Seeking Advice: Which Job to Take?

Quiet1 · Dec 14, 2006

I am no expert, but if it were me and I were planning to leave after only one year, I would take the job with no contract.

Experience is experience. You may find, though that you will want to work for another year before applying to CRNA school. When I entered the ICU, it took more than a year before I really began to feel proficient, and I had a couple years of floor experience under my belt already. I did not work a CVICU, and it still took that long. As a matter of fact, new grads in my unit are orientees for the first six months.

All in all, it may benefit you to work a couple years (thus the bigger hospital may be a great option) before entering CRNA school.

Good luck with your decision making.

UCDSICURN · Dec 15, 2006

It shouldn't matter which one you choose. Go for the one that feels right...and offers the best orientation and gets you into recovering fresh hearts the quickest.

Hope this helps. And as someone else had suggested...it may benefit you to stick around for an extra year for some additional exposure, and paying back 12k...blah.

Good luck...

AdonaiLoveable · Dec 15, 2006

Thank you both, Quiet1 and UCDSICURN, for sharing your thoughts. I am thinking that I'd be better off aiming for a program with an August '08 or January '09 start date. That will give me 1.5 - 2 years of experience before beginning a program and more time to save up for the expenses of graduate school. I guess I can't really go wrong either way since I'm not planning on staying in the position forever, and I think they would both give me the skills and experience I need to be prepared for a CRNA program.

Thanks again for your comments!

Adonai

Jolie, BSN · Dec 15, 2006

I can't speak to which unit would better prepare you for a CRNA program, but I would NEVER accept a contract that required paying a penalty for leaving prior to meeting a certain time commitment.

Are they going to pay you $1000/month if they should dismiss you prior to the 2 year mark? Of course not! Why should you be willing to make a commitment to them that they will not make to you?

What if you start there and realize that the orientation is insufficient, working conditions are poor, or staffing is unacceptable? What if your spouse is transferred to another city? What if your parents fall ill and you need to relocate to be near them? All are legitimate reasons for leaving a job, but you would be held to a financial penalty if you found yourself in any of these situations.

AdonaiLoveable · Dec 15, 2006

You are right on all counts, Jolie. I think thats why I'm leaning towards the no-contract position. There are too many "what-ifs" and I am not very comfortable signing away my right to depart without strings attached.

I know the reason they have the contract is because many new grads will get the training, then leave before they've worked long enough for the hospital to get their money's worth out of the employee they spent so much money to train. I've seen similar contracts at other hospitals in ICU, ED, and L&D for new grad nurses. They know nurses in these areas have much needed skills and that they might be recruited away or head to grad school in under 2 years.

I think by providing a healthy, satisfying work environment with great orientation programs, new grads would be more likely to stay with a unit rather than quit to check out another place.

I'm still trying to ascertain which hospital will have a better orientation program, but if they are pretty comparable, I'm taking the lower paying, no-contract!

Thanks for the input!

Adonai

nurseangel47 · Dec 16, 2006

New grad, possibly taking more courses for CRNA? I'd go with the no contract one to prevent further accrued debt. That's just my opinion. Go with what your gut instinct tells you, tho'. It's never ever failed me. If only I'd listened every time! We all have that little part of us that "knows" somehow, what it is our heart truly wants to follow or what is the right decision for us. Listen to it. It's probably right. :saint:

blee1 · Dec 16, 2006

Hello Everyone,
I am trying to choose between two job offers. I am a new nursing graduate who plans to apply to CRNA program about a year or so from now.
Job Offer #1: CVICU: A Magnet Hospital well known for its Cardiovascular Services. Must sign 2 year contract and repay $1000 for each month not worked under the contract.
Job Offer #2: CVICU: A well known University Hospital. Lower pay than above hospital. No contract.
I'm wondering which place might be more appealing on my applications - well known University Hospital's CVICU or a private hospital CVICU?
Any ideas? All thoughts appreciated.
Adonai

hey, im in "The South" too. if you dont mind, which hospitals are you talking about?

AdonaiLoveable · Dec 16, 2006

Thanks, NurseAngel47. I know going to grad school will put me in the deep in the debt and I need to be super careful about incurring debt even before I get there. I'm still thinking and praying and figuring which place would give me the best training and chance to get into a program. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Blee1, I PM'd you.

Adonai

Focker, CRNA · Dec 16, 2006

I think a lot depends on how much more the contract position pays. Look at it this way, say you work a year and a half before you get accepted to crna school and you have to leave, you would owe them $6000 right? Well if you make $5000 a year more at the contract place (doesnt seem unreasonable, the 2 year contracts where I worked were worth $12000) you'd still be ahead $1500 compared to if you worked at the non-contract place. Take a look at how they pay for overtime and night shifts, a ton of extra income can come from doing both those things. Money and everything aside, if it is a good unit, with pleasant people to work with, which is the key, two years will fly by. It will also give you time to plan and take classes like statistics and research so you don't have to take them while in crna school, which i highly reccomend.

AdonaiLoveable · Dec 17, 2006

Excellent point, Focker. I've been sitting here crunching the numbers to see how I'd come out if I left the higher paying contract position early vs. the lower paying non-contract one, and my assessment is that I'd pretty much break even between the two job -- unless I left the contract position less than 1.5 years into the deal.

I'm going to base my decision on the place that will best prepare for me grad school, though I think they are both excellent choices and I really can't go wrong either way.

I also agree, any course I can knock out before starting grad school can only help me!

I'll let you guys know what I decide!

Adonai

AdonaiLoveable · Jan 6, 2007

Hey Everyone,

I decided on the well-known university, no-contract position. After crunching the numbers, I realized that the pay between the two positions is almost equivalent, and though I'm likely to stay in the position for about two years anyway, I want the flexibility to leave for grad school if I feel that I can prepare myself for it before then without having to pay up on a contract.

I was also a bit uncomfortable with the wording of the contract itself. I had a lawyer look it over through my legal club membership and he basically said it left me wide open to be screwed over by the hospital with no way out. When I expressed my very specific concerns with the hospital about the contract, they basically said they would never screw me over but they weren't willing to change the wording of the contract to reflect that. (They wouldn't even correct grammatical errors in the contract!)

Now I'm on the hunt for programs that have clinicals confined to a reasonable commuting distance from the school's campus. I don't want to have to move my husband and child around every time my clinical site changes. Any suggestions? I'm hoping Duke is that way, I'd like to stay in the South. I know Mercer Univ. has all its clinicals within one medical center and I like that alot too.

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Adonai