URGENT! Please help with job choice

[Angitia]

I’m facing a major decision, got two job offers, both very far from home. I need to make a decision this week. Please help me decide - How will each of these jobs look on my resume, will I be more likely to be hired in the future with choice 1 or 2? My background - years of non-acute experience, want to get into hospital nursing, expand my skills as much as possible to land the best hospital jobs in the future, including travel. Those of you familiar with these options, can you please clarify pros and cons, or just tell me about your own experince?

Job 1- A major teaching university hospital, a general medicine floor. My concern - is this job a little limiting in terms of nursing skills? It’s med-surg, but without surg - does this make sense? Will I be limited in the future to just general medicine floors? (Other factors - nice area, but expensive)

Job 2- A rural regional hospital, 25 beds, will teach med surg, ICU, ER, L&D. I’m concerned about possible low census. How will this position look on a resume? Do they put your job title as a float RN, or just RN? I’m excited about the possibility of learning everything, but I’m worried - does it happen realistically, or will I end up with knowing a little bit of everything, but not enough to be proficient in each area? (Other factors - this is in the middle of nowhere, no fun to be had outside of work). 
Thank you in advance for your time, honesty and kindness.

[kdkout, BSN, RN]

1. I have done all those jobs but in cities, not rural, and have been a traveling nurse. Rural RNs may be the only one there, and supervising LPNs. You need stellar skills to apply - and with covid, your orientation is going to be minimal

2. You need your vaccine if you want to travel.  You cannot travel without it. I don't know why you're even asking about traveling - that is years away  

3. If you have years of non-acute experience, you have no idea what you are getting into.  Your questions prove it - you are worried about how things look in the future, want to travel, have not done acute care but you want to work in a rural hospital where you are will be doing absolutely everything. They are desperate. They need nurses with experience who can work learn quickly, have acute experience, with all that implies.  You should not have even applied to the rural job until after gaining experience in a hospital setting for at least 1-2 years minimum.  Then apply. Then it would be a great option, which would open you up to traveling in the future.  Do a couple of years minimum at med/surg, then a couple of years minimum at the rural hospital, THEN think about traveling.  Remember with traveling you will get maybe a shift of orientation, be floated a lot.  There's a reason it pays well.

The big hospital medical floor is the only logical choice. 

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Job1 is not limiting. Even though  it is described as "medical" .. you will have surgical, psych,  and any types of patients the powers that be want to admit to the floor.

 

[Emergent, RN]

Since you think living in a rural area means "no fun to be had outside of work", I say go for the city job. General medical is a great place to start. 

[Guest 1152923]

16 hours ago, Angitia said:

     Job 2- A rural regional hospital, 25 beds, will teach med surg, ICU, ER, L&D. I’m concerned about possible low census. How will this position look on a resume?

     kdkout, BSN RN above gave excellent advice and I agree 110%.  Not to burst your bubble, but teaching Med Surg, ICU, ER, and L & D to others when you have no acute care experience yourself, sound overly ambitious.  I think you're too concerned with how your resume will look as opposed to gaining critical thinking, clinical skills, and competence that will expand your practice.  I've seen newish nurses with minimal experience try to squeak by in a travel role at a large, university hospital but there may also come a day when your luck runs out and you're in way over your head.  Perhaps consider a solid background in Med Surg at a larger hospital where you're likely to see a wide variety of patient types and diagnoses.