I want a social life

[Rexie]

I'm lucky enough (I guess) to work day shift but I still have to work every other weekend. I work 12's, which I mostly like, but after work, I go home, shower, eat, then sleep, and then do it again the next day. I mostly like it, but am finding that I'm really out of sync with friends and family and it's wearing on me. I know it's got to be worse for nurses who work nights or evenings but how do we work any king if a social life into our crazy schedules ? One of my New Years resolutions was to achieve some kind of work-life balance and I'm failing miserably. Any suggestions?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Of course you can have a social life, and SHOULD. But that doesn't mean that you are always available at all times to all people for all things.

Working every other weekend means you are OFF every other weekend, too. Plan social events for those times. When it absolutely positively HAS GOT to be on a weekend (as in your cousin's wedding), then you request the time off or trade the weekend with someone. It works out.

Working 12's means you have two weekend days and two weekdays OR four weekdays off EVERY WEEK. Organize your social calendar around that.

Working a full-time job means just that: socializing becomes a part-time venture, and just HOW part-time depends on how much work you do, and how much socializng is important to you. Part of growing up (unfortunately!!) is finding that balance between playtime and work time.

You'll manage, if you want to stay employed! :)

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

I just came to accept that not everything would be observed on the day when it actually occurred. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and pretty much everything else might be celebrated early or late.

[Certifiable, BSN, RN]

Misery loves company:

I totally get the loneliness behind this post! I'm more alone now than i've ever been in my 20+ yrs of life, curtesy of 8hr hospital shifts (i do them all-morn/noon/night). My close group of friends have broken up and moved to different cities, i live with roomates that are not my social cup of tea (but good and normal apts are rare and i am not moving), and the few friends that i still have can never hang out because of my crappy schedule. The nurses at work are great but have families of their own and are not exactly in my age group for sitting at a bar.

Being single like this sucks. I'm halfheartedly inclined to take my patients up on their offers for blind dates of someone they know who will be ""perfect" for me. Very lonely.

[cardiacfreak, ADN]

WHAT? I am entitled to a social life? Says who? I thought I would socialize after retiring!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I'm lucky enough (I guess) to work day shift but I still have to work every other weekend. I work 12's, which I mostly like, but after work, I go home, shower, eat, then sleep, and then do it again the next day. I mostly like it, but am finding that I'm really out of sync with friends and family and it's wearing on me. I know it's got to be worse for nurses who work nights or evenings but how do we work any king if a social life into our crazy schedules ? One of my New Years resolutions was to achieve some kind of work-life balance and I'm failing miserably. Any suggestions?

I guess I don't really understand. You are working a better than usual schedual (day shift) for a nurse. You are working a perfectly normal, regular type nurse's schedual. You had to have known you would be doing so before you chose nursing?

My advice is to put your time in, learn your skills and critical thinking and set yourself up for one of the many, many nursing jobs with "regular" hours.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

The grass is not always greener. I have "regular" hours: Mon-Fri days. I'm also working in an administrative role. Although I do enjoy certain aspects, I dearly miss the long stretches of time off. Many of my friends work weekends and evenings, so we don't see each other.

Shifts are not unique to nursing either. When I worked in hotels staff had similar complaints. Just try to make the best out of your situation, at least for now.

[Jules A, MSN]

WHAT? I am entitled to a social life? Says who? I thought I would socialize after retiring!

But wait old nurses don't ever retire, right? So NO SOUP for you!!

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

Answer: Become an introvert and embrace having no social life; in fact, actively avoid it. Works for me! I'm a pro at using work as an excuse for not being able to schedule a dinner date with our friends. My husband, the extrovert, just sighs and shakes his head. After 20 years of marriage, he knows not to push me if I'm not in the mood.