Well I'm no longer a new SN, as my name suggests, but I am a recent graduate with a dilemma. I don't know if I'm just venting or if I really need a hand making this decision but I thank you in advance for reading my post. I've been offered what I consider to be a dream opportunity for a new grad - a nurse residency spot at a top health network in the nation (in the field I'm most passionate about!). I'd have to relocate (only about 100 miles away to the next city) and give the hospital two years of service in total. I don't love the location. At the same time, my husband was offered HIS dream job in our favorite city, 3000 miles from here with relocation assistance (and in a place where it NEVER snows, lol. That's music to my ears). I've been job hunting in that city for months now, with absolutely no luck. I also know how difficult it is for new graduates who are native to the region to get a job. According to their state board of nursing, new grads are waiting almost a year after graduation, on average, before finding employment.
So I'm at a crossroads now. Take what I consider to be the dream opportunity although not in the ideal location and be tied down for two years? Or move to a place I've been dreaming of living almost my whole life with no promise of work, hoping that an opportunity presents itself soon? We'd be comfortable on the one salary, as we've been since I decided to change careers and go to nursing school in the first place. But I'd be devastated if I can't find work there and passed up a perfectly good opportunity here. My husband's a really good sport and he'll do whatever I think is best (naturally he'd be a little upset to pass up this opportunity) but I guess I'm torn between my personal dream job and dream location. I know it's hard to say... but what do you think you'd do?
Location, location, location :) The job will come eventually if you are patient and persistent. Since you are comfortable with hubby's income, I would let him take his dream job. You get your dream location, and just might have to delay your dream job for a little while.
I enjoyed reading this thread because I have been in a similar ( but much less complicated version). My BF (see, less complicated already!) and I are living in a very undesirable city/state - both of us moved here to go back to school and get a first job. We pretty much hate where we live, which you can figure where by my name, and want to go back home to California. I am thinking that is where you and your husband are planning on moving too but that is just me assuming...
What I have come to realize from nursing friends with no experience is that its not just "hard" to get hired in CA .... its extremely difficult, depressing and discouraging. I know wonderful people that have been looking for over a year and applying everywhere and want to give up. They have been looking even in the "less desirable" places in CA with no luck so I think you will be extremely limited in your job hunt if you are looking only in one of Ca's popular cities ( So Cal has more options. If you are planning on moving and job hunting in SF I would 1000% say do NOT go without experience)
In my case, I decided to stay and get experience and soak up everything I can while at my first job here with the end goal of going back to california within 2 years experience. It is MUCH EASIER to get a job with experience and great references so I would encourage you to take the new grad job, work your butt off for a year, get a raving 1 year evaluation and start looking for a job in your dream city. A contract seems unbreakable but if you have to pay to break the contract after 1 year it will be worth it ( in my opinion)
Your happiness is more important than the money in a broken contract. BUT, know that if you move 3,000 miles to this new city you will most likely not find work for a very long time.
Do you have friends and family in that new city or do you just like the idea of living there? I would consider how it would feel to not be working in this new city for months on end and have your husband working hard at his new job, meeting new ppl and loving his new experiences and you not having a job / family / friends.... I just think you could gain so much from being in a nurse residency program at such an amazing hospital that it will help you open doors in the new city 2 years from now.
Goodluck with your decision making and let us know what happens. this is really a tough one.
You said you would be comfortable on one salary. Move to your dream location. Let your husband, who has been supporting you all along, get his dream job. Two years is a LONG time to spend in a city that is less desirable. Say you sign that contract and find out that you are miserable. Was it worth it for a job? I don't think so. I speak from experience. I am locked in to a two year contract. I have less than a year to go and I am totally miserable. I HATE my job. Move with hubby to your dream state, look for a GN job. Give yourself say, six months. If nothing pops up, work on continuing your education. It's a win, win situation.
Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN
1 Article; 1,978 Posts
Location, location, location :) The job will come eventually if you are patient and persistent. Since you are comfortable with hubby's income, I would let him take his dream job. You get your dream location, and just might have to delay your dream job for a little while.