Job applications, again.

I shadowed this past Wednesday at a pediatric hematology/oncology unit and I loved it and felt so at home on the unit. I stayed for 5 hours (even though the original shadow was only supposed to be 2 hours) because I wanted to see a stem cell transplant.

I love that place so much. I would kill to work there. It's too bad I don't have much of a chance - they are having budgetary issues and don't know how many people they will be able to actually hire. They should know by the end of the month.

Tomorrow I have an all day new-grad nurse hiring event. It's for a position on an adult oncology unit. They do say up front that they do 90 percent of their new grad hiring for the year at this one event, and many times people leave tomorrow's event with a job offer. I am cautiously hopeful about my chances. I am really lucky because I signed up when it was very early and I was able to get a spot. I know people who have called up and asked to register and were told there were 250 people on the waiting list for the event. I feel vaguely guilty because I am sure there are people on that waiting list more qualified than I am, but it was first come, first serve and I didn't cheat or anything, I just called them early.

All day in a boring business suit and pantyhose. Bleh. I am NOT looking forward to that part of things. And the uncomfortable shoes. :( Maybe I'll get an awesome job offer and it'll all be worth it. Stranger things have happened!

The first hospital (peds oncology) told me that if I got an offer before they had their budgetary info and really wanted to know what their position was about hiring me, before I accepted or declined the other offer - to call them and see what they would be able to tell me.

My scariest scenario right now is having to make the choice of one or the other of these places. I already know both units have almost near zero turnover and the nurses are so happy they stay on both units for years and years. So I know I wouldn't be unhappy either place. But the idea of having to make the decision between both these places makes me panicked just thinking about it. So right now, I am actually hoping at least one of them turns me down so I don't have to be in that position.

So, if I leave tomorrow with no offer in hand, it could well be a blessing in disguise. We'll see.

Oh, and the first test of the semester - I got a 90, even though I took the test with bronchitis and was afraid I'd gotten my first failing grade in nursing school ever. So I'm still good for this semester. I just have to not lose sight of school. It's hard to keep my focus with the job stuff going on.