Two new grad offers which one to choose???

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Hi there,

I just graduated and have been applying like crazy in the last couple months. So I have finally received two offers, one is in a small community hospital peds unit (5 beds peds unit/10 beds NICU) and the other one is a slight bigger community downtown hospital ER with a designated peds ER space. I always wanted to do ER but am afraid my skills won't be good enough especially as a new grad. I have had a hard time with my consolidation placement in the PICU with time management and skills but this ER is unique that it have a designated peds ER unit and willing to train new grads in peds trauma. The other hospital is a 5 mins walk from my house and I really enjoyed talking with the manager and it seems that we have a good vibe and I was told that I can be cross trained at peds and NICU. The only thing is that its small and there isn't a lot of opportunities. I am having a really hard time to decide which one to take as I don't want to fail at the ER job then back to square one of unemployment. I'd appreciate any advice from my fellow nurses! Thanks!!:nailbiting:

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Specializes in ER.

"this ER is unique that it have a designated peds ER unit and willing to train new grads in peds trauma"

That says it all. You and your patients deserve to have a nurse who has had all the training she can get. Having the Peds ER experience is so excellent in opening doors for you in the Peds unit and in other hospital Peds/NICU units as well!

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I'm no peds expert (can't work in the field, it gets to me too much), but it seems like it'd be easier to transition to NICU later if you had some peds ER experience, than to do it in reverse. Hopefully somone better versed in peds nursing than I will be along to help you out.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

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"this ER is unique that it have a designated peds ER unit and willing to train new grads in peds trauma"

That says it all. You and your patients deserve to have a nurse who has had all the training she can get. Having the Peds ER experience is so excellent in opening doors for you in the Peds unit and in other hospital Peds/NICU units as well!

Thank you all! RN_rescue_ninja you made a good point. ER has always been an interest but I thought I would get some experience before I venture into the world of ER. I never thought it would be available to me as a new grad. I think in critical care its very much "sink or swim" environment and I am hesitant because I don't have a lot of adult exp (mostly peds which is why I think they offered me an interview because they do a lot of peds pt). Can any ER nurses weigh in on this? : )

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"a 5 mins walk from my house and I really enjoyed talking with the manager and it seems that we have a good vibe and I was told that I can be cross trained at peds and NICU."

That describes a dream job. Learn and grow in that environment... move on to further ER training at your own pace.

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Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.

I don't know the small hospital seems like a dream. You could cross train and get skilled in all types of units.

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thank you everyone. The small hospital would be my ideal job in maybe 2-3 years and ready to move back to my area. As a new grad tho, it does pain me to not get the big teaching hospital exp (esp I was trained in a really good downtown hospital). The commute is def. a hassle tho, I love being able to walk to work everyday. The ER has a partnership with the hospital I was a student at and they follow the same standards and protocol, so it might be easier to transfer into the big system after. I am still thinking through the pro and cons, will update you guys once I have a decision!

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These types of decisions can be very hard to navigate. I am also a new-ish grad, and I had a very similar predicament after graduation. I will stress that training and experience that are gauranteed are worth their weight in gold!! The hospital that is close may be more convenient, but the cross training in that position to the PICU or ER is not gaurenteed whereas the other position is. I accepted a position in the trauma/surgical ICU at a level 1 trauma center as a new grad. It would suffice to say that I was nervous to say the least. After less than a year in my current position I have never once looked back and thought what would've happened if I took the other offer. The training you receive as a new grad is vital to your success later on down the road if that is indeed what you want to do. Being nervous and unsure of your skills is a good thing when you're starting out. That mindset keeps you hungry for knowledge and experience. Being over-confident is what is dangerous. My advice would be to go with the hopsital that is offering you a greater opportunity for the future. But in the end you have to go with your gut, and make the decision that is best for you and the career path you want for your future.

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I ended up taking the peds/NICU job. The small hospital recently expanded/redeveloped so I liked their facilities and I grew up in the community. The ER hospital is bit dated and I just didn't get the same vibe I did with the other hospital. So I basically just went with my gut. I figure if anything I can always move to another peds or NICU unit. Hope I made the right choice! I start in two weeks!

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