Would you take this job?

[Lucky724]

2 days week (12 hr shifts), some flexibility in the 2 days (nurses self schedule) so 8

days/month total - could work more if wanted, average salary 55K/yr., limited benefits.

Drive time about an hour give or take if traffic/bad weather. Hospital type setting but not

locate in the main campus.

My coworker thinks I'm "nuts" for taking a 12 hr position where I would have to drive an

hour or a little over one way but for the salary and it being part time..I think it would be

worth the early a.m. 2x wk and more time off..right now I work M-F 8-5, my salary is

higher where I am now but I hardly see my spouse and feel like I run through the days..

am I not seeing something with this part time job offer?

[RNewbie]

Sounds good to me. I'd take it.

[JBudd, MSN]

yes, I would take this job.

I currently work 2 12's and love it.

[Nurse ABC]

I had a similar job except my commute was 40 min and they started making me work extra shifts. I didn't mind the drive but 12 hr days are usually 12 1/2 if you don't get paid for your lunch which most places don't. Plus we we almost always had to stay over a little for either report, charting, last min stuff etc. Plus you have to give yourself extra time to get there and find a place to park, get to your locker, get ready, etc. So,all in all, most of my days were at least 14 hours away from home. That's a long day. There were several people I worked with that commuted an hour. My first day off I was so exhausted I had no energy to do anything at all. I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I now do the 5 days/8 hrs a week. I like the fact I'm home every eve with my kids but I miss my days off with my husband who works shift work/weekends. I'm still tired but not exhausted. The ONLY reason I even considered this schedule was due to the fact I have all holidays (a week off with major holidays) and summers off with my kids/family. I don't know how people work the typical bank hours with 2 days off a week, two weeks vacation a year, and one day off for their holidays unless they just love their job. I feel like all I do is work. With 12's, if you have a bad day you know you only have one more day or you're off the next day which is great. The downside, if you have a patient you really don't like, it makes a long day longer. Are you planning to have kids anytime soon? Will you be able to have family watch them on the days you work? Can they make you work more shifts or call you off the shifts you have for low census? Will you have to drive in on days off for meetings and inservices? Will you have to take call? These are things to check into and consider. Everyone says this is a job too good to be true but as you can see no job is perfect. I'm not saying you shouldn't take it, I just want you to know some of the things that came up that I was not real aware of. Only you can decide what's best for you. I prefer the 12's, just not the environment I was in and not at this time of my life with my kids. Good luck, sounds like a good option!

[Lucky724]

Thanks to all who replied - the position is 7a-7p - no call, no mandatory overtime or additional shifts unless I want them. I am covered on my spouses insurance and we don't plan to change that. The 55K/yr is for basically 8 days/month..I was making 62K and working more than 40 hrs/wk most weeks. I don't have children and my spouse works 12 hr shifts which is why the M-F 8-5 position really wasn't working for us - plus, as someone else posted only have the weekends off made me feel like all I was doing was getting up - going to work, coming home, rushing through the weekends to run errands..we live w/in our means and there are things I want to do that working the M-F job prohibited or I was too tired.

I have decided to take it - if the commute gets too much or they try to change things down the road I will adjust accordingly..I just wanted feedback from others who commute etc. :)