Which one to choose?

[MassRN1991]

Recently, I have been applying for new positions because I am miserable at my current job. I currently work at an assisted living facility where I love my patients but my boss, well, she is not a nice lady to put it nicely. After many, many resumes being sent out, I got a few call backs. These two jobs stuck out most and I would like your advice.

The first job is a traveling position. It is a pediatric job. No clinical work, maybe weights at best. My job is to make sure that these kids meet their developmental stages for their ages. I need to make sure that these families have all the right resources to do such. I get paid for the hour that I am with the families. If they cancel, it's my responsibility to reschedule and make sure that at the end of the week I meet my minimum hours. I do not get paid for paper work for it is considered part of my job. No paid holidays also.

The second job option is a correctional facility. The job is about 45 minutes away but it's not far from where I currently work. There is more clinical work but more dangerous. The benefits are great and they will pay for me to go back to school.

I am unsure where I want my career to go but I have been thinking med/surg in the future and possibly going back to school. I am stuck between the two. Please, all advice is welcome!

[firstinfamily, RN]

This is kind of a hard one. If you are miserable then you need to find another position. The Pediatric one sounds interesting but limited. I will warn you that when I did Home Health the amount of documentation was horrendous and I was spending unpaid hours to get it done. It does not sound like it will enhance your skills. I have taken care of correctional patients in a hospital setting not in the correctional setting. It would challenge your clinical skills and you stated they would pay for further education, I would find out what percentage of tuition they will reimburse and ask about safety/protective issues. If it helps, I did talk to a "jail nurse" which was how she identified herself. You most likely could ask to speak to a nurse who has done this type of nursing. The one I had the priviledge of talking to was very passionate about her work, she said there were times when she was a little scared but there was always a guard present when she had to examine an inmate. She described having to get gonorrhea samples from inmates who were suspected to have an STD. The guard was present during all of this and she had to get very close to the inmates to get this type of specimen. She expressed that the inmates were always very grateful for her care. Most of the ones I cared for in the acute setting were as well. The conditions of the correctional facility or jails are so depressing, you might need to take that into consideration. You would be there for 8 hours a day or longer and the environment in which you work does impact your work. Good luck!