'll be exhausting after a 12 hr shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

ER job...... Disclaimer: I'm biased

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

ICU. I currently work in a Level One Trauma ICU and I drive an hour each way. It's mainly interstate so it's not so bad. Next month, I will be moving closer but it still would be about 30 minutes each way. I will never have more than 2 patients, which I really like. Yes, they are critical, but I will be performing total care on two patients which I think will really help me starting out. And I work night shift. I have never once felt like I was going to fall asleep. I get a second wind actually.

We see just about everything under the sun and I have learned so much in the short time I have been there. I myself don't think I would like ER. We may get 2 or 3 helicopters in a night. I'm fascinated with flight nursing. We had two organ procurement situations one night, and I learned about that whole process. For me, this unit is the perfect fit for me. Never a dull moment and I am always on my toes. I also work with an awesome group of nurses. Did you get a feel for which unit had better teamwork and was more open to teaching new grads? That was a big deciding factor for me. If you get on a unit where they are not accepting or do not get along well together, it can mean burnout for the new grad fast.

Again, it's personal preference really. And I'm not ever going to rule out working in the ER, but for me starting out, I really wanted ICU. And I'm super happy where I am at.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The ER sees everything under the sun as well. I personally would pick ER for the experience and the short commute.

But to each their own.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

I have a one-hour commute twice a week, almost all highway. It used to be a 12-hour shift, now it's a 10-hour shift. I don't get sleepy on the drive, but my reactions are just a little slower. I'm still well within the safe zone, though.

The traffic can be heavy in the morning, with 250 to 350 semis passing me in the opposite direction, and about the same on my side. (Yes, sometimes for fun I count semis.) When the drivers seem to be in too big of a hurry, I place myself behind a semi going about 65 MPH. I stay back enough that I can see his mirrors. The crazies all swing out and pass me, probably laughing at the driver who's stuck behind the semi.

I just smile and calmly drive on.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

CRMC. They need good nurses. I had an emergency CT guided paracentesis there back in May of 2008 after being sent there from Thagard for a mediastinal mass and shadow around my heart that showed up on an x-ray. Doctors were great, and there were so many people in the room when it was performed so it seemed teaching friendly. However, the nurses were AWFUL. One tried to pull my JP drain out of my chest even though I was screaming in pain. She literally told to be quiet because I was scaring the other patients. Wanna know why? I switched doctors half way through my 10 day stay here because my doc went on vacation. It was not noted in my chart that there was a coil that prevented the drain from coming out. It ended up being surgically removed. When I went down for my last CT scan prior to discharge, the nurse pushed me into the hallway. My IV got caught on the side rails of the bed and ripped out of my arm. I was bleeding all over my sheet and on the floor. I stopped several people in the hall way who said they would send help, but they never did. Finally I just walked back up to my floor. My nurse got mad because my bed was still downstairs and she didn't know how to retrieve it. Granted, this was 8 years ago, but I loved the doctors and support staff but dislike the nurses. Hopefully it has gotten better.

If you're going to be driving up and down I-10 beware of the state troopers - I'm sure you're already familiar with them. I still drop to 70 on cruise control whenever I drive through Madison County. I wish I had the opportunity to start in the ER as a new grad. You'll learn time management skills and will see a wide variety of ailments and chronic conditions.

I wish we still lived in Tallahassee. I met my husband there while at FSU. I loved the town but the college kids got to us so we moved south.

Also, GO NOLES!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry; CTSICU; ER.

Do ED job--closer & pay difference won't be that much when you factor gas with your commute for ICU job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment