Safe Job vs. Dream Job

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  1. Safe job vs Dream Job

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Help! I am a BSN nursing student who will graduate in two weeks and I have a big decision to make. I have received a job offer on the step-down unit where I did my senior residency. I loved the people I worked with, but my dream is to a be a pediatric/nursery nurse. The problem is that my position on the step-down unit starts a week after graduation as a GN, which is before I will even get to interview for the pediatric/nursery positions I have applied for. Additionally, I will have to sign an 18 month contract at the step-down unit hospital. They are also in different cities. The job offer is in a small city where I went to school and the pedi/nursery jobs I have applied to are in San Antonio where my family currently lives. I've been going back and forth on taking the sure thing job and getting much needed experience or taking a risk that I will get a pedi/nursery job in San Antonio. I don't want to turn down a great opportunity, but at the same time I don't want to risk missing out on my dream job! Any suggestions?!?!

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Help! I am a BSN nursing student who will graduate in two weeks and I have a very big decision to make. I was offered a GN position on the step-down unit where I did my senior residency. I loved the people I worked with, but my dream is to be a pediatric or nursery nurse. The GN position would start one week after graduation, which is before I would even be able to interview for the pedi/nursery jobs I have applied to. I would have to sign an 18-month contract and repay any orientation costs if I leave before my contract is up. I have been going back and forth on whether I should accept the guaranteed job or take a risk, deny the offer and hope I get a job in the field of my choice. I hate to turn down such a great opportunity, but I also don't want to ruin any chances I may have of getting a pedi/nursery job, especially my dream job at my dream hospital (A nursery position at Children's Hospital of San Antonio via the Christus Santa Rosa Versant Residency Program) Any suggestions? Guaranteed job or unguaranteed dream job? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank You in advance :)

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If you live in a tough market I would definitely take the job. If you live in an area where most new grads have jobs within 3-6 months of graduating then I would turn them down.

Or you could try telling them you want to take a month off after school ends and ask if you can start the following month. That would hold onto the job but give you a little time to work things out with the other hospitals!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

duplicate threads merged as per the TOS

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Get that experience and then specialize.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

If you already have the residency, take it. Don't turn it down for the *possibility* of the other position. If you turn it down then don't get the other residency, you're sol. Get experience then X amount of years later, apply for a pedi position.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

or even have the opportunity to transfer within the facility.

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Thank you for the input! I did ask if there was any possibility of starting later, but the next new grad orientation would not be until December!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

First congrats on landing a job before graduation!

Are new grad jobs hard to come by in your area? Did you apply for that position or was it just offered to you? If you applied then I wouldn't turn it down for a risk so early in your nursing career.

You know 18 months isn't long. Close to that date, you can start looking for Peds and nursery jobs. Your experience on the step-down unit will be valuable, I would know because I made the transition to a Mother/Baby unit after a year on a progressive care unit (also known as a step-down). In fact, almost all of us on my unit came from other units before specializing.

Sent from iPink's phone via allnurses app

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"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Get that experience and then specialize.

Thank you Esme12! I did not think the first post went through, as I could not find it :) Thank you for input as well, there would be opportunity to transfer so that is a plus, it is just so much farther from family which is a concern for me, but I can muscle through if I have to! Thanks for your advice.

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First congrats on landing a job before graduation!

Are new grad jobs hard to come by in your area? Did you apply for that position or was it just offered to you? If you applied then I wouldn't turn it down for a risk so early in your nursing career.

You know 18 months isn't long. Close to that date, you can start looking for Peds and nursery jobs. Your experience on the step-down unit will be valuable, I would know because I made the transition to a Mother/Baby unit after a year on a progressive care unit (also known as a step-down). In fact, almost all of us on my unit came from other units before specializing.

Sent from iPink's phone via allnurses app

Thank you! No I did not apply, the position was offered to me by the manager at the end of my senior residency, which I was super excited about, but I wish I had more time to consider all of my options. I did volunteer one summer at the Children's Hospital, where I hope to work, so I was hoping I would have a better chance of getting a job there! Many of the hospitals that I have applied to, readily hire new grads and have residency programs, but I would not be able to start until after I passed the NCLEX. I know the smart choice is to take the step-down job, I just wish I would at least have an opportunity to interview with other jobs.

Thanks so much for your input! Really appreciate it!

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Honestly I would never take a job that forced me to pay back the cost of my orientation. I mean you never know what could happen in life.

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