RNJV

Hang in there. LTC facilities are tough sometimes due to patient load and understaffing especially as a new nurse. My first job after I passed the nclex was in a rehab/LTC facility and I was so lost and stressed out as well. However it helped me learn time management very well so I was passing meds for hours on end. If you can just try to stick it out until you have at least 1 year of nursing experience to put on your resume. You've been working as a nurse for 8 months or so total? If you can hang on for another 4 months then you'll have your one year of experience to make your resume stand out a little more. There are nursing jobs out there that may hire without acute care experience or are willing to train. Keep applying and don't lose hope.

Try to stick it out at least a year. When I first graduated as an RN it was very very difficult to get a hospital position unless you had already worked there as a PCT or had family/friends in the hospital that could help you secure a position. I also started out in a rehab/LTC facility and generally for the area that I was living in at the time for hospitals to even really consider your application they wanted you to have at least a year of experience under your belt. I stuck out my year and change and we ended up moving but I applied to several area hospitals and I finally got callbacks. Just hang in there and maybe have someone take a look at your resume to see how it can be spruced up to be appealing to HR at a hospital.

After much thought and deliberation, I've given my two week notice at my current job and accepted the offer at the new job.

The new position offers 2 weeks paid vacation after 90 days and 4 weeks after a year. There's a 401k that they match at 6%. I didn't look too hard at the insurance because I'm covered under my husband's policy. Thank you! Yea it's hard for me to change from a place I've been for almost 2 years to a brand new place.

I've been crunching numbers and it would be pretty even maybe $200 pay increase. Sorry I should have been more clear with the being worked to death.. this is during the shift (for regular pay) because we're so short staffed and I definitely don't make anywhere near $45/hour for OT. Our call pay is laughable at best and I lose a lot of money to babysitters when I get called out because my husband is usually working. I did the math for both positions and it would be roughly an $8k increase yearly. I did the math for childcare and it would be $35 a day for daycare. Since I'm currently paying $35/day for 1 day a week, I'd be adding 2 additional days to that so it would be another $70 a week. Which for the month would be another $280. As for time with kids and husband, my husband works 2nd shift so I don't really see him now as it is. My older child is in school until 4pm so I'm not missing much time with him there and my younger one is just an infant and naps until my son gets home from school. I would actually have more time with them with the new job. I'm still weighing my options. The big thing for me is the schedule the new position offers due to my husband's erratic schedule. But I'm also not naive. I know the grass isn't always greener on the other side. So lots of things to think about. I do appreciate your input on the matter.

Thank you! I'm still weighing my options and trying to get childcare locked down for those extra days but either way I have to let the new job know by Monday. I'm just so afraid that I will dislike it and then be stuck. I feel like it would be bad to job hop on my resume.

I'm usually stuck late at my current job because we're so short staffed. When I'm on call I'm usually stuck at the hospital way after my shift has ended and then get called back in when I've just pulled into my driveway. There have been days I've worked a full 9 hour shift then did 8 hours of call and then still had to haul my butt back in for shift the next day. And when we're on call, we are on call all by ourselves which is why it takes so long to get done with a case or two.

Thank you ladies for the input. To help clarify some things. New job: 40 hour work week/4 10 hour days. The new job requires I obtain my nursing license in another state as we travel there one day a week for work in another office/ASC. That is roughly a 50 minute commute each way without traffic. During rush hour I'm sure it will be way longer. Plus side to all of this is no more emergency call-ins or being on call. Every Fri, Sat, Sun off with the kids and every major holiday off. Current job: 36 hours week (split up weird) over 5 days/ every other week have one weekday off. Current job is 3 miles from my residence. Commute is very short regardless of traffic as I don't need to get on the highway/parkway/freeway to get there. Downside: being on call. Like someone else mentioned, I don't relish getting called out of bed at 3am for a food bolus or because someone decided to eat pens and then still having to report in for a shift the following day on very little sleep.

I love the idea of a 3 day weekend EVERY week and if there's a major holiday such as Thanksgiving or whatever we don't have to work and we get paid for the holidays. I was told you automatically get 2 weeks paid vacation after 90 days. 4 weeks paid after a year. My current job you have to slowly earn your PTO based on the amount of hours you've actually worked. My PTO bank is really crappy because holidays here they dock your PTO bank regardless if you were called in or not. I believe the insurance isn't bad but I'm under my husband's so I didn't really consider that. They offer a 401K and will match you 6%.

My current job is 72 hour pay periods spread out over 2 weeks. So one week I have two six hour days (no childcare needed because I get home in time before hubby leaves for his evening shift) followed by three 9 hour days. Opposite week is two 6 hour days followed by one Wednesday off and two 9 hour days. Hubby's current days off are Thursday and Friday so we don't need childcare on those days. Sorry I know its confusing to follow but hubby's schedule changes ALL the time so it's hard to keep up. The new job I would be working 40 hour weeks/10 hour days so I would have to put the kids in childcare 3-4x vs just 1 day a week with my old job. I wouldn't get home in time before hubby had to get to work so they'd have to go to daycare. *** sorry it is taking me so long to respond. The forum is only allowing me a 900 second/15 minutes between posts/responses ***

My kids are 5 years old and 6 months old so I don't think they would mind either way.

My kids are 5 years old and 6 months old so I don't think they would care either way.

Thanks for the input. I forgot to mention that my husband works a crappy schedule so he's not home at nights or weekends and works every holiday which is why I had considered the new job offer. We don't have family here and I wouldn't have to worry about the kids for those days but yea the idea of commuting all the time is a turn off.

Hi ladies & gents, I'm looking for some advice about whether I should accept a job offer or stay in my current position. I currently work at an endoscopy lab within a hospital. It is Monday to Friday with one weekday off every other week. Weekends and holidays are on call and it rotates between the nurses. Weeknights after our shift ends is also on call which also rotates so you can be on call for that several nights a month. (Call is overnight into the next day). We've been very short staffed lately and have been worked to death. Pros of current job: super short commute (10 minutes tops), familiar with hospital and doctors and other ancillary services, enjoy working with most of my coworker's. Kids only go to day care 1 day a week. Cons: Taking call and constantly getting stuck late at work. Pay is not great. New job offer is for an ASC (Ambulatory Surgey Center) located in a freestanding building run by a private company. Pay offer is $1 more than current job. Pros: Monday to Thursday schedule. No Fridays or weekends, paid holidays, no call. Cons: Commute has increased to about 30 mins a day each way and it is roughly about a 10-12 hour work day. One day a week must commute 50 minutes one way to a different office. Kids will have to be in daycare 3-4 days a week vs 1. Thoughts? I'm not sure what to do. Each place has its pros and cons and there's always the unknown of a new position.

Dear OP, Like you I'm currently 20 weeks pregnant working on a telemetry floor. I informed my managers and director early on about it so they would be a little more mindful when assigning certain patients to me such as a shingles patient or a violent one. However other than that it has been business as usual at work. I don't have restrictions other than not trying to lift a very heavy patient and I utilize appropriate PPE if an isolation patient has for example MRSA in their sputum. In some circumstances I may get a cancer patient who is actively undergoing chemo and to be safe I just switch patients with a coworker but like others have stated as long as you are careful there really is no reason to be afraid to work while pregnant. On that note I plan to work until I deliver. í ½í¸Š Best of luck to you.