Working 7 days a week. Anyone do it?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2003

People can do anything if they have a goal. I work with a fellow that works 6 12-hour shifts a week. He wants to retire early and have his TWO homes paid for. His wife works 3 12-hour shifts and takes care of him. (Of course he's overweight, probably a heart attack waiting to happen).

But it's the goal that keeps in site and that he knows it isn't forever.

I can barely squeeze in 3 12-hour shifts and feel human.

Most US hospitals don't have six-hour shifts that I'm aware of, but that would be interesting. When I do supervision coverage, it's usually OT for me so I find someone to split the shift and I work 1AM to 7AM and love it! But couldn't do seven in a row.

Just make sure you take care of yourself and exercise and eat right, etc.

I'm quite impressed you saved 10,000 that's awesome!

Tookie · Aug 9, 2003

If you can do it for a short time and have a really good goal in the pipeline - go for it - But put in place some sort of checkpoints that will let you know when it is becoming too much and you are burning out.

Take care

Tookie

Jayne LPN · Aug 9, 2003

Of course he's overweight, probably a heart attack waiting to happen).

But it's the goal that keeps in site and that he knows it isn't forever.

I FIND THIS QUOTE A LITTLE OFFENSIVE......WHAT HAS HIS WEIGHT GOT TO DO WITH THE PRICE OF BEANS????????? I UNDERSTAND THAT BEING OVERWEIGHT IS NOT THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD TO BE....BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE NURSES THAT TAKE THEIR SMOKE BREAKS Q HOUR......WOULD YOU SAY THIS ABOUT THEM.......GOOD FOR HIM THAT HE WORKS ALL THE HOURS HE IS ABLE TO........MAYBE HE MIGHT HAVE A HEART ATTACK LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD, MAYBE NOT.......BUT AT LEAST HE DOES HAVE THAT GOAL TO LOOK FORWARD TO.........AND HE FEELS THAT HE WON'T BE BUSTING HIS BUTT UNTIL HE IS 65-70 LIKE I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING B/C THEY HAVE NOT SAVED, AND INVESTED THEIR MONEY WISELY....THROUGHOUT THE YEARS............I REALIZE THAT EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN OPINIONS, BUT SOME COMMENTS ARE JUST NOT CALLED FOR...............

AND I USUALLY LIKE THE COMMENTS THAT YOU POST 3RDSHIFTGUY........................

Gator,SN · Aug 9, 2003

Jayne, It is probably the combination of long hours, stress, not eating right and being overweight that he is a "heart attack waiting to happen"

I smoke, (not q hour while at work) an yes, nurses I work with do tell me frequently that I am putting myself at risk.

I don' t think that comment was meant to be cruel.

Gator

bulletproofbarb · Aug 9, 2003

Hhhhmmmmm, JayneLPN, sorry but I think you are over reacting. I'm very overweight, planning to work long hours, and that comment never upset me. Also, if you feel upset about something, no need to shout, capitals is akin to shouting. I find people who need to shout to get a message across far more offensive.

As for the other comments and posts, I thank you for your time and I shall pace myself and see how I go. It is nice to know others do it.

Todd SPN · Aug 9, 2003

Whoa, Jayne, take a pill:D Think you might have read something into it that wasn't there.

mother/babyRN, RN · Aug 9, 2003

Nursing is such around here that you could work 365 days (nights or evenings) a year if you wanted to. I know this because at least two different hospitals call and beg me to work all the time..

DMR1 · Aug 9, 2003

take a chill pill. some of you people over react WAY too much.

Monica RN,BSN · Aug 10, 2003

YA know, this is a post I can really relate to.... I am very impressed you are able to save money. I do work every single day, but it is not all constant shifts in the same place. I work about 20 - 30 hours a week in a LTC facility, doing everything from floor nursing to administrative stuff... (Just do what ever I am asked that day) In addition, I have home health patients I fit in between everything else I do, I teach CPR and other cont ed throughout the community, Have an Ebay store I manage and a web site I own /manage for online cont education, work part time for an agency, have 2 kids to work into this schedule, and ya know what the bad part is??

Besides having no life, it seems.... I wonder how a person can work so much, make a decent salary and STILL HAVE NOT MUCH MONEY LEFT???? It makes me tired and crazy to just think about it..... Oh well, tomorrow will come and it will be more of the same.... Thanks for listening...... Happy to be a nurse though and thankful to do the things i can.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2003

You are yelling. Which is what all caps mean. Don't know if you know that or not, but since part was not in caps and part was in caps, you probably meant to yell or express anger.

That's o.k. you don't have to like what I said, I appreciate that. But I won't get defensive, or even answer until you stop yelling.

Originally posted by Jayne LPN
Of course he's overweight, probably a heart attack waiting to happen).

But it's the goal that keeps in site and that he knows it isn't forever.

I FIND THIS QUOTE A LITTLE OFFENSIVE......WHAT HAS HIS WEIGHT GOT TO DO WITH THE PRICE OF BEANS????????? I UNDERSTAND THAT BEING OVERWEIGHT IS NOT THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD TO BE....BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE NURSES THAT TAKE THEIR SMOKE BREAKS Q HOUR......WOULD YOU SAY THIS ABOUT THEM.......GOOD FOR HIM THAT HE WORKS ALL THE HOURS HE IS ABLE TO........MAYBE HE MIGHT HAVE A HEART ATTACK LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD, MAYBE NOT.......BUT AT LEAST HE DOES HAVE THAT GOAL TO LOOK FORWARD TO.........AND HE FEELS THAT HE WON'T BE BUSTING HIS BUTT UNTIL HE IS 65-70 LIKE I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING B/C THEY HAVE NOT SAVED, AND INVESTED THEIR MONEY WISELY....THROUGHOUT THE YEARS............I REALIZE THAT EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN OPINIONS, BUT SOME COMMENTS ARE JUST NOT CALLED FOR...............
AND I USUALLY LIKE THE COMMENTS THAT YOU POST 3RDSHIFTGUY........................

bulletproofbarb · Aug 10, 2003

I find the best way to save money is to have a part-time nursing job that has enough hours to cover your rent/mortgage, and loan repayment and then an amount of cash that would see you comfortably through a fortnight ( if you get paid fortnightly).

Then, don't spent the money that is supposed to be for a comfortable existance. Work agency on your days off. I work 8 days in my part time job, I don't spend any of that money. If I want to pay a bill or eat ect, I have to work a minimum of 1 agency shift a week.

If you get sick, have childcare problems ect, then you still have the amount of cash that would cover a comfortable existance.

So, that brings me to 9 shifts a fortnight. I can then have 5 days off or work all or some of those five days depending on what I want to save for.

It's hard because what works for one person doesn't always work for another but I know I am MUCH better off and can save more working part time and agnecy than when I worked full time.

It's so easy to not feel like working with the agency though. Sometimes, I am very bad and only work 1 day a fortnight but if I do that, then I know I have a pitance to live on so can't complain, because no one is listening to me except me.