Potential Job Switch- What to do?

[catlovingRN, BSN, RN]

Hi everyone,

I interviewed two days ago for a maternity position that will include orientation in mother baby, newborn nursery, and eventually antepartum and L&D. I'm going on 8 months as an ortho/stroke nurse and it is not an easy job. The patient ratio is always 6:1 and because we are a stroke unit we get a ton of confused patients and 1:1's and are understaffed a lot, unfortunately. Maternity is what I've been interested in since school and I feel very lucky to have even gotten the interview.

Basically, my dilemma is that the new job (if I get an offer) is 40 minutes away, and is going to be a drop in pay - about 2 dollars less an hour. I have the potential to transfer at my current hospital, but I've already spoken to HR and they said I need the full year of experience, which I understand, and would probably need 6 months in mother baby before going to L&D, which is what I'm really interested in.

First of all there is the possibility I don't get this job and then I wouldn't have any decisions to worry about right now, but If I do get an offer I feel like how can I pass up an opportunity to work in a field I'm truly interested in just because it's a little farther with a little less pay (I don't have a family to support, just your standard 23 year old living expenses). On the other end, it's scary as hell to leave a job I'm already comfortable with that has coworkers I really enjoy as well- especially if I could eventually transfer within my hospital system. However, there is no guarantee I'll get a job in maternity at my one year mark at my current job. This interview basically fell into my lap (friend of a friend got my resume) so I feel like I would be silly to pass up such an opportunity.

I guess I'll cross this bridge if I get an actual offer, but I just needed somewhere to vent with the hope that someone might have a bit of advice or has been in a similar situation.

Thanks for reading!! :)

(P.S. sorry for any errors or weird sounding sentences- I have to leave for work so no time to proof read!)

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

I would look at which hospital is better. Better work environment, better benefits etc. If your current hospital is the better hospital I would stay there, work in the stroke until 4 more months, then apply apply apply to get transferred to L&D. The other opportunity is nice but what if you choose it and end up not liking the facility or your coworkers? Then you're stuck commuting for lesser pay 😕

[catlovingRN, BSN, RN]

I would look at which hospital is better. Better work environment, better benefits etc. If your current hospital is the better hospital I would stay there, work in the stroke until 4 more months, then apply apply apply to get transferred to L&D. The other opportunity is nice but what if you choose it and end up not liking the facility or your coworkers? Then you're stuck commuting for lesser pay ������

I really appreciate your response and I will definitely look into that! I also just learned that the L&D manager at the same hospital system I am currently employed at is not someone you want to work for, so that will probably sway my opinion if I get the job offer. Also, my current position is part-time so I'm only guarenteed 24 hours a week whereas the position at the other hospital is full-time.

[MotherBaby-RN]

I would DEFINITELY take the job in the field you love! Especially since its full time. You'll make so much more money in four months of working full time vs part time that the $2 pay cut wont matter. Plus then you'll have experience in the field you love and are passionate about and then you can go anywhere from there. To me it would be worth a longer commute to get to a job I love.

[Sweet&Petite, RN]

CatlovingRN,

I know you said its a 2 dollar pay cut but you have to consider all the other benefits. Look at the insurance cost, tuition reimbursement, shift differential amount etc. I took a job offer over another one because the company offers a $5000 per year tuition reimbursement and that is equivical to a hefty bonus. I plan to go back to school and that sealed the deal for me.

If you choose to leave your current position, leave the company on a good note. You can always go back if you do not like the new job.

Its better to try and fail then to not try at all. Thats my motto so I say take a leap of faith and go for it.

[Postpartum RN]

I was/am in a very similar situation as you! I work med surg at a hospital very close to home; but have always wanted OB, and more specifically postpartum. It's very tough to get into mother baby at my hospital, nurses almost never leave and plus seniority. I got an interview at a hospital for postpartum that's 50 miles away, and was offered the position. I took it, and stayed per diem at my med surg job. I don't want to leave the hospital that's close to home, because it's a union hospital and very hard to get into!

I also did not want to wait for who knows how long to get a position at my hospital, so decided to take the job in the unit that I love, far away, but atleast I am getting my experience and doing what I love, and after a little while will be able to get hired in a hospital in my city!

But that's the thing, I kept my med surg position as a per diem..many have told me I am crazy to keep 2 jobs AND commute so far when I already have a job so close to home at a great hospital. Well, that's the sacrifice I decided to make to get to where I want to be :) let us know how it goes!

[nyy2]

I would take the Maternity position, especially if you don't have a family to support. That is one of the hardest specialties to get into - people never leave! And when they do leave, the positions always seem to require experience in Maternity (at least where I am). I think driving a little farther and taking a pay cut is totally worth it, if it means having a job you actually enjoy.

As the other posters said, I would definitely leave on good terms, or even better, stay per diem like Postpartum RN did. That way if the new job isn't quite what you thought it was, or the commute, staff, etc are unbearable, then you may be able to return to your previous position, or at the very least, still being a current employee that can bid on "internal only" positions.

Good luck!

[catlovingRN, BSN, RN]

Thanks for all the responses!! I am still waiting to hear about the MB position and just emailed HR today to follow up! I'm still on my parents insurance for about the next 2 plus years so I will compare the two and take that into consideration. If i get the offer for Mother Baby I think I definitely will have to go for it. Like nyy2 said this is definitely a difficult specialty to work your way into and I would not want to pass up the opportunity since I don't know how long it might be before I get another chance. Another thing contributing to my decision is that my current position is part-time. It wasn't an issue originally, but a lot of new people have been hired part-time as well and it has become extremely difficult to pick up shifts. I got cancelled tonight since it wasn't my scheduled shift. I will update as soon as I hear anything about a job offer! Keeping my fingers crossed!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Seeing this late, good to see you plan to take the job if offered (that was going to be my recommendation). Please update us!

[Annachu512, BSN, RN]

Yes, please keep us updated, I'd love to know! I just accepted a L&D position myself and was fortunate for it to be in the same system. That does make it easier to get hired; less paperwork! Our system just aquired 5 more local hospitals in the Atlanta area so there will be even more opportunity if I want to become a charge nurse in a few years.