What would you tell this pre-ABSN student?

[starbrite471]

Folks,

I'm a pre-ABSN student that has to make a decision soon between two schools. I'm going to lay out my situation and see if anyone would like to offer their insights. Here goes:

I have a very strong interest in working in psych after graduation, and I'm fairly sure nursing school won't change that. In other words, I know what I want.

School A offers a work scholarship for the majority of the tuition IF you work for their partner school for 3 years after graduation. If you leave before 3 years, you pay back a prorated amount of the tuition based on your length of employment. The downside is that the hospital only has one "medical/behavioral health" unit (emphasis more on the medical). Although I'd be guaranteed a job at the hospital, I wouldn't necessarily be guaranteed one on that unit.

School B doesn't offer a work scholarship, but the psych clinicals are at one of the nation's top psychiatric hospital, so you'd supposedly learn from one of the best. Psych clinicals at School A aren't that great, according to what I've been told.

My heart is drawn towards School B, but I find it too tough to turn down School A given the challening environment for new grads now. So, I'm leaning towards playing it safe with School A, but somtimes I tell myself I should take a chance with School B and pray that the job market is better once I graduate.

What are your thoughts? Appreciate the feedback! Always helps to get the perspectives from people actually in the field.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Some tough decisions. You've been accepted to both? In addition to the tough market for new hires in many areas, consider this: In many areas, it's rare for new graduates to stay put for three years at the first job, especially when they start out in an area that may not be where their interests lie.

[Jules A, MSN]

FWIW I'm not sure the reputation of a strong clinical if that is even what you end up getting really makes much difference in your chances of getting hired as a new grad and it is such a short clinical I'm not sure I'd base my entire school time on one rotation. How expensive are these schools? I'd bet you would be able to get a psych job at school A because it usually isn't a high demand area. What is the employment climate like where you live? If you need an income it might be nice to have a job lined up and if you need to end up paying the school back for your scholarship would you really be that far behind than if you paid for the other school out of pocket? Good luck with whatever you decide.

[starbrite471]

Both schools are private, therefore pricey. The employment climate where I live is somewhat tight for new grads, although I'm not sure how it compares to the national average. I'm still leaning towards School A b/c of guaranteed employment, but I wander if the market for new grads in general is getting better, or the same? It's hard to keep a pulse on it.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

A guarantee of employment in this job market is a strong draw (if in fact School A is guaranteeing this).

The place where you do clinicals will have absolutely no bearing on where you wind up. I have never even been asked, except by coworkers who were curious. No employer has ever brought the issue up.