Dear Annie: I’m in a terrible spot. About four years ago, right out of college, I got a job as part of a new-product launch team at a big consumer products company. Everything was going great. Then, two years ago, my boss was replaced by someone who just didn’t like me. No matter how hard I tried, our personalities were like oil and water, and we just never clicked.

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I really need your help and advice about taking a job that may affect my livelihood. I am an RN that is sooo confused! Please help, if you can!

Back story: I have been working at a psychiatric group home for over a year as the nursing supervisor. The job wasn't great, the pay was lousy, and the hours sucked. But it was 5 minutes from home, I loved my patients, and my boss was a good friend of mine. I worked very hard at my job, was on call 24/7, but it still wasn't enough for the owner. They wanted me to work more for less and I became of tired of promises of raises and it getting better next month and next month. I got their state licenses for them, filled the facility with patients, and ran the nursing dept. But no thanks or raise or anything. So I found another job.

Now, I am working at a hospital, psychiatric unit for 6 mths now, that is about 40 minutes from my home and the pay was double what I was making at the group home. But I have even worse working hours, I work 8-10 days straight with only 2 days off. But the hospital has great benefits, good insurance, decent pay, and good co-workers you can depend on. But the drive is long and the hours suck bad.

So, today, my old boss at the group home, calls and asks me what it would take to get me back. She has already offered me $25 per hr (more than I make now), M-F, become the DON, insurance, and paid vacation. I told her everything would have to be in writing and it would have to start the day I do. But I fear that if I take this job back, even with the benefits, I will still be in the same boat I was in when I left. On call, stupid requests from the bosses, called in at all hours, lousy co-workers, and the owner still wanting more and more of me because they are "giving" me more.

I loved my patients and my boss, but the facility owner was too demanding and always wanting more than any one person can possibly give. But it was close to home, and they are willing to meet my demands. As with my current job at the hospital, I am the new person, and I get the crappy jobs and crappy hours with no say in how they work my schedule and I have been having to do 8-10 days straight with no time off and driving 40 minutes one way, 10 hour shifts per day.

Sorry, it was so long, but I really need some advice and I am having trouble seeing past my options. Do I go where I am at home and have authority but the owner treats me like crap? Or do I stay at a hospital where I am nobody with no say in my career, just do what we say and let the tenured nurses set my schedule and when I can have time off or NOT. The tenured nurses set their schedule then I get what days are left. And yes, I have talked to my supervisor…she allows the nurses to set the schedules.

Dear Annie: My boss (who also owns the company I work for) has always been a hypochondriac, but lately he’s gone over the edge.

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