How much free time do you generally have as an RN?

janice_c67, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2011

well if you get an RN job that has 12 hour shifts, you will have 4 days a week off

heartflutter, ADN, BSN · Feb 21, 2011

I'm not an RN, but if you're working 8 hour shifts and want to do a double (16), your facility may only let you work 2 days a week (since anything over that would likely mean overtime pay). If you work at a hospital with 12 hour shifts, you could work 3 days a week, one shift a day.

Not letting work take over your life is great and if you can afford it, even better! Kudos to you for letting your health take priority. :)

jemz · Feb 21, 2011

i have been an rn for 23 years and i have been able to have a week off at a time inbetween my 12 hour shifts. and be able to work my 3 days 8 off and 3 days. so it is possible to do that and not be working all the time....

wsuRN09 · Feb 21, 2011

I work four 10 hr shifts in a row so I always have 3 day weekends. :) I don't feel over worked but it would be awesome to have jemz schedule!

amk8987 · Feb 21, 2011

Thanks for everyone's input so far!

I had my mind set on becoming a registered nurse all throughout high school

and then I sort of got on this idealistic mindset kick, like these quotes:

“Instead of always waiting for your next vacation, you ought to create a life you don’t need to escape from.”

“The work you do while procrastinating is the work you should be doing for the rest of your life"

I really want to travel and experience life to its fullest...and I understand that backpacking around jobless isn't all that realistic so I need to come to a happy medium. A friend's mom was an RN and she was really stressed out about work and depressed all the time so that kind of scared me because that's not the life I want if I became an RN.

So, do you all think I could have the lifestyle I want while being an RN?

Thanks!

Courtney, FNP-BC · Feb 21, 2011

I work 3-12 hour night shifts/week. I have a good amount of free time now that my sleeping pattern has adjusted :nurse:

Kareylea · Feb 21, 2011

I work 3-4 nights a week so my sleep schedule is usually messed up a bit. However, most of us work 3-4 nights in a row and get 2-3 or even 5 days off in a row. The lady that schedules us just got off the floor not that long ago and tries to schedule is with breaks and tries to give us the day off we want. I go caving at least once or twice a month, which usually means at least a day to recover. I go hiking with my kids during the weekends with no problem.

So the answer to your question is, yes you can have a life and a job. Getting stressed out and depressed about a job can happen on other jobs and although this career is VERY hard and sometimes stressing it's doable to have a family, a career and hobbies and activities you enjoy doing. This doesn't mean you might not have to make sacrifices, especially at the start of your career. You might find that the only place that will hire you is on a shift that directly conflicts with your extracurricular activities or that you're just too tired to go out.

That means you just have to think outside of the box.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

MomRN0913 · Feb 21, 2011

3 12 hour shifts it usually is. That's full time. ANd it allows you to have a life. I'm in management now, 5 days a week and calls all weekend. No life anymore:(

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2011

I am really interested in becoming an RN but I am also really interested in the outdoors: camping/hiking/backpacking. I don't want a life where all I do is work...so I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with my life to make myself happy; making money isn't everything to me. So, I'm just wondering, those of you who are nurses how much free time do you usually get? Do you you feel as though you are overworked and you never get to relax? Would it be possible for me to be an RN and still be able to have a lot of free time to go camping and whatnot?
I've read that you can have 16 hour shifts, 3 days a week? Would that be a good idea for the kind of life I want to live?

When you read about nurses being overworked and stressed, they are usually referring to the time on the job. If you are a nurse in a facility which understaffs their floors or units, those three days can be very, very stressful and over time creates burnout and possibly depression. Often it can take a day or so to recover from 3 hard 12 hour shifts in a row.

RNperdiem, RN · Feb 21, 2011

Nurses are not so different from other people working in full-time jobs.

I have found free time has more to do with family,home and other responsibilities outside work.

I had plenty of free time until I had kids.

I once worked with a nurse who loved outdoor sports. She got a few years experience in the ICU and then became a travel nurse. This nurse took assignments in places where the skiing was good in the winter, and where her favorite outdoor pursuits could be found the rest of the year.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2011

Yes, I think you can have a very nice life as an RN. You will work hard, not get paid a whole lot, but still have plenty of time to do the things you mention wanting to do.

What are you doing now? Do you have the opportunity to spend some time with actual nurses while they are working? Check into various settings, such as Pediatrics, the Newborn Nursery, Surgery, Psychiatry, Doctor's Office, Neurosurgery, whatever. There are so many specialties nurses can choose. Plus, after you have a year or 2 of experience, you can be a travel nurse. You would take an assignment for about 3 months in the area of your choosing. Google travel nursing for details.

I think it's wonderful that you want to enjoy the moment, also that you are cognizant of the financial realities of life. I wish you well.