[nurse_runner]

Hello all,I am a new grad and I am thinking about applying to the University of Iowa Hosptal. Does anyone on this message board work there? Every job posting I looked at has rotating shifts. I am curious to know how the rotating shifts work and do they offer straight days or nights. Thanks!

[calla2114]

I do not work there, but I did interview there when I graduated. All the jobs that I was eligible for as a new grad were either rotating or straight nights. I have lots of friends that work there and only one got straight days, but she works in like a clinic area, not in a regular unit. The rotating shifts for where I interviewed were all 2 weeks on 2 off...I am sure it can be different in different areas. Your recruiter can match up your prefrences with their openings easily...I would just set up a meeting with them and see what they have!

[nurse_runner]

Thanks for your reply! I have an interview next week. I am not a huge fan of the rotating shifts, I would much rather do nights only, but if it means that is what it takes to get my foot in the door I will do it.

[psychRNBonnie]

Originally Posted by nurse_runner

Thanks for your reply! I have an interview next week. I am not a huge fan of the rotating shifts, I would much rather do nights only, but if it means that is what it takes to get my foot in the door I will do it.

How is the UIHC job search/interview process going for you? It seemed like a lengthy process for me before I started there a year & a half ago.

[rgroyer1RNBSN]

Runner it should'nt be that hard to get just straight nights, Im a Nurse manager of one of the SICU's at Barnes-Jewish hospital, and Im always hiring night shift nurses and generally, most nurse managers are always hiring for nights, we generally have a hard time filling night positions anywhere, I have an aunt thats a nurse manager at a smaller rural hoapital in Iowa, shes the manager of a general Medical/Surgical unit, and she tells me the same thing about her unit. We usually look for anyone who would rather work nights, because we have a hard time getting people to work nights, generally because most always want day shifts, and the majority of us NM's always try to give the day shifts to the veteran nurses who have more seniority, who are veterans who have worked for us for along time.
And I usually try to give day shifts to moms/dads e.g.-(people with kids.)
Example- Say I have an LPN whos been working for me for 3 years on night and she decides she wants to switch to days, and I have new grad. LPN who likes and wants nights well Im probabley going to swith the older nurse to days and hire the new nurse to take her shifts on nights. Im talking about my Med-Surg/Ortho/Neuro/Trauma general Unit IM Also in charge of, So I have to look at ratio's also because in my SICU and med-surg units I use teams, I think it a better aproach, Like SICU,
I might have a team that consists of 1 RN, 1 LPN, and 1 PCT to 3 critical patients, and on the floor Ill
put 2 RN's, 2 LPN's, and 2 PCT's to 14 patients each team 1 RN, LPN, and PCT to 7 of those patients, now mind you I usually only hire LPN's that are IV certified, and my PCT's do lab sticks, basic patient care, d/c foley's and IV's, generally my LPN's do the glucose sticks, IM and sub-q injections which on the floor they do alot of here which seems funny but most of are ortho docs always seem to order pain meds and muscle relaxers IM which I have always thought was funny but thats how theyve always did that so who am I to change them LOL, but it gives my LPN's extra duties lol. Anyway thats how it Usually goes.

[nurse_runner]

Well, I took a job at the u of I hospitals and clinics and the unit I was hired for was rotating shifts. YIKES. I really like the unit, however the rotating shifts scare me. I have read negative things about rotating shifts on this message board. I am really impressed with the hospital I just hope the rotating shifts work for me and maybe in the future I can switch to a straight night schedule.

[purple_rose_3]

What job did you end up taking? (unit)