Sniped4Life

Thanks for all the thorough replies. I will definitely take the consensus advice. However, IF I do not get offered the permanent job, what to do? My area has worse employment than the nation does on average. I see this moment in my life as a kind of now or never situation only because there are no guarantees in the job market right now - the old rock and a hard place situation. UKstudent: duly noted about the possibility (probability?) of the situation you describe. I already have taken that into account, and yes that is a major concern. The one thing that somewhat prepares me is that I did have to take 6-8 patients while not having a "full-time" charge nurse even on the floor at times. I tend to adapt to survival pretty well, but I know some things are beyond surviving. It's either this or go occupy wall street...lol have to smile sometime!

I am a struggling RN with one year experience. I have had 2 jobs and neither has really worked out as I hoped. I have been job searching since July and was so desperate I was thinking of giving up and trying to do off the wall things like landscaping. I have a positive reference from my last employer but 2 jobs in a year and still looking doesn't look good and I know it... Option 1: Travel nursing job with agency. A tad scary with only 1 week orientation then thrown out there. My year experience seems like far less since I went through 2 long orientations and used 2 different systems. Never found my comfort zone. The contract is for 1/4 a year with the potential to go 6 months. Pay is outstanding, would be 30k more a year annually than my previous job. The job is in my home state with potential to find a job in my metro area within a year. My theory is if I eventually went contract in my metro area, the hospital would likely pay me significantly higher than what my pay grade should be because otherwise, even 3 contracts a year with 12 weeks off would be as much or more money than your average full time worker. Option 2: Permanent on Telemetry floor. I only have med-surg experience so this would open new doors long term for me. Pay would likely be only minor bump. I interview soon, so it isn't as guaranteed as the temp-job. I have great interview skills and honestly can't remember an interview where I wasn't offered the job immediately or within days. This hospital is an hour commute so as much as I want to stay with a hospital for 5+ years, not sure if this fits the bill or not yet. In the end if option 2 is waffling on me after the first interview I was going to immediately take option 1 since at least the work would be there. I have to get in a hospital before I go too long without steady work. I have no experience with agencies, but I could imagine doing a year or 2 would really fill out my resume with diverse work units. I feel like the first assignment will be the biggest challenge, if I can survive that, there is no looking back. If somehow it doesn't work out, I have my work cut out to me to survive in this profession.