Which job for a new grad sounds more appealing?

ChristineN, BSN, RN · May 30, 2011

If you are wanting to gain experience I would go for the oncology floor. I personally don't feel new grads should be put in home health with no experience. I know it happens a lot and I find it scary. Especially when I have heard of the new grad getting a day or two or orientation and then out there on there own. I would not feel comfortable being put in the situation and would not risk my license regardless of the better pay.

As has been seen in the OP's past threads, she is not a "new grad." OP has worked clinic work for close to a year.

I would recommend the home health job since the OP has said before she feels like she moves at a slower pace that everyone else. Home health there would be no pace to keep up with. You would have one pt and could take your time, it would be a very relaxed environment.

ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN · May 30, 2011

As has been seen in the OP's past threads, she is not a "new grad." OP has worked clinic work for close to a year.
I would recommend the home health job since the OP has said before she feels like she moves at a slower pace that everyone else. Home health there would be no pace to keep up with. You would have one pt and could take your time, it would be a very relaxed environment.

The idea of being able to work on the oncology floor appeals to me. I think the reason why I have moved slow in the past is because of being new and my anxiety causing loss of focus and concentration and feeling like I don't know where to begin, feeling like something might slip through the cracks. My perfectionism and hypervigilance is counterproductive. I actually am a fast walker at home and have bouts of hyper, nervous energy. So, I'm not exactly a turtle... just need to figure out how to get my anxiety in check, possibly get tested for ADD, and give myself the time to learn. I probably would get bored with home health to be honest. But I do have apprehension and fear about being successful on the floor, especially because it has been a year now since I graduated and I hope I have not forgotten all of that information that I learned!

FrogKissingNurse · May 30, 2011

as a new grad myself i would choose the med-surg hospital position. from what i know home health you are more on your own. in the hospital setting if you have questions there is someone else you can ask for a second opinion. i would feel more confident in a hospital setting as my first job. once i've got some experience and feel confident in my skills then i would consider doing home health. plus most of the home health places around me will not hire you unless you have at least a year of hospital experience.

JulieCVICURN, BSN, RN · May 30, 2011

While home health definitely has it's appeal, it's not something I'd want to do with only clinic experience in my background. I'd spend minimum a year in a bedside hospital setting before aiming for home health (and truthfully, probably even more), preferably in ICU so you have an opportunity to see a lot of patients in crisis that require quick decision making. I'm not saying going to home health can't be done, but on a personal level I would not be comfortable without some critical care experience. That's just me. Other people might adapt just fine.

If you are slower than other nurses because of your hypervigilance, you might want to consider critical care anyway. I could never do med/surg because I couldn't juggle 5-6 patients and with my ADD I would be all over the place. Critical care has been perfect for me in that way (although I don't do it any more, but if I went back to bedside I'd go back to that).

I'm also not super-nurse, so maybe that's why I'd be uncomfortable with it.

ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN · May 30, 2011

While home health definitely has it's appeal, it's not something I'd want to do with only clinic experience in my background. I'd spend minimum a year in a bedside hospital setting before aiming for home health (and truthfully, probably even more), preferably in ICU so you have an opportunity to see a lot of patients in crisis that require quick decision making. I'm not saying going to home health can't be done, but on a personal level I would not be comfortable without some critical care experience. That's just me. Other people might adapt just fine.
If you are slower than other nurses because of your hypervigilance, you might want to consider critical care anyway. I could never do med/surg because I couldn't juggle 5-6 patients and with my ADD I would be all over the place. Critical care has been perfect for me in that way (although I don't do it any more, but if I went back to bedside I'd go back to that).
I'm also not super-nurse, so maybe that's why I'd be uncomfortable with it.

Thank you. Your comments are very helpful. I've been told by others, specifically one of my clinical nursing instructors that ICU (and even a very specialized ICU like CVICU) would be a good choice for me because of those reasons, and if there was a way I could break into that area I would. :)

JulieCVICURN, BSN, RN · May 30, 2011

Aha. I was very fortunate to be hired into a CVICU right out of school because the facility I work for isn't afraid to do that, so I forget that it's not like that everywhere and a lot of people can't just decide to go work in ICU and make it happen for them.

Good luck, it's a tough choice you have to make!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 30, 2011

"i would recommend the home health job since the op has said before she feels like she moves at a slower pace that everyone else. home health there would be no pace to keep up with. you would have one pt and could take your time, it would be a very relaxed environment."

i have dear friends in home health and the amount of paperwork (all computerized) they have to do combined with the pressure to see all their patients and get all that paperwork done is not a relaxed environment and is not slow-paced (did i mention that she takes her computer home and is up til all hours finishing her documentation?).

i vote for pushing yourself a bit on a floor, learning new skills, and work-socializing with people who can support and mentor you in real time. if you want to go to home care someday later i can promise you the jobs will be there waiting for you when ever you want them.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · May 31, 2011

As has been seen in the OP's past threads, she is not a "new grad." OP has worked clinic work for close to a year.
I would recommend the home health job since the OP has said before she feels like she moves at a slower pace that everyone else. Home health there would be no pace to keep up with. You would have one pt and could take your time, it would be a very relaxed environment.

Clinic work is very different though then gaining that acute care experience where she would have a good handle on the skills needing to work independently out in a home health field where you might have patients on vents, with bad wounds, hooked up to machines and so on. I look at it as more of a safety issue with a patient rather then it being go at your own pace. If you are unfamiliar with what is wrong with the patient you can't simply go a few feet and ask a co-worker or charge nurse. I think most new gards will be worried about time management and how fast a hospital can be, but I think that is something that comes with time and experience and most will get there.

I have just read and heard to many horror stories of new grads (without acute care experience) thrown out in these situations with little to no training and when something happens the new grad is the scape goat and the one that has their license in jeopardy. I understand the position New Grads are in and if I was not getting any hits on jobs and was offered a position in home health, I might be tempted to take it. Especially since any job experience to eventually get that acute care looks better then not working. But as much as I would really hate to work in a nursing home (and not for the usual reasons people have) I would rather go that route first. I just don't feel it should even be an option for new grads.