What would you do? Please Help? Need Advice.

[Tara0219]

Okay, let me start of by first giving a littl background information. I am currently an LPN and have been working as a school nurse for 2 years. I am about to start an LPN-RN bridge program which is an all day program on Mondays. It works out nice b/c the county I work for does not go to school on Mondays. Although I love my job, I think I would be better off somewhere else. Right now the education system is very unstable and I am not contracted, so they could call me tomorrow and tell me I do not have a job. On top of that, the fact that I don't work 2 months out of the summer, 3 weeks for christmas, 2 weeks for thanksgiving, and 1 week for spring break, really cuts into my paycheck. I mean I love having all the time off, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Anyways, I interviewed for a PRN position on a surgical floor at our local hospital. It is not a huge hospital, but it is nowhere near small. The hiring manager pretty much said I would be able to work when I want to day or night, as long as I don't go over 40 hours a weekm, and that once I am oriented on that floor, I can also orient on another floor that she manages so I would be able to pick up shifts on both floors. Basically the chances of me not being able to work are slim. Shift differential is $5 more than base pay for S/S night shift. I know I would lose my benefits, but my husband works full time so I can get on his plan, and eventhough I would be PRN, I would still have the option to contribute to a 401k. Again, like I said, I do love my job but we are struggling financially and I want better for my family. So if you were in this situation, what would you do? Thanks for any advice that you can give, it is greatly appreciated.

[westieluv]

I think that I would go for the hospital job. If the school districts where you live are anything like the ones where I live, they are desperate for money, and the state is getting ready to cut some of their funding to try to address the huge deficit, and I read on a lot of internet forums that this seems to be the case in many, many states right now, so it seems that no ancillary job in a public school would be 100% safe right now. Also, when you become an RN, you would be able to stay on at the hospital and probably get a nice pay raise, whereas with the school nurse job, you probably wouldn't make much more, would you? I am an RN who floats to four different Med/Surg floors and works contingent, and you just can't ask for more flexability in a job. If we want to go on vacation, if it's one of my kids' birthdays, if I just want to spend a day hanging out with my sisters who live out of town, all I have to do is say that I'm not available on those days, and unlike a part-time or full-time nurse, I never have to worry about finding someone to work for me. I love it!

Good luck to you. :)

[Tara0219]

Yes, our entire state is in serious trouble when it comes to funding for our education system. I would have to leave after I got my RN anyways bc there wouldn't be any pay raise. All of our schools have LPN's, there are no RN positions. I think you're right about everything, and I will probably go with the hospital. Thanks for your input.