Different nursing professions and work schedules

Posts: 11 · Joined: 19 Dec 2005 Posts: 11 Location: California

There are so many areas in nursing that one can explore after going through nursing school. I was interested in hearing from some of you to find out what area of nursing you work in and how your schedule is.

Do you work 12-hour shifts?
Do you have a set schedule or does it vary from week to week?
Do you work nights or days?

I am interested in knowing how flexible nursing really is because I've talked to some nurses recently and they tell me that many hospitals don't allow them to have a set schedule and they work different days from week-to-week. One of the things that I am attracted to in nursing is knowing that you can have a set schedule and flexibility.

JEN Very Happy

Posts: 14 · Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 14 Location: Michigan

HI jen!!

I am a new nurse---I've only been licensed for about a year now. I work on a Med/Surg unit in Michigan and it's been pretty flexible for me.
I currently work an 8 hour shift yet, 12 hour shifts are available (we even have a couple of nurses that work 4 hour shifts). I am contingent so my rate of pay starts at $30 an hour and I receive a $2 shift diff. for afternoons and a $3 shift diff. to work weekends. I provide my unit manager with my availability appx. 2 weeks prior and I'm worked into the schedule.
Now, this works for my family since I have 2 small children that my husband and I would like to avoid placing in daycare.
There are goods and bads to work the contingency status. Right now in my life, this works the best. When the kids get older, I'll be right back to part-time (although the hubby is hoping for full-time Laughing

)
Over all, nursing is a great profession that I've found to be extremely flexible. I think it has to be----the majority of us are women as well as mothers first!!!

novice Wink

Posts: 11 · Joined: 19 Dec 2005 Posts: 11 Location: California

novice wrote:

HI jen!!

I am a new nurse---I've only been licensed for about a year now. I work on a Med/Surg unit in Michigan and it's been pretty flexible for me.
I currently work an 8 hour shift yet, 12 hour shifts are available (we even have a couple of nurses that work 4 hour shifts). I am contingent so my rate of pay starts at $30 an hour and I receive a $2 shift diff. for afternoons and a $3 shift diff. to work weekends. I provide my unit manager with my availability appx. 2 weeks prior and I'm worked into the schedule.
Now, this works for my family since I have 2 small children that my husband and I would like to avoid placing in daycare.
There are goods and bads to work the contingency status. Right now in my life, this works the best. When the kids get older, I'll be right back to part-time (although the hubby is hoping for full-time Laughing

)
Over all, nursing is a great profession that I've found to be extremely flexible. I think it has to be----the majority of us are women as well as mothers first!!!

novice Wink

novice! You give me hope! Very Happy

If you see any of my other posts you can tell that I am seriously at a cross roads of whether I should do nursing school or just continue down my path in Human Resources Management.

JEN

Posts: 111 · Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 111 Location: Coastal Georgia

I have been a RN for 12 years now. I am the Admissions and Discharge RN at my hospital. I am supposed to work a set schedule but lately I have not been getting off on time (8:00 am to 5:00 PM) Monday through Friday. I have the weekend and all holidays off.

I am moving back to Australia in June. I lived there in 1998 and 1999. It was very easy to get a nursing license over there. As a RN there are so many possibilities and opportunities for traveling and working here in the USA and abroad. Your nursing career is what you make of it.

I hope this helps.

Posts: 43 · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 43 Location: alabama

Nursing jobs are usually very flexible. Just remember that once you are at your job and have rec'd report, you can't leave! You are responsible. If you have small children and work in a hospital, you can bet you will be required to work some holidays and week-ends. My hospital only has 12 hr. shifts, period. You would be better off to work for a doctor's office. If children are not an issue, by all means consider nursing. And remember, you can't leave at the end of your shift until you have finished charting everything on every patient. I work 12 hr. days, three days per week. We are required to work every other weekend. You can pick one holiday out of 5 major ones to have off, so no going out of town for holidays. For instance, if you are off Christmas Day, you will work Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, the 26th. If has been hard to get holidays off everywhere that I have worked.