Is working part-time really all that bad?

[cocoa9065]

I recently just got offered my first nursing job and although i really could use the hours, there are no full time positions available on the unit at this time. I was interested in finding out how people felt about working part time. What would i lose? What would i have to gain?

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

I work part time by choice. I am only committed to 2-twelve hour shifts a week.

I am though open to picking up if needed and it works for my sched.

We have 4 kids and my husband owns a high performance speed shop--so he may be at a race track a couple of times a month, or he needs me to help out in the office.

I am called by either my boss or my peers so many times I week I could work full time if I wanted.

I usually end up picking up one other 12 hour shift and maybe a partial shift sometime during the week. For instance this week I picked up a small shift of 3-7 for someone.

[Piki]

I also work part-time by choice - 3 eights in a week. I love it. If you can financially swing it, it is a good choice b/c nursing can be really stressful! I think many that work fulltime would love to work part time if financially feasible. I feel like I have a good balance (most of the times, as of course schedule wise, depending upon when my 3 days end up, I actually work more than 24 hours in a calendar week) between home and work life. I have children and a husband. Even when my kids are older and out of the house, I plan on staying as a part-time employee. I still get benefits, retirement, etc but less stress than the full timers (and of course less money!)

[SoundofMusic]

I can't wait to work part-time, PRN or per diem or whatever. Once I've satisfied my committments, I hope to just stick with part-time as long as I'm raising our kids -- it's the perfect well paying part-time job, and flexible.

[cocoa9065]

That's all great iadvice guys...thanks a lot. I think i was just concerned about being able to make enough money, and by the looks of it, it sounds like i can still make full time hours if I really wanted to, and i've heard to that i'd probably make $2 or $3 more an hour in lieu of the benefits full timers recieve. One question i still kind of needed answered was how much notice are you usually given when it comes to picking up shifts above and beyond those given to you on a schedule. Are you always called 1-hour before a shift or are you sometimes given a few days notice?

[CrazyPremed, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm working part time at my first nursing job while I finish school. I like the flexibility, but I realize that my learning curve is much more steep. You have to do what you have to do, but I would recommend working full time if possible.

People say it takes a year to become comfortable at your first nursing job. That's usually a year full time. I've been at my job over 6 months, but I would know much more if I would have been getting my 3 shifts a week.

CrazyPremed