Stay in a Stressful Job for Career Growth or Move for Family and Lifestyle but Nightshift ?

2025-07-24T14:15:11Z

Hi Beth!
I am a somewhat new nurse in a bit of a predicament. I am about one year into practice on a specialty PCU, day shift. My ultimate goals are to be involved in critical care in some way; I could see myself loving roles such as ER RN and ICU short term and rapid response or IR as long term options. My current unit is stressful and busy, but we have a good amount of support from our management, educator and the general hospital system itself and compared to a lot of hospitals in my current state (FL) is pretty decent and a great starting place in my opinion.
For the debate part- I have been living in central FL as I went to school there to be near lots of hospitals and options as I started out. However, at this point, many close friends of mine have left the city, including my boyfriend of almost 2 years. We plan to get engaged and move out of state within the next 1-2.5 years, and in the meantime are staying in FL to be close to family + save up + both get experience in our career fields so that when we move we have more options.
My current debate is whether to stay in my current city/unit, where I would have the opportunity to potentially transfer to ED within the next few months/year, but would be living alone with myself and my very high energy dog and have to coordinate pet care (which is very expensive) + managing being a nurse on a stressful unit and maybe ER 2 hours away from my family + partner. Alternatively, I could take a job down south, and live near my family + the beach + partner..however, the career opportunities there are not what they are in my current city. Hospitals there don't have the same reputation there as they do here at all. Currently, I have two job offers down south- one for a med Surg floor that to be honest left me concerned about pay + safety- but is dayshift and potential for switch to ICU- and another position at a GREAT hospital with good reputation on an ICU/PCU floor and critical care training program..but is nights. I am fairly certain (and have discussed with my family and friends and they agree) that the night shift lifestyle would make me miserable- my whole life revolves around active things + time with my dog etc and also I would be moving to be with family and being nocturnal is a bit counterproductive imo.
So...what do I do here? Stay at a job that fits my lifestyle better but be driving back and forth frequently for family + pay $$$ for pet care + wish I was there a lot? Or be nocturnal? They said I'd be nights about a year (yikes).