Question for the day..DON or Hospital?

I posted a similiar post on another board. I have been working as a registered nurse for 9 years. I am 42 years old and not getting any younger. I have NO hospital experience. My background consists of correctional nursing, case management, community health and home health/hospice and LTC. I have been offered a job on the medical/surgical floor at a hospital 20 miles from my home. I have also been offered the DON position at the LTC facility where I have been working for about 6 months and I live about 5 miles away. I need some advice. Do I go to the hospital, start a brand new job, or do I become DON? I am scared and confused. On one hand, I know the residents and their families, plus their needs. I know the employees and their wants and needs. Yes, its going to be a big headache as DON. I have seen the ups and down that our outgoing DON has faced. She and I have worked side by side. She is a great nurse, but she has been working at our facility for about 5 years now and her marriage is falling apart because of the extra time she spends at the LTC facility. Her husband doesnt understand. Sorry to get into personal details here, just mentioning why she is quiting.

Am I passing up a great opportunity by not taking the position at the hospital? I just feel so much more comfortable where I am now. I have gained the respect of so many of the nurses and staff. Any advice for me please?

Thanks!

depends on what your looking to get out of the job. If you want authority and lots of headaches, then DON it is. If you want flexibility in your schedule, time off, better pay, and a new experience.. take the staff position.

I had a co-worker who went from staff to management. He lost money because after adding up all of the extra time spent doing paperwork, dealing with complaints, etc... he worked a lot of overtime that he wasnt compensated for. Salary position.

Good luck!

With the shortage that is here and going to get progressively worse, there will always be opportunities in the hospital, or long term.

The question is, are you looking to get back into acute care nurses with the stress and physical labor or do you want the stress/frustration of being a DON and continuing in long term care.

I don't think you're "passing up" an opportunity in the hospital that won't be there later.

Personally, I've seen what supervisors, administrators, DON, etc go through, put up with. I decided a long time ago it was not for me.

It does sound like you know "the devil you're dealing with" where you are now. Do you want to stay relatively comfortable, or start something very different, very new, very stressful.

Let us know what you decide to do.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursinga2z.com