What Should I Do? Please stop me from making a mistake!

Ok, this is the deal. I am precepting in the PICU. I have talked to the nurse manager and she seems as if she is going to hire me. BUT.... she has yet to bring me the papers or make a formal offer. The 2 girls that are precepting in the NICU (different nurse manager) have already been hired. Yep, signed the papers, formal job offer... everything. This particular nurse manager (PICU) is also over Peds, and my classmate who is precepting on the Peds floor told me that our Nurse manager brought her up the papers WITH the pen, for her to sign them! I have 3 weeks left of precepting, and I don't know what to do. She has told me that she has talked to the staff, and everyone likes me and thinks that I will make a good PICU nurse, but she has just not made it official. Last week she made the comment to me that we need to discuss my salary, but then..... nothing! I am getting very antsy and nervous because my classmates are getting hired on in various places left and right.

Now here is the other thing. I had been going back and forth about deciding between the NICU and the PICU. I did this for a while and then made it known that I had decided on the PICU since that is where I have been precepting. Now that I feel like maybe the nurse manager of the PICU is not really valueing me, I am kind of considering the NICU again. I applied for both positions and the NICU manager has gotten in touch with me to schedule an interview. There will be a lot of new graduates and classmates of mine in the NICU, while there will be no one that I know on nights in the PICU. This is a positive for me about the NICU. I truly could work in either one and be fulfilled. If we float, we do so between PICU, NICU , and Peds, so that will not change no matter which unit I choose. What should I do? Should I go on the interview for the NICU and just see who offers me a job first? Do you think that the PICU nurse manager is just taking for granted that I have the job, and that's why she's being so slow to offer it to me? Please let me know what you guys think of my situation. I want to call both of these managers. Thanks.

Brina, BSN Graduate, Dec. 2005

Hi, brina,

I think the PICU manager has plans to hire you. In the meantime, why not approach her again to get the ball rolling. Say something like, "Ms/Mrs./Miss so and so, I am ready to sign the papers for the PICU position. I am so excited to be on board here. This is a wonderful opportunity for me."

Will not hurt to give her a little nudge. IMHO.

Siri, what do you think about what I said about me not knowing anyone on the night shift in the PICU. One one shift on nights, the majority of them are men (which is not a problem ), and on the other night shift in the PI, they are all older women (which again is not a problem ). But in the NICU on nites, it will be at least 6 of us that are new grads, AND we were all classmates. A few of them are actually good friends of mine. I say this just to say that some of the scariness that we as new grads feel comes from not knowing anyone when we start working, and that would not be in the equation in the NICU for me because we would all know each other. How important do you think this is?

Hi, brina,

I am of the firm belief that you need to be in an environment surrounded by the most experienced nurses when going into this type of speciality. The fact you will not have any of your grad friends is somewhat sad, but, you sound (cybersound) as if you can make friends easily.

I agree, stepping into any strange enviornment and not knowing anyone is scary, but, remember, you did not know any of these individuals before your nursing program. You will develop relationships with new people, too.

Again, IMHO.

While I would certainly be approaching the PICU manager and trying to move that process forward, I would be arranging the interview in the NICU. You never know ...

Tell the NICU manager that you are also considering PICU, but that nothing has been finalized there yet. You are very happy to have the opportunity to interview in both places. If she happens to offer you the NICU position on the spot, you can say ... "Gee, I am really honored ... but I think I have to at least take a day or two to think it through. Both the PICU and the NICU seem like wonderful places to work and I owe it both to myself and to you managers to make decision that will work out best in the long run. Can I get back to you in 48 hours with a final decision?"

There is nothing wrong with interviewing in both units and you shouldn't have to play games about it. If the PICU manager asks you about it, just tell her that you wanted to explore the other option so that you could be confident with your choice. Depending on how the conversation is going, you might also add, "particularly since nothing here in the PICU had been finalized yet."

Good luck,

llg

Six new grads in the NICU, on the same shift, and starting at the same time, is actually quite scary, unless it ia a huge unit. It takes about one year if not longer to feel comfortable taking care of the little ones. Things can happen very quickly and often do.

I personally do not like to see more than two new grads at a time being oriented in the NICU. Even if you add seasoned nurses into that from other units, there is so much to learn and feel comfortable with.

Just my two cents........the PICU sounds like a better option.

Good luck with whatever you chose.

Six new grads in the NICU, on the same shift, and starting at the same time, is actually quite scary, unless it ia a huge unit. .

If it is a large unit, however, 6 is nothing to worry about. Those 6 new grads will not all be working the same days of the week. For example, if they work three 12-hour shifts per week, then there will usually only be 2 or 3 there on any given day. And if there are 10, 15, 20, or even more experienced RN's on the same shift there should be no problems absorbing that relatively small number of new grads. If it's a small unit, however, then that's a different.

Also, are both units accustomed to orienting new grads? I've know both NICU's and PICU's that frequently hired new grads, were prepared to meet their needs, and did quite well with them. .... But I've also known other units that rarely hired new grads, were not prepared to meet their needs, and then struggled. In my mind, that's a more important consideration than the raw number in your cohort. However, it sounds in your original post as if both units hire new grads regularly: so, you might be in luck there either way.

Good luck,

llg