Potential job offer question...

Published

  1. What would you do if you were me?

    • 3
      Stay at current ED
    • 3
      The grass seems greener - go for the calmer job with more stable staffing that is closer to home

6 members have participated

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I work at a high acuity high volume ED. Other than trauma, we get it all. I have been working at this ED for two years (have two years of "other" nursing experience), just started precepting, will be going to the next triage class. Once I take the triage class, I qualify for an extra $3/hr on top of base pay. My ED has a lot of turnover. We have a new manager who is not super popular right now. We are short staffed. Dealing with high acuity patients. Everybody is orienting somebody. These nurses generally do not have ED experience. There are also lots of nurses recently off orientation.

I interviewed at a much smaller ED. Half the number of beds. 1/3 the volume. Not as much high acuity patients. STEMIS and super sick patients are shipped out. High retention rates. Staff has been there for years. They also have a pretty new manager. He has been there for almost a year now. The new place is short on techs but so are we. I shadowed and it seems chill compared to my ED. One thing that i found out is that not all suicidal patients are given a sitter . They kind of look the other way and utilize the tech as a tech. The person I was following said that there have been safety events with this in the past...hmmm.

My base pay would be the same at this new hospital. However, there is no extra $ for people with experience who can triage and precept. If you have ED experience, you take a test of your knowledge of ESI and properly triaging patients and if you pass then you can triage. This ED also sees a good proportion of psych patients. We also have plenty of psych believe me but they are mixed in with lots of other patients too. The ED nurses staff the psych ED which we do not but they are looking to change this.

My question is...at this point in my career, is it wise to switch to a lower acuity ED. Which will be less stressful, but I won't learn as much as quickly. This place is also 15 minutes closer to home.

Thoughts?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Can this please be moved to the emergency nursing specialty forum?

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Specializes in ICU.

I am currently working at a small hospital and feel that I am losing skills. We ship sick ones out, too. I really miss the learning opportunities I used to have. Like you, this place is closer to my house and the atmosphere is calm. Not much stress, since we don't really do much. That said, I am worried about my marketability, since I've been here. I am thinking about leaving, simply because I feel I am getting too far behind in newer knowledge. If you are young and energetic, stay at your current job, where you are apparently an asset and they need you!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side, usually it's just a different type of grass that you will eventually get used to. However, you have to weigh certain things benefits, pay, stress, patient safety.

Not having a suicidal patient on a 1:1 watch, in the name of utilizing their tech is a huge problem, but ultimately it is your choice and what you are willing to deal with in a job.

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What struck me was the thought that the lower acuity facility would be available in the future. I think that I would stick it out.

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.

Well I'm gonna go ahead and tell you what you should do. ;) Stay where you are. You can always leave and if you stay where you are it's the "devil you know" -- which is worth something. Not to mention that if you are in high acuity -- then yes, that helps your marketability in the future. I have worked higher vs. lower acuity ICUs and I am still young and energetic enough to choose higher acuity because I'm focused on learning and growing all I can right now. It's about what your focus is. When I worked the "little town USA ICU" I was a young mom to two tiny kids and so when we moved to new state I chose a quieter ICU (that became much higher acuity over the years I worked there) than the big-city teaching one I had come from. And it was a good decision. But if you're able to keep up with the pace and want to keep learning and advance in your specialty -- then it sounds like you are at the right place now.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Thanks everyone for your input!

Moderators if this can be moved to the Emergency nursing forum for input from ER nurses I would appreciate it.

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Where do you want to be in 5 years? That alone should influence your decision.

For me.. less stress and closer to home .. is golden.

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