Inspired by a recent post- Does anyone else get comments, snide remarks , esp from non nurses for working "only 36 hours a week" or 40etc? I realize many in other fields work 60-80 and that is expected. One of the reasons I went into nursing was so that i would ONLY have to work 36 hours a week . I work nights and I am so tired after 4-5 twelves every week or so, when I do that. It seems impossible to have a life outside of work, because on nights a night off, is usually spent sleeping that whole day , then up at night to do nothing of much value. Remember 12are actually 13s , get there at 630pm, earliest I can leave is 730am. etc. Do these people in other fields that work 80 hour weeks not have a life noutside of work? IF i work nights I need to sleep as much as possible. I did a very small amount of office work, and some did do about 60 hours a week, most of it sitting at a desk, which is less exhausting, at least for me, and the stress is no where near that in nursing. Any input from those of you who did it in other jobs? Is there a difference?
I don't get any remarks about working "only" X hours. I get more remarks about my having to work 1500-2300 on a Saturday night while the rest of the free world is seemingly out having fun :)
I used to work weekends exclusively. I would sometimes complain about my situation until I got a few weekends off. I went about my usual off-day activities and was amazed at how crowded everything is on the weekends. I kept looking around and asking "Who are you, what are you doing here and why are there so many of you?!" Thankfully I am in Southern California where there is no shortage of things to do on the weekdays. I'd rather have fun when the rest of the world is stuck at work hehe.
Thankfully I am in Southern California where there is no shortage of things to do on the weekdays. I'd rather have fun when the rest of the world is stuck at work hehe.
When I lived in NYC, I'd work 2000-0800 Fri, Sat and Sun. Then I moved to 8s: 1700-0100 5x/week (various days). Personal and social life never suffered because like SoCal living in NYC made it possible to have a life any day (and time) of the week :)
I used to work weekends exclusively. I would sometimes complain about my situation until I got a few weekends off. I went about my usual off-day activities and was amazed at how crowded everything is on the weekends. I kept looking around and asking "Who are you, what are you doing here and why are there so many of you?!" Thankfully I am in Southern California where there is no shortage of things to do on the weekdays. I'd rather have fun when the rest of the world is stuck at work hehe.
I am so with you there....I worked the same 3 weekend 12's (nights) for many years-by CHOICE-and I loved it.
Now I am stuck...yes, stuck in a 9-5pm case management office type job doing it 5 days a week!!!!! and I HATE it....I want my twelve hour night shifts back....
Honesly, when grouping them all together, I would be really tired that morning after the last shift....but then whoa! 4 days in a row off!!
I would walk out of the hospital around 8am on Mon am and not have to be back until 7pm on Friday...I never felt like I was working!
It never bothered me when someone said anything about only working 3 days....I would laugh and say, are you jealous....anyone who says something like that is ignorant about what we actually do in our profession anyway, so it really doesn't matter if we do it 3 days, 5 days or 7 days a week!
I work three 12 hr night shift a week, and my ex used to give me a hard time constantly about how I "only" worked three days a week, yet he was unemployed and did NOTHING in regards to housework, grocery shopping, or driving kids places...one of the MANY reasons he is now my EX! Lol, current boyfriend is wonderful and always says he wouldn't trade my 3 days a week for his 60+ hr/wk job for anything, that my job/shift is much harder...and he even does the errands and picks up the kids! :)
people who do not work 12 hr shifts are clueless about the stress of them. They think you only work "3 days" and relate it to their "5 days". Who cares what they think? If you could work 1 hour a week and be paid full time they would all be so jealous.
Cuddleswithpuddles
667 Posts
I used to work weekends exclusively. I would sometimes complain about my situation until I got a few weekends off. I went about my usual off-day activities and was amazed at how crowded everything is on the weekends. I kept looking around and asking "Who are you, what are you doing here and why are there so many of you?!" Thankfully I am in Southern California where there is no shortage of things to do on the weekdays. I'd rather have fun when the rest of the world is stuck at work hehe.