Depressed about oreintation schedule

Nurses New Nurse

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I graduated last month and take NCLEX this Wednesday. I have the perfect job which I am suppose to start next week in NICU. My job will be a night position with 12 hour shifts which is what I wanted. I knew that my orientation would take place during the day shift. The nurse manager called me this week and told me that she wants me to work Monday through Friday for 8 hours a day for a while.

This has me very depressed. I assumed that I would work `2 hour shifts from the beginning. I have small children and want to be with them sometimes. I have a teaching degree. If I had wanted to work every day M-F I could be a teacher. I also had a mother who would carpool with me so I could get my kids to school. In order to carpool though you have to be able to drive sometimes. The hours the nurse manager wants me to work every weekday would make that impossible.

Do you think I could negotiate with my nurse manger? NICU jobs are not easy to find, and I really want this job. I really can't stand the thought of being away from 2 year old every day! I never thought that I would have this problem with nursing.:cry:

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What was in your hiring agreement? Many times the schedule during orientation is *very* different than once you're off orientation. Is this a temporary schedule? Will you be on nights once orientation's over? In order to work this job, you may need to sacrifice for a few months until you're oriented and THEN go to nights. Sorry this isn't the schedule you wanted, but it does sound normal for orientation

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Specializes in NICU.
I graduated last month and take NCLEX this Wednesday. I have the perfect job which I am suppose to start next week in NICU. My job will be a night position with 12 hour shifts which is what I wanted. I knew that my orientation would take place during the day shift. The nurse manager called me this week and told me that she wants me to work Monday through Friday for 8 hours a day for a while.

This has me very depressed. I assumed that I would work `2 hour shifts from the beginning. I have small children and want to be with them sometimes. I have a teaching degree. If I had wanted to work every day M-F I could be a teacher. I also had a mother who would carpool with me so I could get my kids to school. In order to carpool though you have to be able to drive sometimes. The hours the nurse manager wants me to work every weekday would make that impossible.

Do you think I could negotiate with my nurse manger? NICU jobs are not easy to find, and I really want this job. I really can't stand the thought of being away from 2 year old every day! I never thought that I would have this problem with nursing.:cry:

How long does she want you to work 5 days a week?

Most places I know of have some kind of general orientation to the facility and their policies before you ever reach the floor. You'll also be required to take a few daytime classes. My best advice is to just be flexible until you get through orientation. In the grand scheme of things, it will be the blink of an eye.

Who's going to care for your toddler while you sleep during the day?

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Specializes in Emergency.

8-hr shifts are normal for orientation - you can only retain so much information and at the end of a 12-hr shift, your brain would be overloaded. How many weeks are you supposed to be on orientation?

See if there's a way you can negotiate your hours (such as only working 4 days a week, or coming in at 10am twice out of the week).

Working 8-hr days during orientation is very common. Keep in mind that's its only temporary - you're lucky to get into NICU right out of school.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

i would take the 5 8's and just deal with it because you are right....a new grad NICU job is very hard to find. do you have child care??? 8 hour shifts are not so bad, in fact once you start doing 12's you will wish you could do 8's at times :wink2: good luck in what you decide. you could try to negotiate the schedule with the manager, but i don't think it will work because you will be half class and half clinical.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Your orientation schedule will probably be very different from your regular schedule. You should just stick it out unless you want to work something out with your manager. My guess is they will probably make you go to some type of critical care class pertaining to the NICU and those classes are only offered at set times which is during the day for however many hours.

My critical care classes were the same way. I went to class twice a week for 8 hours each and then worked 2 twelve hour shifts.

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i have to agree with the others..orientation esp for a new grad is usually 8 hrs x 5 days...

try and work this out..as you say the right opening for the job you want may not be available at another facility and if it is you may still have to the orientation bit

good luck

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Its going to be a bummer for a while, but like you said, it wont be forever.

If I were you, I would not negotiate a new orientation schedule... they can easily find others that would be willing to work those hours for a NICU spot... like me! :wink2:

Good luck with everything.

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Specializes in Geri, Home Health, OB GYN.

congrats on the new job and being a new nurse!!! :yeah:

i just got a job on postpartum. i will also be working 12 hr nightshift. from what my nurse manager told me today. i will be doing 5 days of 8-5 orientation. the first 2 days is a general hospital and jacho oreintation and the next 3 days is almost a "shadow" the day shift orientation. i will then start my normal 12hr schedule.

i, imho, think that is absoutley worth the 5 day 8-5 orientation to get this job... or in your case in the nicu. like you said that is not an easy job to land. i am sure they couldn't have you do orientation that long with the 8-5 business. i mean really, what all could you learn that would apply to your schedule? i hope its only a week thing and you can get through it.

good luck!!!:up:

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Would just like to add that most orientations are going to be M-F 8-5. So unless you really want this NICU position you might as well put your big girl panties on and deal with it.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU.
Would just like to add that most orientations are going to be M-F 8-5. So unless you really want this NICU position you might as well put your big girl panties on and deal with it.

Teehee!!! yeah, that!

I would just like to say this may be my fav. post ever on allnurses!

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Specializes in psych nursing.

Sometimes you just have to deal with it...life sucks but if this is your "dream" job and you are a new nurse you will just have to suck it up.

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