TORN BETWEEN LTC FACILITY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOSPITAL JOB

[confusedrn94]

Okay. I am so sorry I am about to type out this dilemma I am facing. Thank you to those who see my post and those who take their time out to reply with honest answers.

I have been a nurse for over a year now (will be 2 years in May 2020), and I was working on a cardiac step down floor for about a year and a half or a little over that, then I became so burnt out that I just decided to take a few months off to find what I thought I really wanted to do and also to find a better “fit” for me. It’s just that textbook nursing is very much different than real world/real life nursing. So recently I have been applying to jobs basically anywhere; a couple of hospitals/floors, and one nursing home/LTC facility. So the LTC facility gets me in with an interview, offers me the job, and I accept, because I haven’t been working for about 3 months. So obviously, I’m kind of going to take whatever I’m offered. The job is 3 12 hour shifts, on nights (which is what I was used to at my other job). The pay is the highest I ‘be been paid at $28.50-29.00/hr depending on the day I am working, HOWEVER, the catch with this job is that I work only 2 rotations (that don’t change). So basically I cannot make my own schedule (Used to making my own schedule 6 weeks at a time at the hospital) and I usually like doing my 3 12s in a row and have my days off thereafter. My rotations are: 1 week/rotation = Mon, Thurs, Sat; 2nd week/rotation = Sunday, Thurs, Fri. And that’s it. No way around it or to change it (unless I pick up). Those will always be the days I work, and the two rotations I will work. Now, a couple of days ago, I had a phone interview with a hospital for their behavioral health/psych unit. There I would he able to make my own schedule, probably closer to what I want it to be, it’s closer to home for me, and the base pay is around $24.50/hr with a night diff of $4.50 I believe she said, which is basically the same pay I am getting now at the LTC facility (tonight is my first night). I have no experience in either area/specialty. I just know I have a possible offer from the hospital, I already have a job at this nice LTC facility (the residents are all for the most part very elderly and cute), and there is minimal tasks/things to do at the LTC facility on nights. It’s definitely more relaxed vibe than on a crazy floor. I I sort if have kind of always wanted to do psych, I didn’t right after nursing school because there were no jobs in that area. I have the interview in person with the hospital for the behavioral health unit next week, and if I like it, I’m afraid I will be too conflicted and not know what to do! I also will feel bad if I end up liking the hospital job better because everyone has been so nice to me at the LTC facility! I also feel like a 25 year old like me is rare in LTC facilities at such an early time in my nursing career, idk?? Has anyone been in a predicament like this or have any advice for me??

Please help! It’s much appreciated

[Lurkndmurk, ADN, RN]

I'm not gonna lie- I've done over night shifts on a behavioral health unit & it was the easiest nursing job I have ever had. The first 3 or 4 hours your patients are up & you've got a few things to do.. Then the rest of your shift is smooth sailing. You are basically paid to sit around doing whatever you want. Hardest part was staying up because I work 2 jobs & had been up since 7am

I've never, nor will ever, done LTC. I wouldn't feel too bad about leaving if you're following your dreams though. The way they schedule you every other day sucks IMO

["nursy", RN]

It's tough to give someone career advice when it's literally one job vs another, but, I would say stick with LTC. You will use your nursing skills. Behavioral is a completely different kind of animal. I would seriously suggest shadowing someone (even it it's on your own time) before taking that kind of position, or at least talk to someone who works there and get a feel for what the job entails.

[ivyleaf]

What are your longer term career goals? where do you want to be 5 years from now? From someone who worked psych for almost 10 years, I would say it does pigeonhole you a bit. SNF is more transferrable and would expose you to more general medical issues

[confusedrn94]

want to be family NP. I feel like all i do at nursing home is pass meds and make sure they’re alive. virtually the same thing in psych right? Yeah you have your g tubes, dressing changes and etc. but not IVs, or other real nursing work or skills involved so far. I also find it depressing sometimes because these people seem to be suffering so much, most of them are DNRs...and that’s one of the reasons i stopped working at my first job on a cardiac step down because I saw too much death and suffering and suffering from family. Yes death is inevitable but I’m not trying to be around it that much. Idk i’m so torn

18 hours ago, ivyleaf said:

What are your longer term career goals? where do you want to be 5 years from now? From someone who worked psych for almost 10 years, I would say it does pigeonhole you a bit. SNF is more transferrable and would expose you to more general medical issues

want to be family NP. I feel like all i do at nursing home is pass meds and make sure they’re alive. virtually the same thing in psych right? Yeah you have your g tubes, dressing changes and etc. but not IVs, or other real nursing work or skills involved so far. I also find it depressing sometimes because these people seem to besuffering so much, most of them are DNRs...and that’s one of the reasons i stopped working at my first job on a cardiac step down because I saw too much death and suffering and suffering from family. Yes death is inevitable but I’m not trying to be around it that much. Idk i’m so torn

[confusedrn94]

On 11/22/2019 at 12:20 PM, Lurkndmurk said:

I'm not gonna lie- I've done over night shifts on a behavioral health unit & it was the easiest nursing job I have ever had. The first 3 or 4 hours your patients are up & you've got a few things to do.. Then the rest of your shift is smooth sailing. You are basically paid to sit around doing whatever you want. Hardest part was staying up because I work 2 jobs & had been up since 7am

I've never, nor will ever, done LTC. I wouldn't feel too bad about leaving if you're following your dreams though. The way they schedule you every other day sucks IMO

do you feel your skills are lost? and yes the schedule sucks i work monday thursday saturday this week and then have to go back sunday!!! it’s awful. have you don’t other areas of floor nursing or nursing careers?

[Lurkndmurk, ADN, RN]

13 minutes ago, confusedrn94 said:

do you feel your skills are lost? and yes the schedule sucks i work monday thursday saturday this week and then have to go back sunday!!! it’s awful. have you don’t other areas of floor nursing or nursing careers?

I don't feel like my skills are lost because I actually have 2 jobs lol I'm also going into a LPN to RN program next year so I plan on doing a new grad program when I graduate with my ADN. I love psych though BUT the hopsital would let me float between floors if I asked them. Right now I'm not worried about it... if losing skills worries you, I would definitely talk to your supervisor about putting in a few days on medsurg or something. Usually they're pretty good about that