Are weekender positions worth it??

[richardgecko]

I'm considering taking one in a few months. The pay is 50% more, I don't take benefits from the job anyway so that doesn't bother me, and I have a kid going to school next year so it seems as though it'd be easy for me to spend more time with him if I were off all week. I do feel like I'd miss out on some family events though.

how has it worked for those of you who have been weekenders?

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I loved my weekender job and wish I could find another. The predictable schedule, the extra $$ and 5 days off/week were great.

[elkpark]

I had a weekend-only position years ago -- I worked 32 hours and got paid for 40, and got full benefits (their usual weekend position was "work 24 and get paid for 32 without benefits," but I wanted benefits, so they let me add on the extra eight hours (32 hours/week was their minimum to be eligible for benefits). I worked two doubles, 7a - 11p Saturday and Sunday. I loooooovved it.

Is it worth it? You have Monday - Friday entirely free every week. (Need I say more?) Plus, when you are at work, you don't have to deal with all the administrators and drama and crap that goes on during the week. After about a year, I started a BSN completion program (B&M was the only option in those days) that involved one day and one evening of class/week, and I still had more free time than I knew what to do with. :) The only negative about it (IMO) is that you're on exactly the opposite schedule from everyone you know who has a Mon-Fri job, and you can't do the "weekend" things that everyone else is doing.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I've worked every weekend for 4 years. I do miss out on some weekend activities that are important to me. The salary and the time off is worth it .. to me.

Only YOU can tell if it's worth it to you.

[Jules A, MSN]

Plus, when you are at work, you don't have to deal with all the administrators and drama and crap that goes on during the week.

This! I have always worked weekends and love it. I pick up a few extra shifts each week also and end up making crazy money. Plus in addition to not having to deal with all the M-F baloney on the unit its not always a bad thing to have a legit excuse to get out of those annoying weekend family activities, just saying.