Two job offers = excitement + confusion

[iam1rn]

Let's say you have three children: 2 in elementary school and one is a toddler. You've been out of nursing for 10 years but came from a home health care background when you worked long ago.

If you were offered a full-time "utilization management RN" position for an insurance company working 9-5 M-F and could make $60,000 + dollars/yr and you were also offered a contingent home health care position which would allow you to make your own schedule and work as little or as much as you wanted making a very good per visit wage. . . which would YOU choose.

I know that we are all different with unique life situations but I would just like to get other RN's perspectives that have been in either or both of these nursing positions or even if you haven't held these positions - which would you pick?

[RN-2010]

I would take the home care job. The flexibility is the most important part to me. Good luck.

[SweettartRN]

"and could make $60,000 + dollars/yr"

COULD is the key word here. Usually jobs like this pay very very little, and you end up working 80+hours per week.

I would take the other job.

[westieluv]

Definitely the home care job. I always worked contingent or not at all when my kids were your kids' ages because I wouldn't have been able to leave them for 40 hours a week and miss out on so much with them. Sure, I could have made a lot more money over the years than I did, but compared to time with your kids that you can never get back again, what's money?

Now that my kids are 20 and 17, I have accepted a part-time day shift office job. While I love the job itself, I am amazed at all of the extracurricular "stuff" that comes along with it (employee meetings, extra training, company holiday dinners, etc.) that are required and take extra time away from my family. It doesn't amount to 40 hours a week, but still...if my kids were younger there's no way I would do this job, because when it came down to pleasing my kids or pleasing my boss, it would be a no brainer. :heartbeat

Good luck with whatever you decide.