Starting out at clinic before hospital as new grad?

[Rcl17]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to allnurses but I need some advice, please. I'm a new graduate nurse, graduated from an ADN program in May, passed boards in July, currently enrolling in an RN-to-BSN, and I am currently looking for a job. My interests lie HEAVILY in acute care, and my ultimate goal is nurse-midwifery. However, I have put in countless applications over the last few months to mainly hospitals with absolutely no bites. Not even a call or email. And I need a job desperately. I may have an opportunity right now to work as an RN in a methadone clinic or a home care agency but I'm not sure if that will hinder me from developing my skills as a nurse and my progress towards my ultimate goals. I heard that hospitals would rather take a new grad than someone who has been working in a clinic or home care.

Would working in a methadone clinic or home care agency while still looking for a hospital job a bad idea? I'm not sure what else to do. I'm not sure if I can afford to wait months on end for a hospital job, but I may have to if getting a clinic job will hurt my career goals. The only people I see getting hospital jobs are the ones that worked there as a CNA or tech and unfortunately I worked for a home care agency throughout nursing school (which is why I'm hesitant about getting a home care RN job in general because it is not my true passion and I don't want to be stuck in that field).

Any advice would be welcome and extremely appreciated. I'm new to all of this and just am trying to figure everything out and not make mistakes. Thank you guys so much!

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

If you need a job, you need a job. This concern is a valid one, but less pressing than keeping the lights on and everyone fed. The transition from non-acute to acute can be rough to make, but it would be a foolish reason to earn no income while hoping for something that, particularly during this pandemic, may be a long time coming.

Seek out clinic positions in women's health if you have that option. Go ahead and start at the methadone clinic if you have an offer, but keep looking for something more closely aligned with your goals. Good luck!