Do nurses have free time?

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I don't even know if im even aloud to ask this on this forum or this website at all but I was wondering do nurses still have time to have a social life? What is the nurses work schedule?

I'm asking this because of the burnout nurses have and I love going to the gym and keeping my body healthy and worried once I am a nurse I could be too burnt out to even goto the gym.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I work three 12-hour night shifts per week from 6:00pm to 6:30am. This week I work on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, essentially leaving me with four days off per week to make productive or waste as I please.

So to answer your question, I would say that I receive plenty of free time to live my life or waste it via unstructured free time.

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Specializes in Public Health.
I work three 12-hour night shifts per week from 6:00pm to 6:30am. This week I work on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, essentially leaving me with four days off per week to make productive or waste as I please.

So to answer your question, I would say that I receive plenty of free time to live my life or waste it via unstructured free time.

Ditto

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I'm asking this because of the burnout nurses have
One more thought...

Working five 8-hour shifts per week burns me out due to having to deal with the same crap day after day. Others actually prefer working five days per week. Of course, your mileage may vary.

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Free time outside of work? Absolutely! At work? Consider yourself lucky to eat lunch or pee!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

Yup, I have a social life. I feel like I'm off more than I'm on, depending on how I schedule myself.

I currently work on a unit where I don't get the burnout feeling afterwards. On days I have off, I'm not in bed recovering either.

Sent from iPink's phone via allnurses app

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.
Free time outside of work? Absolutely! At work? Consider yourself lucky to eat lunch or pee!

I am an LDRP RN in a small unit that does about 250-300 births a year. Some nights are busy as hell, but I regularly have shifts where I have just one stable postpartum patient. It's a GREAT job, I usually have time to do all my homework on the clock (I am in CNM school).

But I am thoroughly aware of how uncommon my situation is :)

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Sometimes you can find a weekend option position (like I've got). I work 12 hrs Saturday and 12 hrs Sunday but get paid for 36 hours (plus full time benefits).

It's not a bad gig. And if something comes up (say, my nephew's birthday party) I can usually get a few hours off to attend. Other than that I have M-F OFF.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Sometimes you can find a weekend option position (like I've got). I work 12 hrs Saturday and 12 hrs Sunday but get paid for 36 hours (plus full time benefits).

It's not a bad gig. And if something comes up (say, my nephew's birthday party) I can usually get a few hours off to attend. Other than that I have M-F OFF.

I worked the weekend option for several years. In my neck of the woods it is called the Baylor Plan. I worked two 16 hour shifts every Saturday and Sunday from 6am to 10pm, received 40 hours of pay and was eligible for full-time benefits. Best of all, I had Monday through Friday off.
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Specializes in pediatrics.

I have to say, I wish I could work 2 or 3 twelve hour shifts. I work Monday thru Friday at a full time career as an LPN. Every other weekend as a casual employee as an LPN charge nurse. I have been on vacation and go back tomorrow and wish I took until Friday. Sometimes I feel I have no life because of school, but I am very ambitious. I have been on vacation and still read articles about nursing, EMT, and EBOLA with education but when you LOVE your profession you can't help it. So I have a life when my friends tend to become livid at me for not giving any attention to them and force me out of the books and to live a little. Also, since my vacation I have worked out every day effortless than making my self work out the two or one day a week I do get in. So as a nurse regardless of your shift you have to find WORK LIFE BALANCE...? And enjoy your profession.

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Specializes in General Surgery, NICU.

I currently work a weekend track position, Sat & Sun from 7a to 7p; pay is comparable to working three 12 hour shifts + fulltime insurance benefits. Therefore I have M-F off for family, life, and school. I will be transitioning to a fulltime position again soon, but there is much flexibility in nursing. Some units offer self scheduling and I know a NICU nurse who works in such a unit; sometimes she works six 12s in a week, and then has the next two weeks off. I don't think I could pull that off, but she can and it works great for her.

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Specializes in ICU.

Why would you not have a social life? 40 hours a week is 40 hours. Yes it may be more physically demanding than say an office job, but it's not like you just work 24/7. You will need to find a life/work balance. Everyone has to. The job is what you make it.

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