juggling 2 part-time jobs?

[Kudra]

i'm sure this has been asked hundreds of times before, and it's a really silly question, so please humour me... i tried doing a search but came up with nothing...

i'm a new grad and hoping to find a full time position but so far, i've not gotten any bites from my applications... but i am starting to get interest from a few part-time positions i applied to... unfortunately, with a student loan and rent to pay, if i took a part-time job, then i'd certainly have to take another one in order to make ends meet... which got me to thinking just how i would manage having 2 jobs...

i've never had to work 2 jobs at once, so i'm just wondering how the heck you manage to juggle 2 jobs? how do you arrange your schedule, especially if you're not on a self-scheduling unit? do you just give your schedule to the NM and let her work around the other job? or do you have to take what each job gives you and constantly switch shifts with co-workers in order to not be double booked?

it's not the workload that bothers me (after 2½ years of school and clinicals, i'm itching to get out there and work for $$$)... it's the logistics of it all...

any thoughts/suggestions?

beth

[Blackcat99]

:) I worked 2 part time jobs in the past. It worked out great. I usually worked 2 days a week at one place and then 2 days a week at the other one. Best of luck to you. Congratulations :balloons:

[suzanne4, RN]

Never, ever had any problems with it and you may find that you actually prefer it..................the change of scenery always comes in handy if you have had a very stressful few days in one place.

Good luck.......and don't worry, you will love it............. :balloons:

[webbiedebbie]

The only problem I had were that both places wanted me to work every other weekend, which meant I was working every weekend!

[capgirl]

I work 1 full time M-F day job, and perdiem at 2 different hospitals. Haven't had any problems juggling- I just sign up for when I want to work at each hospital. However, things to think about:

weekend committments - do both hospitals want every other weekend, every third weekend, one weekend per month? that may be tricky to schedule.

Holiday committments - in my hospitals, the committment is one summer holiday, one winter holiday, although some places have you work every other holiday. Look into this first or you may be working EVERY HOLIDAY between the two jobs.

Good luck! It certainly can be much more flexible having 2 part time positions than 1 full time.

[mattsmom81]

You may wish to make one position casual or PRN status where you have less of a committment with weekends and holidays. Perhaps if you explain to both facilities your predicament they will work with you. Depends how strict they are with requirements.Congrats and good luck!

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

I can't remember a time when I haven't worked two jobs (generally completely different in nature - as others said, the change of pace is great for one's sanity! :))

I've always done the "one job is strictly during the week and the other one can only be scheduled on weekends" thing. It hasn't stopped one place or another from trying to call me in extra, but with caller ID and a firm no, thank you, at the ready, I've not had any problems :).

[heart queen]

I'm not sure about the holiday and weekend requirements that each facility would demand of your time.

I have two per diem positions, one in a heart transplant unit, one in a CCU/MICU, only the transplant unit requires two holidays a year.

However, my husband has bennefits, so I have this luxury.

Finding one part time position that offers bennefits and a perdiem that has no requirements may work... good luck.