36 hours per week?

[Junebug0710]

Hello everyone,

I will be starting nursing school in January for an 18 month BSN program. I received a scholarship where a hospital pays for all of my tuition in return for a 3 year contract :). I am very excited to start in the nursing field!

I am starting to try and plan out the financial aspects of schooling and beyond. In the area that I am in, new nurses start at about $29-30/hr, not taking into account any differentials. The scholarship that I received is set up as a loan forgiveness plan, which means it is taxed every pay check for three years.

According to the "scholarship liason", this translates into about $200 less per paycheck for a nurse "scholar" who is working the exact same floor/shift as a non "scholar". In addition, I will likely have about $35,000 in student loans to pay for living expenses, books, supplies, and all the school "fees". When I calculate this all out, I would basically make the same net check as I do right now if I am only working 72 hours per pay period as an RN vs. 80 hours per pay period right now as an office manager. Also, the company I currently work for considers only 40 hours a week for a "full time" status, anything from 30-39 hours a week is considered "benefitted part time" status.

So, for my question: for those of you who do 12 hour shifts...does your hospital operate in such a way that you actually end up working 80 hours per pay period or is a 1.0FTE as an RN considered 72 hours per pay period? Are there additional expectations that make your work week longer? (charting, staying longer on a shift, working an 8 hour shift every two weeks, etc)? I know that not all hospitals are the same but figured I would get a general idea.

Thanks!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Nope. A 36-hour week is 0.9. Plus, where I work, overtime is anything more than 12.5 hours in one shift (as opposed to >40 hours in a week), so they're very strict about punching in and out at the same time (no more than 10 minutes before 7, and 20 minutes after 7).

Once in a while something happens that causes you to punch out late, but when that happens, your charge nurse has to write a note in the exception log, and if you get too many of those, you will get a "talking to".

[SnowStar4]

35k in loans and that doesn't even involve your tuition?

That's crazy.

[ObtundedRN, BSN, RN]

Where I work, 36-40 hours per week is full time. And I think there is even a 30-35 hours per week full time status (benefits are a little diffrerent). And there is also a 20-30 hours/week part time and a Weekender position.

As for the 35k in loans, I don't know your exact situation, but it sounds like a mistake to take that loan. I understand you can't work as an office manager during school (I came from an office environment too). You should get a job as a tech at a hospital. This will give you income, teach you how to work in the hospital, and REALLY help with getting a job out of school. And as a tech you could work around your school schedule. Lots better than taking 35K in loans that will translate to probably 80K with interest?

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

Ours is the 12 hour people are considered full time for benefits for working 3 12's a week and anything over the 12 hour shift is OT. but are only paid for the 72 hours a pay.

8 hour people get ot after 8 hours.

[meandragonbrett]

1.0FTE is anything greater than 36 hours where I am.

[himilayaneyes]

At my hospital, we work 3-12 hr shifts a week and are considered modified-full time employees. 0.9FTE. Overtime is usually anything over 40hrs at most facilities. There are days when you'll have a really rough day, 3 admissions, 4 discharges, and a code and you can't help but to leave late. On a day like that management will leave you alone. However, if you leave late consistently acquiring incidental overtime...they won't be too happy. New nurses tend to leave late...once you get your routine though..you'll be standing by the clock at 7:23 waiting to punch out.

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

We work three 12's, =36hrs/wk. Anything over 40 hours a week is OT.