Temp job before residency?

[SnowSeal]

I just got my RN license for Washington state, and due to family and financial commitments, I'm considering taking a job in home health (peds) for 2 months before starting an PICU residency (dream job) in February. My plan for the next few months would be perfect if it works out, but I also don't want to take advange of the home health agency.

A little bit of background: I've been working as a nurse extern at a large hospital in Florida, where I live with my fiancee. However, the pay sucks and I hate working there. As I am from WA, all my licensing paperwork was processed through there, so I took the WA boards. Now, I have a license for the state I don't live in. I hate Florida and would love to go back to WA to spend some time with my family. My grandmother is not doing well, so we're doing something special for Christmas, as it will probably be her last. My fiancee and I were also planning to take a road trip up the East Coast in January to visit his family, as they can't make it to our wedding in February.

I don't want to start a residency in WA in October/November/December because I want to have the free time for Christmas, the road trip and our wedding. Many residencies I've looked at have said "plan on no vacation for the first 12-14 weeks of working." We're also trying to save up for a down payment on a house, so I want to start working soon.

My solution was to work for a peds home health agency dealing with kids with vents, trachs, g-tubes, PICC's and other stuff. I figure this will give me a decent paycheque, allow me to spend some time with my family by moving to WA, and allow me to practice skills that are standard in a PICU. Ideally I'd start work in a few weeks, and quit just before Christmas.

My questions are: will having 2 months of working as a home health RN help or hinder me when I apply to a residency?

And is what I'm doing kind of a "dick move?"

I understand that training me to do those skills costs money, and if I'm only going to be working there a couple of months, it's expensive for the agency. If the work is something I enjoy, I wouldn't mind doing it per diem after I start a residency.

I've seen posts where new grads are asking if they should quit their current job 1-2 months in because they got a better offer elsewhere, and most replies tell the OP that they should quit and do what's best for them. But I'm torn between doing what's best for me, and feeling like I'm taking advantage of/screwing over the home health agency.

Advice?

[Jolie, BSN]

Do you have the peds residency job lined up, or is that something you are hoping to be hired for?

Some institutions designate nursing residencies specifically for newly licensed RNs who have not been previously employed. If that is the case with your future job, working as a home health RN would disqualify you from such a position.

Also, unless you have extensive experience in peds and/or critical care, I would suggest against taking home health cases that involve the level of care you describe. Trachs, vents, home IV therapy, etc. are services provided to medically fragile children, often preemies, whose care requires an extensive knowledge base and experience provided by a fully independent nurse. It is not likely that you will possess those qualities as a new graduate.

I understand the desire to begin earning a professional salary ASAP, but would suggest that doing so in the manner you describe may not be best for you professionally at this time. Accepting a job that you don't intend to keep for the sake of a few weeks' pay is likely to harm your future prospects.

Best of luck to you.

[Sour Lemon]

My solution was to work for a peds home health agency dealing with kids with vents, trachs, g-tubes, PICC's and other stuff. I figure this will give me a decent paycheque, allow me to spend some time with my family by moving to WA, and allow me to practice skills that are standard in a PICU. Ideally I'd start work in a few weeks, and quit just before Christmas.

My questions are: will having 2 months of working as a home health RN help or hinder me when I apply to a residency?

I've seen posts where new grads are asking if they should quit their current job 1-2 months in because they got a better offer elsewhere, and most replies tell the OP that they should quit and do what's best for them. But I'm torn between doing what's best for me, and feeling like I'm taking advantage of/screwing over the home health agency.

As a new grad, would pediatric home health even want you? And do you have a residency spot, or are you just assuming they'll come beating down your door, as well? Seems like there's lot of "counting chickens before they hatch" going on here.

As far as whether or not the experience (if available) would hurt you, that depends on the restrictions of the residency. Since they're created for new grads, I can't imagine prior experience would be a help ...just a disqualifier or a neutral.

[SnowSeal]

There are 4 agencies I'm looking at that "welcome new grads." Based on the responses here, and the job descriptions posted, it sounds like I may be put into something a little out of my depth. The agencies do advertise 24-hour support by another RN or the DON. I haven't worked with these sorts of agencies before; am I being naive in thinking they're going to keep the promises? Am I risking my license working there?

I do have some experience; working as a wilderness EMT, paramedic, health care director of a summer camp and 1 year as a nurse extern in a level 1 trauma ICU, but working on an RN level is new for me.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Yes, only working home health for two months is a dick move. You might not even be off orientation when you want to quit. And I'm not sure how this cross country road trip will fit in with a new home health job?