I'm a LPN with right at 18 years experience and am employed in an Alzheimer's Assisted Living home as head nurse 6:30am-3:00pm. We have two nurses on day shift during the week, two on evenings most of the time and one on night. On the weekends there is one nurse per shift, but it's not so bad as we only have 36 residents and the med. passes are easy enough.
We all work at least one full weekend per month, or a full weekend every first and last weekend if that makes sense. Lately I have become somewhat depressed when I know it's my weekend to work. My kids are grown but my husband is home every weekend, although we don't do much of anything except relax.
When we work weekends we get the Friday before off and the Tuesday after. I currently work 36 hours per week so instead of four days off per pay period, I get five, but it seems like I never get two days off in a row, except on my weekends off.
Also, I have been in the head nurse position for just under five months, and it's looking like I will be stuck working holidays since the other two nurses on days have much more seniority. Everyone keeps telling me "You're head nurse. You shouldn't have to work all the holidays" but I want to be fair you know? The head nurse before me worked Mon-Fri. which left the others having to work more weekends, so I feel it's only fair I work weekends too.
Pros of my job:
-6:30am-3:00pm so I have plenty of time after work to still do "stuff."
-22 paid days off per year
-Retirement
-Medical, dental, vision insurance
-On call only every three months or so
-GREAT pay if called in on call days
-Frequent employee appreciation activities
-Fair work/life balance
-Direct supervisor is off on weekends
Cons:
-I have Fibromyalgia, back problems and neuropathy and I'm in pain and tired
-I feel like I'm stuck in a rut
-That one day off during the week goes by fast because there is always something that demands my time
-My direct supervisor is very lazy and puts every bit of work she can off on me during the week. She's rarely involved with resident care but still criticizes the nurses on their performance when we're doing the best we can
Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
I recently switched to the weekend program. I work every Sat and Sun night. I only work the holidays that fall on the weekends. I used to work 0.9 FTE 8 hour nights with every other weekend. I was completely exhausted. My current schedule has been the lesser of two evils.
I used to do this and loved it, but I had no insurance, no retirement, if I wanted a weekend off now and then I had to beg and try to get someone to cover it which was hard. That was never an issue though as I was extremely satisfied with having five days off per week and getting full time pay, BUT since I do have medical issues I need health insurance so I had to leave that job.
I would give my right arm for another weekender position with benefits but they are very hard to find. Working every weekend isn't so bad when you're off all week and able to get the things done you just can't do during the week when you're at work.
I know I am very blessed to have the hours I have. I honestly do not think I could do evenings or nights. When I worked evenings I had no life, and when I worked nights I was exhausted all the time. It's tough to get out of bed every morning before the roosters start crowing, but getting off at 3:00pm definitely has its advantages.
To be honest, I can't imagine working a traditional Monday through Friday schedule. I've never worked such a job. I think I would hate working five days in a row. I'd much rather work every other weekend and never work more than three or four consecutive days. I need my week broken up with a day off here and there.
Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
To be honest, I can't imagine working a traditional Monday through Friday schedule. I've never worked such a job. I think I would hate working five days in a row. I'd much rather work every other weekend and never work more than three or four consecutive days. I need my week broken up with a day off here and there.
It does get very old working five days in a row. I did it for years, and even now I work Mon-Fri. before my weekends off. When it's my turn to work weekends I take the Friday before and the Tuesday after off. This is the first job I have had in a long while that requires working weekends.
Maybe I'm just stuck in the "traditional" "normal" five day work week and it will take time to get used to my current schedule.
I'm not sure what's so funny. The OP stated she gets 22 days of paid vacation per year. That's more than enough time to take a 2 week vacation.
I get the .fte equivalent of that every year. But in order to get the time off all together I wind up taking vacation in November, January or February. I have 13 years seniority and can't get the time off to match my husbands.
I'm expected by my coworkers to work the stats so that they can have them off to be with their small children. Never mind that I'd like to see my adult chidren.
So in reality those days are spread out over the course of a year in my case.
Okay, gotcha. Yeah, I agree it's not equitable for people with little kids to get priority on holiday scheduling. All of us have people that are important to us. I never played that card when my kids were little. I chose to have kids, and I knew I'd have to work holidays.
New Years Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day (OK, she's been dead for over a century but we still celebrate her birthday), Canada/dominion Day, August Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, Christmas And Boxing Day. Two at double time (aka Super Stats) and the rest at 1.5x. Oh, and if you are full time staff and work one, you get the pay and then a banked stat day to be used later in the month.
I love working weekends. My PRN position requires that I only do 5 weekend shifts within an 8-week period. So, I do every Friday night. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING else that I do is purely optional. And the pay is outstanding and since working every Friday night more than meets what is required, I can schedule myself in a way that can have me taking a month or more off every other month. GOD, HOW I WISH I COULD AFFORD TO DO THAT!!!! I can't because I do have to put in enough hours to for car payments, private health insurance, rent, utilities, cruises, flea markets, online shopping (just received a new handbag to die for only yesterday!), oh, and let's not forget meals! So, I'm forced to work 2 nights a week.
Having grown kids, like in your situation is a plus. Working the positions with the better pay doesn't mean you have to go without insurance and retirement. I've found that working this position provides me with MORE than a fulltime position could since I am able to purchase my own insurance and invest in my own retirement plan AND get the increased pay and flexibility.
I'm not suggesting that you go into a hospital setting. But before I became an RN 3 years ago, I did the exact same thing as an agency LPN! going to hospitals, nursing homes, and even patient's homes, until I stumbled across the same type position with one employer and decided to take a break from all the traveling. If a vacation, and I mean more than just 3-4 days, doesn't solve your problems, maybe it's time for a major change of some sort???? As an agency nurse, i was able to go in, do the job i was sent to do, and leave....leaving all the politics to those employed there. Agencies do staff LPNs in facilities such as yours, you know.
I don't mind working a weekend, but dislike the "on call" because it's so unpredictable. Sounds like you have a fair work life balance and your job is not horrible. However, perhaps this is not your "dream job" or perfect work situation. I'm not sure there is a perfect job. Sometimes, the grass looks greener on the other side. I left a job where I was employed for many years for another, and turns out, I hated it more. I was not sure of exactly what I was searching for. I've learned. Now I realize, my need is more for a tolerable work load, friendly coworkers, decrease stress. You have to define, what it is your looking for and if your not sure, wait and figure it out. I realize you want to be fair and not burden your coworkers, but in every job, you give and take some. If one of the benefits of being charge is weekends off, and this would make you happy, go for it. If your coworkers want to be charge, they can take weekends off. Would they do this for you?
LTCNS, LPN
623 Posts
I used to do this and loved it, but I had no insurance, no retirement, if I wanted a weekend off now and then I had to beg and try to get someone to cover it which was hard. That was never an issue though as I was extremely satisfied with having five days off per week and getting full time pay, BUT since I do have medical issues I need health insurance so I had to leave that job.
I would give my right arm for another weekender position with benefits but they are very hard to find. Working every weekend isn't so bad when you're off all week and able to get the things done you just can't do during the week when you're at work.
I know I am very blessed to have the hours I have. I honestly do not think I could do evenings or nights. When I worked evenings I had no life, and when I worked nights I was exhausted all the time. It's tough to get out of bed every morning before the roosters start crowing, but getting off at 3:00pm definitely has its advantages.