Please Read and Help w/decision. thx

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:oJust graduated RN School in May and passed boards, am working at a Nursing Home, training for a Clinical Coordinator position, I have been there for 6 weeks. The downfall is I am making $16.00 a hr. which is low pay for a RN, now, once I get into the position which is suppose to be in the next two weeks, it should pay around 19-20 an hr and maybe salary, which is still mediocore for a RN. However, I work Mon-Frid 8-4 days, and the company is very good to me, I mainly do paper work and only clinical things like Medi port meds that LPNs can't access. I get little perks like gifts and game tickets an hr for lunch, pretty much do my own thing. My medical insurance for family starts in Sept which will be over $300.00 a month, not including dental. I love the job, although I feel cheated. I am trying to save money to build or buy a house.

On the other hand, I have been offered a job working for $23.00 an hr at a hospital which will be night shift 12 hrs a day, working 3 days one week and 4 days the next, with medical insurance for around $100.00 a month. The downfall here is it is Union which they are saying the RNs will strike in Sept. and they Mandate RNs all the time. Also, I would have to work some weekends. And they are not very good to there employees, my mom works there. They love her but, she works all the time for them, plus she still gets mandated.

I don't know what to do, I had originally planned to do PrN on weekends at another facility for $34.00 an hr. That would put me working 7 days a week some weeks, So, does anyone have any input, and please don't feel like it is not your place to tell me, I need some good advice, especially from experienced Nurses.

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Specializes in Addictions, Corrections, QA/Education.

I have had the 8-4 and no weekend job and it seems like your pay suffers for those perks. I stayed there for awhile just because it was so flexible.

I don't work there anymore though. It was for an assisted living facility and I didnt get to practice any of my skills. I wanted something a little more. So I moved on to a hospital.

I am working PRN now and that works for me. I dont need health insurance though because my husband has it through his work.

I would go where you are the happiest. If you can manage financially there then I would stay there. BUT if the money is not going to carry you then you should probably go where you get paid more.

Good luck in whatever you do!

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Stay put. They treat you well, no strike looming, an HOUR for lunch! You sound content. Try to work PRN somewhere else and sock away the money. Don't give up a good job.....there are some really, really bad ones out there.

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Specializes in Addictions, Corrections, QA/Education.
Stay put. They treat you well, no strike looming, an HOUR for lunch! You sound content. Try to work PRN somewhere else and sock away the money. Don't give up a good job.....there are some really, really bad ones out there.

You are SO right. It's not all about the money all the time.

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I would stay where you are because it is stable and non-threatening and you seem to have adjusted well. Do the prn job for $34 an hour to get some extra money, a different set of experience skills, and to help your mind feel that you are not getting the raw end of the salary deal. The other place will always be there if something changes in the future. But it is so difficult sometimes to find pleasant situations. When you find one, it is worth slightly lower pay. Good luck.

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

I would stay where you are and do the PRN job also. I think you might have a problem finding a PRN hospital job as a new grad though. Normally PRN workers don't require much of an orientation and you would need new grad orientation. Anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

It's not easy to find a job where the management actually cares about you. It sounds like they really value you at your current place of employment, and that is unusual. That and the fact you actually can take a lunch break is what would entice me to stay there despite the lower pay.

One thing to beware of though - is taking a straight salary. In a former profession (computer software), I was salaried and can't even begin to tell you the money I lost out on by not getting overtime. Try to stay on hourly wages so you can rake in that overtime money!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

i would go to work for the hospital, make the best of it and try to stay out of the politics. what i have found over the years is that a job is mostly as good as the people you are directly working with. if the people you work with on a day-to-day basis are nasty, then the job is going to be miserable. tell the nursing home the honest truth, the hospital is paying more, but you would be willing to work prn for them. that will keep the door open in case a strike does happen.

you can always find a nursing home job as an rn with hospital experience. however, it is very difficult to get hospital rn jobs with only nursing home experience.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU, CVICU, Trauma.

"I work Mon-Frid 8-4 days, and the company is very good to me, I mainly do paper work and only clinical things like Medi port meds that LPNs can't access. I get little perks like gifts and game tickets an hr for lunch, pretty much do my own thing. "

Sorry, but I'm going to play devil's advocate. I hope what I say is wrong. It sounds like you are getting adequately compensated for the duties you have described. Maybe a higher salary is used on your "perks". I absolutely hate when an employer, or more often a pharmaceutical company, does this. That is why our salaries are low and are prescriptions costs are so high. I cannot be bought with tickets to a game.

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