Weekend Program: Pros and Cons, new grad

poppycat, ADN, BSN · Mar 29, 2016

I'm not sure about the hospital you're looking into but everywhere I've ever seen the weekend program it's been open only to experienced nurses. They usually want someone who can come into the position with minimal orientation; usually they only offer facility-specific orientation. It would be very difficult to train a new grad, especially in an ICU, if he/she only works weekends.

That said, I loved working NICU. I had worked general Peds & PICU for 27 years before going to NICU and the learning curve was very steep even with that much experience. Those teeny munchkins are a whole different brand of sick! It's a very challenging area to work but also very rewarding. One of my favorite things in NICU was the amount of teaching we did with parents.

Scuba_NurseBSN · Apr 1, 2016

Thank you for your words of wisdom. I have decided I would prefer not to a weekend program if I can help it. But I still hope and pray that I get a call to interview. I have dreamed about having a position in the NICU, throughout nursing school I watch youtube videos on what it is like to be a NICU nurse. Nothing in nursing school has interested me as much as NICU nursing. I realize it is a lot of learning, and I feel up to the challenge. :)

poppycat, ADN, BSN · Apr 1, 2016

I didn't mean for my response to sound like I'm trying to discourage you from working in NICU. I don't think there's anything wrong with new grads working in specialty areas. I'm not one of the people who believes every nurse needs to have a year of med/surg before going into a specialty. I went straight into Peds when I graduated. If I had been forced to do med/surg I don't think I could have handled it because I hate working with sick adults.

As long as the hospital you're applying to has a thorough orientation, you'll be fine. Good luck!

CMSrn2009, ASN, BSN, MSN · Apr 14, 2016

Hello, where I work there were a few instances (two I can think of) of new grads getting jobs in the ICU right away, which was rare and shocking to me.. So you're not hopeless.

Also, I currently am working 2 12s, every weekend, mostly because I am going to FNP school and need my weekdays for studying/clinical. Also, my husband works every weekend anyway, so it gives us more time during the week together (in theory). Downside is (obviously) if I ever want to attend a birthday party, anniversary party, baby shower, ANYTHING, or God forbid a wedding or out of town event, I either have to switch with someone, or work a 16 one day and go in late the next, or just be tired (I work night shift). I get a minimal amount of vacation time. But- the payoff is a regular, predictable schedule, and I make significantly more money than I did as a "weekday" nurse. So, right now, it's worth it. If I weren't in school and were to continue as a regular nurse, I would ask my manager if I could switch to three 12s three weekends a month instead of the two 12s every single weekend. For you, if offered a position, I would take it for now. You never know, you might enjoy it (and the pay)! If you don't, then there will no doubt be an opening for you to transition into a regular schedule. People switch schedules all the time.