I am a nervous new grad and need your advice. Here are my two options
1. day position, ortho, 3 weeks training and was told my floor manager the floor is" not very welcoming to new staff but give it time". I like the Ortho and the day shift but fear the short orientation and unsupportive staff might be a problem. There are a lot of open positions on the floor and the hospital has a high turnover.
2. Night position on renal oncology floor, 6-12 weeks orientation. Less desirable floor, but hard hospital to get into and the orientation seems great.
I know I should take 2, but the night thing has me nervous. And I have no background in renal / oncology and am nervous about that kind of floor. My husband is really pushing me to number 1 due to days, higher pay & diffs, but I can't get past the 3 weeks orientation being too short.
To me, the work environment is much more important than the shift... But, I also love night shift, so there is no issue about me getting to work my preferred times.
I had 4-5 weeks of orientation as a new grad, and it was not enough. However, I am fortunate in my co-workers.
Option #1 seems like it would just be a short period of time before you either leave or get fired. If there's a lot of hospital turnover, it's for a reason. Staff isn't welcoming to new people...means they won't answer your questions as a new nurse. Plus, 3 weeks of orientation is nowhere near enough time for a new grad. I had 12 weeks of orientation as a new grad and still felt like an idiot for months after that. I'd take option 2 if I was you and then try to transfer to a dayshift position. I've done both days and nights. I'm definitely a day person. However, I wouldn't recommend it for a new grad. Not to mention, as far as the hubby and kids, I know a lot of people who choose to work nights for the simple fact that they can take their kids to school in the morning, pick them up, etc. Good luck.
I work nights, by choice. I have 3 small kids (4, 6 and 8) and a husband who works a "normal" M-F job. I find that I see my kids more with night shift than I did with days. On days, I left before they got up and came home after they were in bed. Now, I get up shortly after they are home from school, help them with homework, sometimes eat dinner with them and then head out. In the morning, I get home just in time to take them to school. It works pretty well for our family. I even do Marine Corps Reserve drills 2 days a month, and I have to do those on "day shift" hours. I have a fairly jacked up sleep schedule, but right now, it works for us. I really think that nights is actually a good place for a new grad to start. It can definitely get crazy at times, but in general, the pace is slower d/t not working around meals, PT/OT, visitors, etc. We still do procedures, wound care, start IVs, draw labs, etc, but I feel like it's a better learning environment when one is trying to get their footing. Renal/ oncology will give you a good med/ surg foundation (not that ortho isn't m/s also, but a lot of ortho pts tend to be otherwise "healthy," so it's a different population), and a good working environment really is so important. I can't imagine 3 weeks as a new grad- that's how much floor orientation I got at my new job, and I was going from one m/s floor to a m/s floor at a different hospital.
I would take the one that you are more interested in. If your husband has an issue with you working nights, maybe you should take that into consideration. You don't want to be a stressed out new nurse and have a husband whining that he never sees you or that you are always tired or crabby because your sleep schedule is messed up. It's a lot to consider and I don't think any of us can really tell you what position to go after. One thing to remember, you can always quit if you get into a position that makes you miserable. Good luck picking!
Do-over, ASN, RN
1,085 Posts
To me, the work environment is much more important than the shift... But, I also love night shift, so there is no issue about me getting to work my preferred times.
I had 4-5 weeks of orientation as a new grad, and it was not enough. However, I am fortunate in my co-workers.