How Do I tell my current job that I need time off for 1 month to work as a camp nurse

agldragonRN · Mar 2, 2012

good luck op!

FlyingScot, RN · Mar 2, 2012

There's a big difference between "needing" a month off and wanting one. Your boss knows this difference and will likely not be very motivated to give it to you unless it benefits him/her in some way. You can always ask but I would not approach it in the way you titled this post otherwise you might find yourself with plenty of time on your hands.

bsyrn, ASN, RN · Mar 2, 2012

If you like Peds and want to do camp nursing, you may want to try and get a school nurse position otherwise, you can pretty well forget getting a month off in the Summer.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 2, 2012

realistically speaking, this is a tough decision that you will have to endure on your own. having said that, in these hard times for so many to get hired and them ask for a month leave, your manager will questioned where your priorities fall. obviously, your call isn't med-surg. furthermore, for the sake of the issue on hand, let's say you were already working in peds. which is your true calling, would you feel the same urge to leave for a month? therefore, make sure that you have the offer on hand from the pediatric facility prior leaving your present position, it's wise to always leave doors open. wishing you the best in all of your future endeavors...aloha~

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2012

Maybe you could persuade your boss to grant you 2 weeks off. The other 2 weeks you need...well, you could ask your coworkers if they would be willing to cover your shifts. In exchange, you would pick up shifts that they would like to have off. That's probably as good as it gets. Unless there is a dire circumstance, your manager will likely say no to a month...and think you have a lot of gall to ask.

Jolie, BSN · Mar 3, 2012

Not trying to "pile on" here, but as a seasoned supervisor, I would like to offer some information that a relatively inexperienced nurse probably doesn't know:

Most employers have HR policies and procedures that expressly prohibit an employee from working elsewhere while on a medical or personal LOA. This is due to a number of reasons, not the least of which is that employees who qualify for medical or personal LOA are usually still covered by employee benefits, including healthcare. Your employer will not be willing to be responsible for your insurance and other benefits while you are earning income from another source, nor is it reasonable to expect them to do so.

If you are passionate about pursuing time off to work at camp, a sabbatical is probably what you would need to request. Sabbaticals are typically reserved for key employees who need to advance their education, conduct research or gain specialized experience, and I doubt that is an option for an entry level staff nurse.

Secondly, although I'm sure that you don't intend to sound this way, your desire to take a month off without using your accrued PTO comes off as incredibly entitled. You are basically saying that you would like a month off during peak summer vacation season, yet still reserve the ability to take another vacation at your leisure. Well, frankly, the nurses who have 20 years' seniority would like that too, but they don't get it either. If, by the grace of God, your time off request is granted, you will need to use your PTO without complaint, then come back to work and not request a single day off for a very long time.

As the others have indicated, the likelihood of a positive response to your request is near zero, and the likelihood that it will put you in a bad light is pretty high. So please weigh your decision carefully. Know what your response will be if your manager says "yes" or "no" because there are pitfalls to each answer.

I admire your enthusiasm for children, but believe it is ill advised to attempt to nurture that enthisiasm in this manner, especially in a tight job market. Perhaps you could approach your manager or HR and ask if there is any way for you to become involved with children in your community while representing the hospital at the same time, such as speaking at school career days or doing health teaching.

tboone246 · Mar 7, 2012

I've been working in adult med/surg for 7 months, but very much miss pediatric nursing (i worked as an aid throughout school and had my senior practicum at a Children's Hospital. I recently got offered a position at an overnight girls camp as a RN for 4 weeks. I really want to accept the job, but I need to discuss this with my current nurse manager. I currently work 32 hours a week and will need to take 4 weeks off. I don't want to use my earned time because 1. I don't have much if any and 2. I'm not going on vacation, i'm going to work. I need advice on how to ask her for this LOA. My unit is always understaffed and I feel bad leaving but this is something I really want to do. I want to work in pediatrics, not adults. Should I just quit? Or switch to per diem? What should I do if she freaks?? Thanks

You've been there less than a year, your unit is understaffed, and you want 4 weeks off to work somewhere else that you're passionate about and during vacation months--what would you do if you were in the NM position? Very risky. I'd have red flags up if you asked me that. If you are not where you want to be than seek out a permanent job to make that happen.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2012

yeah, i tried something like that once. i asked my boss if he'd like to help support a major youth-serving organization by giving me three weeks of paid leave so i could work their big event as a nurse (though this was as a volunteer. heck, i would have had to pay to register). not that i really expected that he'd do that, but i thought it would be a place to start.

after he stopped laughing hysterically and got up off the floor, we settled on one week of my vacation time and two weeks unpaid leave. but i wasn't working in a short-staffed unit at the time.

manager123 · Mar 8, 2012

Well, I admire your guts for even thinking about this as an "option" but as several have noted, it would probably be a cold day in heck for your manager or institution to agree to this. You have probably not been there long enough to have more than a cursory probation evaluation, you admittedly have limited time off available (how often are you calling in sick, BTW?), and it pretty much sounds like your current job doesn't float your boat. If that lack luster engagement shows in your work, and you actually ask for the time off, I can pretty much guarantee that your manager, charge nurse, etc will be remembering this at evaluation time.

You need to look in the mirror and decide if it is worth it to look for a job in a pediatric field and take steps to find something that is more in keeping with your desires.

Unless you want to give your boss a good laugh and a story to share at the next administrative meeting, I would strongly advise passing on the summer job offer.

BTW: I had a long term (somewhat marginal employee) ask me for a 6 week LOA so she "could work as a travel nurse" during the summer. I denied it. She quit. She was back begging for her job in 2 weeks. Suffice to say travel nursing job wasn't working out well for her.

annlewis · Mar 8, 2012

You must be young and have not worked in the real world for long...no way are they going to let you do that and asking them if you can is showing them your immaturity which cannot be an asset in your position

diligent-trooper · Mar 11, 2012

You really don't get it do you? I personally would terminate you for such a senseless action. 7 months on the job and Boom! What are you thinking?

CrazierThanYou · Mar 14, 2012

I'm interested in hearing the outcome of this or what you decided to do.