Do you still have time for yourself and family as a Registered Nurse??

Be_Moore · Aug 4, 2009

In nursing school? No, not really. As a nurse? For sure. I only work 3 days a week. Granted they are 12 hour shifts, but still...I have more days off than I work. If you wanted a more normal schedule, clinic jobs work out well too and you can do a more 9-5 (more like 7-5, but) type job. I would almost argue that nursing is a profession that affords some of the most free time.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Aug 4, 2009

I work 3 days a week. I can have 8 days in a row off without using any accruals. I've gone to the Dominican Republic, Florida, Chicago, NYC, all without using vacation time. I feel like work is all I do during the days I'm there, but I enjoy my time off and feel I have plenty of it. I have taken to not leaving all my house work for my days off, which helps. It takes me about 40 minutes to vacuum my house. I can easily do that after work, dust another, clean bathroom/kitchen the 3rd, throw loads of laundry in whenever, leaving me my days off to myself.

Manatee111 · Aug 4, 2009

I work three 12 hour night shifts & I work & sleep most of my time. The hospital I work at is trying very hard to become Magnet Status. They are very highly... very highly encouraging nurses to join counsels in their free time. The hospital wants us to become clinically advanced in our free time. The hospital wants us to become ACLS cert. in our free time. We must be CPR cert. in our free time. Free time? I, too, want my family to come first, but sometimes I think it isn't enough to just do your job well anymore.

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Aug 4, 2009

i have 6 kids ages 13 down to 5 year old twin girls , i work some weeks 3 days and then 2 days . my husband is a lawyer so i work because i love it and because i need the hours to keep my license. but yes i can work and go to work,,,, i have no problems .. and sometimes it's a break from home..lol....

GOMER42 · Aug 4, 2009

You will have plenty of time for yourself and family as an RN- BUT you will have absolutely NO (none, nadda, zilch) time when you are in nursing school.

beachbutterfly · Aug 4, 2009

And what job does not require sacrafice,I really dont understand this question:twocents:

RNperdiem, RN · Aug 4, 2009

As a mostly stay-at-home mom with kids, work as a nurse gives me the sanity-saving time outside the home I need.

Not only do I do meaningful work, get a break from childcare for a day, interact with adults, but I get paid for it too.

I work per diem once a week. Per diem has no benefits, so my health insurance comes from my husband's job. I pay nothing in childcare since family lives in town, so the higher per diem pay goes a long way.

As the kids get older, I get more time for myself.

Mom time off was rare for the first few years after the kids were born.

Back2Nursing09 · Aug 5, 2009

This is what I wanted to hear! lol.I have no problem not having a life during Nursing school.I dont go out much anyway :-D.Thanks everyone!