Crazy hours

Nurses New Nurse

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I am orienting on a busy Urology/transplant unit right now and I hear a lot of nurses talking about how they work 4 or 5 nights (12s!) a week with only a day or MAX 2 off in a row. And as far as I know they sign up for this....

I can not do this! I am 16 weeks pregnant and right now I can only handle working every other night, do you think they will look down on me for this?

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In my opinion pregnancy is a valid reason (not an excuse) to not work yourself to death. It's your body and your schedule...it's very difficult for me to work 36hrs per week without being pregnant, so I couldn't imagine even doing that with child lol. Also, are you saying that it is mandatory to work overtime?

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From what i've seen I don't think its MANDATORY, but a lot of people do it...so I'm wondering

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

We don't have mandatory OT either but there never seems to be a lack of people on OT. Some people just like the money, some people just like to work, some people are guilted into it, some people are running away from something in their lives, some people HAVE no lives. We have one nurse who has been known to work stretches of twenty 12 hour nights in a row. I work 70% FTE and make no apologies for that. I DO NOT work OT and will not be coerced into it. I didn't create the staffing problems and I'm not responsible for fixing them.

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Specializes in ED.

People in my department always pick up OT and work 6-7-8-9 nights in a row (I think they're insane). But, this is definately not mandatory. In the year or so I've been there I've only picked up one or two shifts. I simply get too tired to work more than my three nights a week. And, luckily, I'm in a financial siuation where I don't have to pick up OT. While I might work 6 out of 7 nights once in awhile, there's always a week off after it to make up for it.

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Specializes in NICU.

There were a lot of nurses like that when I first started working too. They loved all the OT .... wanted the extra money, etc.

As a new nurse, I was already really stressed out and 3 days was tough enough. I never picked up extra shifts that first year. Even now I rarely pick up extra shifts .... and I'm not even pregnant, I just don't want to work all the time. I like having a life outside of my job, and for me, 36 hours/week is enough time spent at work.

Do what you want to do and don't worry about what they think.

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Being pregnant you need your rest-if they look down on you for not working insane hours-their problem, god my first trimester I could barely stay awake for work let alone take on extra shifts, your health and your baby's is whats important, congrats:wink2:

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