The lesser of 2 annoyances

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  1. Which option do you think would be best for me to choose?

    • 2
      Position A: Great job, potentially worrisome other stuff
    • 8
      Position B: Potentially worrisome job, great other stuff
    • 1
      Just keep looking

11 members have participated

Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

9 months out from having graduated and I finally have 2 job offers. Although I'm very stuck in trying to decide which one to choose. The 3rd option would be to wait it out and continue looking, but money is running out and I want to use this long-sought NP certification. Still, waiting might be the best bet. I am calling on the fabulous AN community for your help.

Position A:

Medium to high support for new grads

Max 18 patients/day

Big fish small pond scenario

Fantastic pay with DEA, license, CME, prof org reimbursement

* BUT *

Extremely rural/isolated from friends and family (several of whom are seriously ill)

Zero to very limited social and career opportunities for Husband

Position B:

Medium to high support for new grads

Max 24 patients/day (facility is underfunded)

Small fish big pond scenario

Pay is well below state and federal average with no possibility of negotiation, no reimbursement for DEA, license, CME's, or prof org fees.

* BUT *

Very close to family and friends

A wealth of social and career opportunities for Husband

What are your thoughts? Any input is appreciated.

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Specializes in ICU.

I say B. You could have all the money in the world, but if you're not in a place you enjoy, you may not be happy. If you have to travel a lot to see your ill family/friends, that will also cost $$$. Plus, happy hubby as well! You could always work that job for a year and then find a better job in the same area.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I go with B and then keep looking too - there is nothing that says you have to stay somewhere forever.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

I never really leave the house so A for me.

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I'm with psych guy, once my job is done I prefer my cats, wife, and computer to more people. of course quantitative numbers would be more realistic than great pay or ok pay descriptions. Great pay might be 5 bucks an hour to some employers.

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18 patients a day and better pay won't make up for a dissatisfied spouse and inability to be there for sick family members. Or the extra money and time will be a wash after spending it to be with your family and will make your spouse's sacrifice be for nothing. Unless your spouse wants wants to take a sabbatical and your family members aren't requiring you around the next year.

I would work for less money at a place with good support while my spouse could also work and then find something more lucrative in a couple of years.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I said "B" ... but really wanted to say "both B and C"

I'd stay where you want to live ... take the job you can get ... and keep looking for a better one.

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Specializes in Urology.

A couple of things to consider here. How far rural and isolated is the first job? Could you maybe find something that is 30 minutes away from your job to allow your husband more opportunity? Example: Your job is in town A and you live in town B which is 30 minutes away from town A. Town C which is 30 minutes from town B and 60 minutes from town A has more opportunity for your husband. You could both live 30 minutes away but in opposite directions. Of course this hinges on have far it would separate you from your family. Job A sounds better with better pay so I would take this one but considering your family it makes it difficult. You have to determine yourself what is more important and occationally you can get creative like what I mentioned above. Good luck in your job hunt!

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

I say B. I'd rather be close to my family and have hubby have great job opportunities as well.

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I say A.

1) Your professional life is just as important as your husband's. There may be some medium ground, like twozer0 suggested, where you can both commute a little, rather than one of you be stuck in a crappy job.

2) This is not a lifetime commitment. Keep looking for a position that's closer to home that isn't as terrible as B sounds while working at A and gaining valuable experience.

3) Unless you plan on being a caregiver for your friends and family who are ill, then them being sick doesn't matter. With either job, you won't have much time for them anyway, 'cause you'll be at work learning a new job. Also, unless the rural area is hours from your family, you should be able to see them fairly easily on your days off. I commuted 2 hours to work 3 on and 4 off to be near my sick mother until I found a job in her town. It worked out fine. I don't know what your expected rotation will be, but hopefully you will have plenty of off time.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.
I never really leave the house so A for me.

Plus my wife doesn't work outside the home.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Town is about 60-90 minutes from any other small town/village and about 3 hours from largest city. We did meet a couple while there who live in the town and each half of the couple works in the opposite direction from the other about 60 minutes away. So we have thought about that as a possibility. But even in that scenario, with what Husband does for work, he would be getting a job doing something not remotely related to his field which bums him out because he absolutely loves what he does. Working half-way between our jobs would also put us pretty much in the smack dab middle of no-where. And while there are some houses in the go-between places between towns, there aren't many.

If you want to fly, getting out of the town requires about a half day's worth of driving combined with puddle-jumping around the area in a tiny 6-seater airplane that only makes flights a couple of times a week. The closest air field is a 90 minute drive away and the closest "real" airport is about 3. The flight is great fun and the scenery is incredible, but I don't imagine we would have the chance to visit family very often and the length and means of travel coupled with their medical issues means we know they would never be able to visit us. Driving to closest family member would be about 7 hours. Driving to other family member would come to almost 18.

Although Canigraduate made a great point that if I'm at the practice 8 hours a day, 5 days a week then visiting family probably won't happen much anyway.

On the other hand, I love the practice. And it would be great experience to work in such a rural area.

Ugh. So much to think about.

Thank you to everyone for your help. Please keep it coming. I really appreciate it. :)

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