Take the job offered or wait?

[RNsRWe]

I'm in a bit of a bind, would appreciate some feedback. While I had lots of interested unit managers in April, before I graduated, I knew I wouldn't be able to start anywhere until after summer ended, September.

Several classmates of mine, with the ability to start earlier, have (of course!) secured the jobs I might otherwise have gotten now. No one around here holds a job for too long, so getting a job I wanted in May held for a September start was just not reasonable.

Anyway, now I'm looking, doing the call-backs, and find that there's just not much out there for a new RN (if I had experience, well, that's another story, lol). Unless I want to travel a solid hour to other hospitals out of my area. I don't.

So, I have to decide on taking a position that was LAST on my list of preferences, because it's about 90% guaranteed now (mgr has to see about juggling personnel, who is really staying, etc). Or, doing a "wait and see" and hope something else more to my liking shows up in September. But of course, it could be October. Or whatever. And, lol, my dh would LIKE me to become EMPLOYED!

I'm thinking take the unit I didn't like much but make the best of it, possibly transfer to another unit in a year if I still think it isn't me...?

Thoughts?

[NJNursing, ASN, RN]

Thanks Will be able to relax completely when I get that official "heeeere's your job!" call :)

Two weeks of orientation...is that just classroom, or is that including floor time? At both the places I mentioned, it's a week of classroom, then (at this last one) at least 3-4 weeks--sometimes up to six!!-- of preceptorship during the day shift and then another few weeks during the night shift. So orientation lasts anywhere from 7-12 weeks, depending on the new nurse.

Seems like alot, but then I know they send us to the OR for observation days, PACU, ambulatory surgery, etc for learning as well.

Gee, I'm getting excited

As for pay, it's the same rate I'd get paid when on the floor, so that's nice....except I'll be working a well-paid differential at night so I will miss out on that during the time I'm on days

The first day is hospital orientation. Then the 2nd day starts nursing orientation. We do 2 days of classroom, 2 days on computerized charting, a skills day (I'm guessing will be blood draws and IV sticks). The 2nd week is orientation to the floor and teh 3rd week we start with our preceptor. The whole internship is 19 weeks, so it's 17 weeks with the preceptor. I'll get my own schedule sometime after Christmas I suppose.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

That's right, you said it was an internship to start....forgot that. We don't have those here, just the orientation for the hospital in general, then the unit specific. I could take 14 weeks (she said at 16 weeks they're smacking me over the head, lol) but I hope to have it done on the early side, frankly. At least, have the dayshift part done early. Screws up my beauty sleep, lol!