Two RN Jobs as a new Grad

oceanblue52 · Jun 17, 2016

I am not a nurse yet (waiting to take NCLEX as well), but yes, I would say that is a little nuts. You may be able to do overtime sometimes once you have a routine down but I promise you will be overwhelmed as a new nurse and will NEED the time off in between shifts to relax. You do not want to burn out your first year. Both sound like great opportunities, I would lay out the pros and cons on the table and then pick one. You want to excel at one job, not be exhausted and doing the minimum at both. That is my feeling anyway, having worked multiple places during school and having read these forums. But only you can decide what is best for you.

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Jun 17, 2016

Assuming you pass the upcoming NCLEX (fingers crossed), to put it bluntly, forget the part time gig. If the larger hospital is going to pay tuition for school, you're barely going to have time to rest while working full time nights. Look at the facts: full time position AND school is an hour or so away from the part time position. That doesn't even include the stress of feeling inadequate that's experienced by a lot of new grads during the first few months (up to a year) after licensure. Your first year of nursing will be a transitioning phase that is really going to require your undivided attention. I would even venture a guess that you're employer won't even begin to pay for your tuition until AFTER you've survived and completed that crucial one-year mark.

I don't know you, but I do know nursing and working in the hospital setting, the bulk of my experience in nursing, (which I still do on the weekends), will send the tired, stressed, and emotionally weak packing. Heck, it even sends the strong packing sometimes! This is not meant to discourage you at all. In fact, I highly recommend that acute care experience and am actually shocked that the one hospital offered a new grad a part time position because it's going to take even more time for a new grad to come up to speed if they are only working part time. Don't underestimate the size of the hospital! All it takes is that right 'one' patient in a hospital bed to make the next few hours of your life a freaking nightmare!

Don't bite off more than you can chew too early. Decline the part time position with the explanation that you were offered a chance to gain more experience professionally and educationally which would make you even more of an asset when you return for the part time position. They can only respect your decision-making capabilities.

Just my opinion..

Dezi919 · Jun 17, 2016

You are absolutely right! Thank you. I hope to make the best choice for me.

adpiRN · Jun 17, 2016

Assuming you like to sleep, don't do this.

Good luck!

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Jun 18, 2016

I agree with what PP have said. I was a new grad LPN working in a hospital FT (8 hour shifts-days) and going to college FT at night for my RN. I had to drop A+P and take it the following year because I was still learning so much as a new nurse that I could not focus enough on school to get the kind of grades that I needed. I would get home from work at 4pm, lay down on the couch thinking I was just going to close my eyes for a few minutes, and the next thing I knew it was dark out and I hadn't even had dinner yet. I was mentally and physically exhausted.

You will want to take advantage of the educational benefit that the hospital is offering you too, because there's a good chance that you'll need it to be competitive in the next few years. My advice would be to make sure that you are comfortable in your new role (usually 6-12 months) before starting BSN classes. Being someone who had a really bad habit of trying to bite off more than I can chew, I have painfully learned from experience (worked one FT, one PT, and a per diem all at the same time once and it earned me a healthy dose of burn out that took years to recover from).

If you are offered the job, explain the situation to your current employer as PP has suggested. It only makes sense to take the better offer for your long term career goals and you could always work PT later on once you are established.