How hard is it to find a Mon-Friday day time job as an RN out of school? In Seattle, WA

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 9, 2017

Those jobs for brand-newly-minted nurses out of school: about as rare as hen's teeth, especially, IF you want any sort of acute care experience. Most nursing jobs in hospitals and even other settings involve nights/weekends/odd shifts. You will be working major holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc...too. But if you are lucky enough to get into certain types of office nursing, or in some cases, the odd outpatient settings, it can be done. But don't count on it. Most of those jobs want experience. Which takes me back to the first part of my post......wash rinse and repeat.

You can, after some experience, go "perdiem" thereby controlling more when you work, but even PRN work involves some weekends and/or evening or night shifts. Nursing most places is 24/7.

Expect to work nights/weekends/12 hour shifts (and take call often) in many places, esp. as a brand new nurse.

And yes, BSN is "preferred" in the vast majority of positions, especially in the hospitals and acute care settings. Go for that if you can. Stacked up against another new nurse with an associate's degree, chances are, all other things equal, you will win out.

I caution you to be pretty sure you want to be a nurse before investing a ton of money, hard work, sweat and yes, tears, in nursing school. Shadow a nurse if you can or talk to someone who is, and get a feel for what it means to be a nurse before you commit to all that schooling, only to come out unhappy as a RN in the future. I have seen a LOT of posts here from unhappy new RNs lately, wishing they never took this path. Because, it's far from easy.

Good luck!

Sour Lemon · Mar 9, 2017

Hello!
Im planning to attend a community college to become an RN but am having second guesses as to giving up my family time by having to work nights and long hours for the first years out of school. Just curious if it's really that diffcult to find medical office hours out of school for someone not so interested in hospital work?
i wanted to become a medical assistant but just about got attacked about how I would Be silly not to go for my RN because of the options. When I look on Seattle jobs I see a lot of day time office RN positions, some require a BSN others don't. So second question, I didn't wanna do RN cause everyone's saying you need to have a BSN to get a job now and that's about 4 more years of schooling for me...who has an idea about this?

If you don't want to go to school for four years, don't care to advance, and don't wish to work nights, weekends or long hours, medical assistant may be a better fit for you.

With office nursing, there are fewer jobs available and the pay is often significantly lower than it would be in a hospital setting.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 9, 2017

Sour Lemon brings up a great point. Most office positions pay very little......consider that when thinking of school debt versus what you will make in an office setting. In some settings office nurses make 1/3 or less than their hospital counterparts. I have done office nursing----I know this as a fact. Less stress, MUCH less pay.

Office "nursing assistants" make even less, very little, as a matter of fact. DO NOT go to some expensive commercial school for a "nursing assistant" program and then expect you will make much---the debt will eat you alive.

It's a lot to think about. Don't rush into this. It's a big decision.

Wuzzie · Mar 9, 2017

i wanted to become a medical assistant but just about got attacked about how I would Be silly not to go for my RN because of the options.

No you did not "just about got attacked" in your other post. You got the really solid advice you asked for from people who are actually doing the job. Not one person was rude or called you silly. Nobody even implied it. The bottom line is if the hours are more important than the pay or ability to advance then get your MA. Just know that there is nowhere to go from there and that's fine if you have no inclination to move up. If you get your LPN/RN there will be more opportunities and the pay will be much better. You'll have to decide for yourself what's most important for you.

roser13, ASN, RN · Mar 9, 2017

Your post makes you sound less than interested in attending nursing school or in being a nurse. I have to tell you that you have very little chance of success if you really are this disinterested.

And I concur with the PP, no one was rude, dismissive or negative to your previous post. Something seems really off with your attitude.

snowflower2016 · Mar 9, 2017

As a new grad I looked at medical offices as an option for the same reasons you mention. However, Monday through Friday daytime hours were NOT an option at any of the offices. All of them had evening and Saturday requirements. Evenings would go until 8-9pm and Saturdays were 7-noon or 7-3pm. The pay was $3-4 less per hour than the base rate at a hospital.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Mar 9, 2017

These are questions for your academic advisor. There is a big difference between the 2 occupations. You need to compare the cost and length of study to achieve your education. If you have what it takes to get accepted to nursing school, you should use those smarts.

No one can forsee if you will get a position with an ADN or an office job. However, your counselor should be able to give you a basic job outlook.

Extra Pickles · Mar 9, 2017

wow no one attacked you at all but several people including myself gave you solid advice, good information! You didn't like the answers so you post a new thread with similar questions, hoping different people would give you the answers you prefer? SO glad I took the time to help you before!

Take the advice, or not. Good luck.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2017

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

The closest thing to "bankers hours" that new grad RNs can obtain in many areas are floor positions in nursing homes. Many nursing homes are begging for nurses who will work day shift Monday through Friday (7:00am to 3:00pm) and will hire new grads with associate degrees.

Here is the caveat: countless new grads turn their noses up at nursing home jobs. They do not want to push a medication cart or care for 15 to 30 elderly residents each shift. However, nursing homes offer working hours similar to what you desire.

RiskManager · Mar 9, 2017

I am going to speak up here from the peanut gallery in the Seattle area on terms of ambulatory care hours. My system includes many primary and specialty care medical clinics. Just about all of them now have extended hours in the evening and weekend hours, especially primary care. Upon hire, we tell all of our providers and other staff that the job may require working evening and weekend hours. Some staff seek out the evening and/or weekend hours, usually for lifestyle or childcare reasons, while others try to avoid it, usually for lifestyle or childcare reasons. Probably the majority of medical clinics in the Seattle area now offer these extended hours in an attempt to capture market share.

In terms of the ADN vs BSN for hire, I have no opinion on that insofar as that is not an issue that comes up on my scope of practice.

chacha82, ADN, BSN · Mar 9, 2017

Can't speak for Washington...but...when my class graduated in 2015, we were told by the hospital they would hire us for night shifts. We didn't have BSNs so we happily took the position. M-F positions are largely procedural/clinic and they do not hire new grads. You have to know what you're doing and they give those interviews to people with seniority.

You might be able to find a day job in LTC or rehab after graduation though. And plenty of nurses shift into Case Management jobs, and often these are day shift. However...if you are looking for a day M-F job, it will be awhile before you can get that in nursing. Just being honest with you.