I've worked PRN for this company for almost 4 years, and starting last year I also run an online business. This year my business has taken off and I've been trying to juggle both my PRN nursing job and staying on top of my business, and I am EXHAUSTED and cannot do this anymore. I considered quitting nursing after the new year (2017) but was afraid, so I kept signing up for more nursing shifts "just in case". Now I'm working ~50-60 hours a week on my business and ~30-40 hours/week on average at my PRN job (plus 2 hours/day to commute). Then I found out last week that my partner is being transferred to Germany in September. And I stupidly already scheduled myself in advance for shifts through Jan 2018, because the DON asks for help that far in advance (covering FMLA leaves, vacations, weekends/holidays, etc).
Would it be unprofessional to just ask the DON if she would mind sending out a mass email to the PRN list and seeing if anyone wants to take some of my shifts? She usually emails the PRNs once a week anyway with dates that she needs covered, so it wouldn't really be any extra work for her especially if I list all the dates and all she has to do is copy/paste and hit "send", and I would still work the shifts that no one wanted to take.
I've also been debating asking if I could cancel my shifts for next January. If I ask now 6 months in advance, the DON would have that much time to get someone else to cover my shifts in January, and I would still be working over the Christmas/NYE holidays when coverage is at a premium.
I really wish I hadn't signed up for work so far in advance, but since I did I have to try to find a way to fix this in as professional a way as possible. Has anyone here been in a similar situation and what did you do? I don't want to return to nursing ever, but I also don't want to burn bridges because I suppose you never know, and I also just don't want to create a big mess for the DON, because I do quite like and respect her. OTOH I cannot continue working 90-100 hours/week for another 8 months and burning myself out.
Yeah, OP's place of work sounds odd for a few reasons. She is working full-time there in actuality. I wonder what kind of work environment necessitates that.
i'm actually wondering when corporate is going to realize they could be saving a ton of money by hiring another staff RN instead of using me for 30-40 hours a week at PRN pay rates.
Irini20
7 Posts
i'm actually wondering when corporate is going to realize they could be saving a ton of money by hiring another staff RN instead of using me for 30-40 hours a week at PRN pay rates.