Two jobs, one has to go

[aerorunner80, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN]

I have been working at an urgent care clinic for the last two months. I'm not liking it. I'm a new grad FNP (May 2019). It's 12 hour shifts. 1 hour drive each way. No benefits. Have to provide my own malpractice insurance. Pay is good ($55/hr and then $60/hr once credentialing is complete). I've been doing this job PRN. I hate that it's 12 hour shifts with an hour drive each way. It makes for a very long day. At the end of the day I'm completely exhausted and the day after my shift, all I want to do is sleep. To top it off I had zero orientation. My anxiety is sky high the day before my shifts and most of it has to do with the long hours away from home and family (also not having any orientation/training doesn't help either). After only 2 months of working at most 2 days per week, I'm already seeing 30 patients in a day and I feel so uncomfortable and overwhelmed. I've worked one day already where we saw 100 patients in 12 hours with just two of us. The other provider I worked with ran their butt off because I'm still slow and have to look a lot of things up. They also have no real system in place for when people call in. Most places will have people on call to cover for sick call but this place does not. This gives me major anxiety that this will happen to me when I am fully credentialed.

My main job is at a teaching hospital much closer to home (30 minute drive) working in a specialty clinic 32 hours/week. Amazing benefits and a very comprehensive orientation. My schedule right now is working 5 days per week with random afternoons off. No weekends/holidays.

I don't feel it is reasonable for me to work 5 days per week at my main job plus one other day at the urgent care clinic without completely burning myself out. I have two young children at home as well.

I feel pressure from my husband to keep the urgent care job. I told him when I first started the urgent care job that I'm not willing to kill myself to make a few extra bucks when we have young children at home and other obligations. He really pushed back and I stood my ground. Now it's come to that point where I don't know how it's going to be reasonable. I know he's going to push back at me and state that I should be able to work the second job because my main job is *only* 32 hours per week. I feel like he just doesn't get it an only cares about money.

My main job, with bonuses and incentives, is going to pay appx 25,000 more per year than I made working as a full time RN.

I start my main job on Monday and told the urgent care clinic that I am taking at least 2 weeks off to see how things are going to go and if I will be able to fit in any days. I didn't know what my main job schedule was going to look like until I got my orientation schedule Friday.

Has anyone ever been in a situation like this one? I really need some advice. I do think it's worth giving the new job 2 weeks to see how it's going to work out (how late I'm going to be staying charting etc) before I schedule myself at the UC clinic.

Another part of me is just wanting to quit the UC clinic all together, get through orientation at my main job and then if needed and if reasonable, find a PRN job closer to home and with more support.

Again, any advice is welcomed. I'm just not sure what to do/how to handle the situation.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

As someone who pretty much always had a side gig as a breadwinner, I can relate to the "tiredness" you feel right now. However, I always make it a point that any side gig I accept is not more stressful than my full time job. I have done mostly similar specialty (Critical Care) as a Per Diem NP on top of my full time Critical Care NP job but they are in mostly smaller community settings with less acuity and less stress in a more manageable schedule (i.e., no shift rotation).

I currently do a really easy Interventional Cardiology side gig that is chill (H&P's, pt teaching, admission orders, Med Recs, discharges or transfer back to referring service, no cath lab or EP lab involvement). I have no problem with 12 hour shifts and commuting (I will take public transportation if feasible and use that time to relax). That's my secret to staying sane in my world where I like the ability to add an extra source of income. I would not stay in that crappy UC job if I were you but I also don't know the rest of your circumstances.

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

You are new NP and you have 2 small children. That is very stressful. Just do the 32 hour/week job and then later you can always pick up a side gig or maybe do 40 hours a week at your main job.

I don't understand why your husband is pressuring you. How much does he work? Tell him to go get extra work if he wants more money!

[PollywogNP, ADN, BSN, MSN, LPN, NP]

As a new grad FNP you need to focus on the specialty clinic. It may be a steep learning curve and this is different from when you were a new grad RN. You also need to focus on yourself and the two small children and then all the other responsibilities that come with maintaining a household. If yourself 4 to 6 months to get comfortable in your new role then when you are there will always be plenty of side gigs most NPs myself included have always had a side gig. Does your main job allow you to Moonlight? Many contracts do not allow it so you need to double check.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

15 hours ago, FullGlass said:

I don't understand why your husband is pressuring you. How much does he work? Tell him to go get extra work if he wants more money!

This.

[Atki1]

I was in a somewhat similar position when I picked up a side gig to get some more experience as a relatively new NP. In the end the side gig was causing me a ton of stress and I really missed weekend time with my family (I also have 2 young kids). I recently turned in my notice and could not be happier about my decision (4 more shifts to go!). I’m planning on just taking the next 6 months or so to readjust, get things done around the house, and spend time with my kids and then if I realize that I want another side gig, I can go looking for one then. Just remember that no decision is forever.