hospital nursing assistant seeking advice from RN's

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I am currently working as a hospital nursing assistant 72 hours every two weeks. Prior to that I worked in long term care. Some days I run for 12 hours and maybe have a chance to sit and relax for 20 minutes all day when it is busy. The longest I can take a break off the unit is maybe 10 minutes all day. I am completing my first year of the ADN program finishing up the non nursing classes so that once I start the nursing classes I will only have 7 to 8 credits per semester while working. My current schedule is 6 days out of 7 and then I have 7 days off. This schedule will work out well once I start the nursing classes as I should be able to switch if need be with the other full time nursing assistant or take personal time off as necessary.

I am thinking about cutting back to 48 hours a pay period in the hospital and working again in long term care for 32 hours a pay period which would be four 8 hour shifts there. Scheduling there is not as flexible and it is more difficult to get time off which I would need to do once I start the nursing classes. The unit secretary will just respond with "well you will have to find someone to switch".

I am just really getting tired of all the running with out being able to take a break in the hospital setting. I do love working there though. I am learning a lot and also see a lot. I also realize that once an RN in the hospital I may not get a break all day but it is a different kind of work. One gets to sit while charting etc.

The DON there has said she will hire me as an RN once I am done with school. If I cut back on my hours there I would not give a reason why as I would not want to jeopardize being hired as an RN. I would probably say something like I miss the residents in long term care.

I need some help on making a decision here. Any advice to offer would be ap

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Ask your DON if she will take her offer for an RN job back if you cut back on your hours

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Specializes in Neurosciences/Telemetry/Med-Surg/Travel.

I am sure she will understand. She would not want you to be burned out, plus your still trying to finish up your ADN. That's a lot of hours that you are working on. You need some relaxation time to stay healthy.

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

Is there any way you could work PRN in long term care? You would have a lot more say in your schedule- I can work this day, I can't work that day.

Even though the 12 hour shifts at the hospital are tough, and working as many as you do in a row is really tough, I'd be reluctant to go to a place that is not willing to work with you. The scheduling there could get to be such an issue that you might have to quit altogether.

Have you looked into other possible employers for the second job?

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Okay...lets take a step back and think really hard about your goals and future. Take a good look at yourself and try to figure things out focusing on the future and being a nurse. This should help you to make a choice...then it will take some figuring out and comprimise to achieve it...but keep your main goal at the top and work towards it!

For me it was RN school and future RN positions. Okay...even as an RN now, I had to make choices about my future and had to give some things up to achive it! Example: I basically hit the glass ceiling at my ALF/LTC employer after 4 years, and things started to get pretty bad with new management that treated the facility like a business only and not an individual oriented health facility. Moral went down severely, and I was one of the more down to earth funny nurses that kept moral up regardless.

Now, I had to make a choice...go onto something where I could advance, or stay there because I felt that if I left moral and health would go down severely for staff and patients!!!! Hard choice...but I had to move on...I couldn't take all this on my shoulders and still be a good nurse. It hurt, leaving the residents and staff I had grown to love...but they were understanding and proud of me, and that helped. I left, went agency which was scary...and got a new job which I love...best thing..I still see my residents in the hospital where they need a friendly face they know the most! Worked out..but heck, I didn't know it would at the time!!!!

Think hard about your goals and future, try to keep yourself open to choices at this point since the future seems to switch gears on ya..LOL, and be willing to make changes to a point to accomidate bringing yourself to the level you wish your career to move to!

Good luck to you...you may just want to write down both options on the top of a page, and list the positives below it and weight it...then do the same with the negatives..that tends to help organize all those feelings instead of having them spiral in your head like a grey cloud...helps me! :)

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

BTW...Take your breaks! I insist on mine and am proactive for myself to get them! I plan my day and really work at getting them. In fact I need them so I can sit back for a moment, see if my plan for the day is working well...re-prioritize prn...and make the rest of the day go better. This is essential in nursing..and a good learning experience for you for becoming a nurse!

The law gives you breaks...I take them because I am no good to anyone if I am frazzled or on hyper mode feeling overwhelmed! That is a disservice to my patients and fellow nurses. I get my breaks and help cover for my team so they can get theirs!

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Oh man...came up with a possible alternative! My agency that I worked for took on CNA's. They were in demand big time, and my hospital uses 3-5 daily from agency! How about thinking of becoming an agency CNA and working when you want to, shifts you want to, and be able to have the flexibilty of schedule you need for nursing school! I know three that are doing this...and they say the flexibility can't be beat, and they get to see the hospitals or other facilities before making a choice on which one they would like to pursue a job with!!!!!!! (and get their face known too!).

This may be a wonderful opportunity for you in your situation!!!!!!!!

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Hi. Thank you for the reply! I have decided to stay where I am. I am prn in long term care and am able to pick up shifts there as needed.I need to stay full time where I am or do part time between the hospital and long term care that would equal full time in order to keep my benefits as they are such as health insurance so another job is out of the picture. After reading all these postings it was fairly easy to make a decision. Thank you again.

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Hi. Thank you for the reply! I have decided to stay where I am. I am prn in long term care and am able to pick up shifts there as needed.I need to stay full time where I am or do part time between the hospital and long term care that would equal full time in order to keep my benefits as they are such as health insurance so another job is out of the picture. After reading all these postings it was fairly easy to make a decision. Thank you again!!

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Specializes in Float.

If you are one year into your ADN then you should be within one year of graduating right? How about interning?

Interning is big in the area I am in as it lets you and the hospital get to know each other and is a recruiting tool for you to stay on as RN. Pay is good and you get different experiences than as a CNA for instance doing admits and discharges and more shadowing of the nurses. You might check into area hospitals and see if any hire student nurses.

Usually they are PRN positions because they want you to work around your school schedule as that is first priority

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I Am A Nursing Student And I Want To Work In The Feild..i Have Never Heard Of A Hospital That Would Hire You If You Were Not Certified..i Dont Know What To Do Next..should I Do Cna, Or Ptc What Do You Think..

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Hi Mommy nurse2b, Thanks for the reply. Interning sounds like an interesting idea, but I can't do that now. The program I am in is considered a 3 yr. The first year we get all the nonnursing prereqs done. Then I will start the nursing classes and it will take 4 semesters to finish them. The third semester I will not have any classes as I will have completed them.

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