grads "negotiating" contracts...

flashyrn2be · Feb 8, 2005

I'm graduating in may and wanted to find out..as a future new grad RN when you go for a job at the hospital...you hear everyone tell you read the contract...etc...etc... I want to know what powers do you actually have....can you say I want to work MON TUES WED 12 hours shifts..and they might say..sure but there will have to be 1 sat a month..or somethin of the sort.... how do these things work...I have no clue can someone explain...thank you.

hmmmm.........

This is just my experience as a new grad. I had no power except to choose which facility I would work at.

There are alot of little things that seem to get glossed over in the interview process. Things are promised but not delivered. The hospital I decided to work at requires a two year agreement, but you can move anywhere in the facility after one year.

As far as hours, nothing was guaranteed except night shift or day shift. No specific days were discussed.

Maybe in a perfect world we would get to negotiate such things........

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 8, 2005

i'm graduating in may and wanted to find out..as a future new grad rn when you go for a job at the hospital...you hear everyone tell you read the contract...etc...etc... i want to know what powers do you actually have....can you say i want to work mon tues wed 12 hours shifts..and they might say..sure but there will have to be 1 sat a month..or somethin of the sort.... how do these things work...i have no clue can someone explain...thank you.

you're kidding, right? you want to work monday - wednesday, no weekends, a four day weekend every week and you want to do it first thing after nursing school? in your dreams! not in a hospital, anyway. try a doctor's office or a clinic of some kind.

DelightRN · Feb 8, 2005

Unfortunately, as a new grad you have little bargaining power. Sure, you are a nurse, and nurses are in demand. That's where it ends. You have no actual nursing experience, nothing to offer a facility, really, except the *potential* that you'll be a competent nurse who may stay there awhile, hopefully balancing out the cost of your orientation.

I suggest you shop around awhile, and try to find a facility that utilizes self-scheduling so you have as much input as possible, but I doubt you'll find the schedule you're looking for fresh out of school.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2005

Rule of thumb: new grads can't negotiate much.

You can ask, and that's about it. If they can acomodate you, they will tell you, but if they can't, they won't hire you. They may be able to accomodate your weekday requests. There will be a weekend commitment of some kind, and you will not be able to negotiate out of it. Not even the nurses that have been there 20 years can negotiate out of a weekend commitment! If the unit you are applying for only offers 8 hour shifts, there's no way you will be able to negotiate 12 hour shifts. Keep in mind that it's very likely that you will have to work night shift. Also remember that new grads generally can't negotiate pay, as most places will have a flat new grad start rate.

This is all regarding hospital positons, as another poster said, if you are very limited over which days you can work, you might consider working in a doctor's office since they tend to be only M-F.

Nurse Alissa · Feb 8, 2005

Is it just that you cant negotiate day shifts? My friend is ahead of me in school, and just took a job and she said she wanted to work the weekend special at nights, and they gave it to her. Is it not common for a new nurse to be offered this? From what I understand, she works 36 hrs and gets paid for 40 or something of that sort....

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2005

If you want to work the more undesirable shifts...the weekends, yes you will probably be accomodated. In that case it's not negotiating, it's volunteering.

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 8, 2005

Is it just that you cant negotiate day shifts? My friend is ahead of me in school, and just took a job and she said she wanted to work the weekend special at nights, and they gave it to her. Is it not common for a new nurse to be offered this? From what I understand, she works 36 hrs and gets paid for 40 or something of that sort....

Your friend was volunteering to work the unpopular shifts -- so, they were happy to allow her to do that. That's why they have a special program (and payrate) for people who want to work the week-end nights. Because few people WANT to work those shifts, anyone who does can work as many as they would like.

It's the people who only want to work the popular shifts (and don't want to work the unpopular shifts) who usually can't get what they want.

llg (ddd is my home account -- and I am home sick today)

Nurse Alissa · Feb 8, 2005

Why is it that weekend night shifts are sooo unwanted? Thats what I plan to work when I get out... I figure I can make a good amt more based of diff, my husband and I will see each other on weekday nights (which is about all we do see each other , he owns his own business) and I will have the whole week to get what I need done. Then when we have a baby, I will be able to bring her to school (never trust buses here in La) and he can take care of her while Im at work on weekends.... am I the only one who sees it to be an actual blessing?

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2005

Weekends tend to be the most undesirable because most people have a spouse or family or school-age children or friends that have weekends off and then you can't spend that time with them. While you are off all week long, they are at work or in school. And no one schedules family get togethers or BBQs during the week. It absoulutely sucks to miss family get togethers or have to leave one early (or arrive late) because of work.

Weekend nights tend to be a little better than weekend days as far as seeing family since you can choose to get up early, say 1400, and then have all that time before you go to work at 1900 to see your family.

allnurses Guide · Feb 8, 2005

I'd try a free-standing surgical center. Weekends and holidays off.

steph