Nursing conditions

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Are there any types of nurses that have decent working conditions (as in working hours/day work, allowing for breaks, not continually standing etc.)?

How do you cope with your working conditions if this is not the case?

Also, if you do have night/afternoon work, how regularly would this be?

Thanks

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Most areas of nursing with low physical requirements have high experience requirements.

I work part time, 3p-11p shift in a SICU which at my hospital includes neuro. So critical trauma patients, stroke patients, surgical patients, occasional necrotizing wound patients who are septic and receiving hyperbaric O2 treatments.

I usually take a 30-minute break. I am on my feet a lot, but I do sit to chart or make phone calls. I started working in healthcare at age 18 as a CNA, and my feet were fine after the first few shifts. Actually I find walking on my feet MUCH easier than standing on my feet.

I really don't consider my working conditions to be poor though. Maybe because I like to read and I like history, and have learned about the working conditions in industrial revolution era factory work, in polar exploration, pioneer homesteading, maritime etc... nursing by comparison is cake! :cheeky:

I do protect my mealtime and water/bathroom breaks. Lots of nurses say they don't have time to pee -- and I have NO doubt that they are very busy -- I just have no trouble saying that pt requests, phone calls, M.D. requests etc can all wait 2 minutes. I usually don't take paid 15 minute breaks, but as long as I can eat and drink I'm okay with that.

I also don't work for facilities that mandate OT. One time in 20 years, I got stuck working 16 hours during a blizzard. That was reasonable -- it was a rare occurrence, and my colleagues who tried to come to work got stuck. Every single one. But I do NOT work anywhere where management fails to plan: "Hey, we got a sick call on nights, and it's your turn to stay." Um no. It's not my job to fill staffing holes -- only my job to work MY hours. Any additional hours are a favor to my colleagues, and always planned in advance.

Do I love working holidays? Of course not... and my kids hate it. But I think of it this way: retail workers, restaurant workers, convenience store workers also get stuck working holidays too. But they don't NEED TO, except that their employers have decided to be open. At least I know that my work is truly necessary.

Night shifts aren't unique to nursing either. I didn't like working overnight, but it wasn't horrible.

All that said, there are lots of options in healthcare if nursing is disagreeable, and all are important! :yes:

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Thank you everyone for your comments. I find it useful learning more about nursing as a profession.

I'm not too sure why it says I have 1 year of experience. I actually didn't know it said that until you brought that up. Maybe I clicked on something by mistake. I'm currently at university and studying a course that I just don't love. I was thinking of changing into a healthcare job but I wasn't completely sure which one and I wanted to know that facts beforehand.

I've been in a lot of wards and many hospitals/clinics and I always try and observe others working there to find out what their job may entail (my grandma needs to go). It's hard to know exactly who is who though. Also, watching dramatic movies with nurses etc. in them, I would imagine it to be different to reality. So I thought it would be best to hear directly from people like yourselves. That's why I was asking a lot of questions about nursing - sorry if there were too many.

I look after my grandma with medications, checking her vitals, helping her with her machine, cleaning her and other stuff (I'm only guessing it's a nursing task I could be wrong). Other people observe me and either think I'm in healthcare or say I should be.

I'm interested in a healthcare job where you can:

*Be able to prescribe medication.

*Treat physical injuries

*Being able to read and interpret results e.g X-rays, ultrasounds etc.

It doesn't have to include all 3, but something along the lines of this. I have been doing lots of researching and I thought that it might be a nurse practitioner or physician's job. Thank you so much!!!

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Specializes in Peds,Geri-Psych,Acute Care Rehab.

I'm a school nurse and as far as the standing walking thing goes I have a lot more desk time/rolling around on my "doctor stool" time than I ever did working Acute Rehab in the Hospital! I can pee when I need to eat (some days) and have a pretty normal schedule 7:00-2:30 I enjoy it but sometimes I'm nervous I'm losing my skills. I work prn home care to supplement that. Thank god I have never had a death as a school nurse but working in healthcare you can never 100% rule it out.

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You are smart to ask these questions because some people going into nursing think it will be like the Johnson and Johnson commercial, Grey's anatomy or scrubs. You can experience some great things with this field but you will be servicing someone under time constraints. You won't have as much time to think of your own needs.

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What sort of work do you do as a school nurse? Thank you for your comment!!

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Thank you for your comment!! I thought that it might not be like the tv shows. I love any medical related shows like 'The Good Doctor', 'Love Child' and I love 'Call the Midwife' etc.!!!! It's probably not how work is in reality though.

What ward do you work in? What is it like?

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Specializes in ICU.

Do they have a School of Nursing at your university? That would be a good place to get information about nursing in general, including nurse practitioner.

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They have a school of nursing and medicine...it's at another campus. Thank you!!

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I have worked in many areas of nursing. I currently work as a psych nurse.

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Specializes in Peds,Geri-Psych,Acute Care Rehab.
What sort of work do you do as a school nurse? Thank you for your comment!!

As a school nurse I do everything from assessing sick students and monitoring/VA ect in my "clinic" to giving meds/making sure care plans are in place to responding to emergency calls. I have usually 2-3 "emergency" calls a month and usually they are pretty straight forwards, sprained something in pe, asthma attack,syncope episode.

A lot of my job is also health education, everything from helping a kid with a new dx to explaining need/resources for contraceptives and lots of community out reach.

I have a special education class as well and with that I had a diabetic whose insulin I draw up/monitor/carb counted for and two g-tubes, they don't get any meds so with them I hang the feeding/water that falls during the school day asses for placement, residual and all of that good stuff.

I help in the special ed department as well when they are short an aide, I'll help do transfers and things like that.

LOTS of accident forms, neuro checks, parent and student education and things like that.

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Specializes in Peds,Geri-Psych,Acute Care Rehab.

In my opinion call the midwife is a pretty good representation about what its like to work in public health hahaha

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Specializes in psych.

I work in psych and I'm on my feet a lot. I am on a permanent evening shift of 3p-11p. However, I had to due my time on swing shift before I could get that. My shift is a bit busy, but I love my coworkers, so it makes my evenings fly by!

I think it's good that you are asking questions and trying to learn about what nurses do everyday. I also think it is great that you realize already nursing life is not like tv nursing life! Ha ha!

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