Adjusting to being an RN

[Wondergirl0905]

I am coming up on my one-year anniversary of becoming a nurse; this was a career change for me. Prior to being an RN I basically worked M-F 9-5 jobs with occasional weekends or late nights, but no overnights. I worked most recently at a small non-profit where I felt a lot of passion, but also became burnt-out. Currently I work on an intense surgical floor (vascular, cardiothoracic, transplant, telemetry). I really like my job and find it challenging, but I don't find a lot of passion for it. I work 3 12's each week, a mix of days & nights. This wacky schedule has me exhausted on my days off and I feel like I don't do anything anymore besides work and recover. I like having 4 days off each week, but I never really put them to good use. My schedule also conflicts with most of my family/friends' schedules so I don't see them often. My husband works nights and weekends so at least we have time together :) But he's tired too from his schedule so we just watch TV together half the time. Anyway, how long does it take to adjust to becoming an RN and the messed up schedule?

[TemperStripe]

I graduated in December, '08.

Switching days and nights in the same week is extremely difficult, even without all the pressure of just being a nurse, let alone being new! It's no surprise that you are exhausted all the time! When can you talk to your manager about doing one shift or the other? That kind of horrible schedule is one reason why nurses are leaving the bedside, if you ask me. Don't be a martyr any longer...tell you manager you need a change! Now that you have one year under your belt, you ought to have at least a LITTLE bit of seniority, right?

As far as outings with friends, I set up a google calendar with my work schedule, and gave my friends access to it. Most of them work a regular 40 hour week (M-F, 8-5) and I'm the only one that really needs to be "scheduled around." It's a bit of a pain for them, but they do understand that this is just one of the downsides of my job. I think it's really important to hang out with both nursing AND non-nursing friends; gives me some balance in my life. Also, many of our outings are planned 1-2 months in advance so I can request the time off if necessary.

All this being said, even after a year, I still feel like I'm "adjusting" my life, and constantly having to be flexible and make sacrifices for my job. I think once you get on a set day or night schedule, it will be much easier for you to enjoy your time off, rather than having to spend it all sleeping and recovering! Good luck.