Need advice/thoughts from Single Moms, Experienced Nurses and New Grads...Help!

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I just spent the last 2 weeks filling out applications, financial aid forms, etc..with such excitement only to be completely discouraged after reading in many of the threads on here how very hard its become for New Grads with a Associates RN Degree to find a job in NY! It goes against all of the research that I did prior to deciding on pursuing Nursing as a career. I have read countless articles that Nursing is the 'golden ticket' career, that jobs are plentiful, that NY is the place to be, that they are practically tripping over themselves to recruit nurses - paying off loans, bonuses, etc.. I am SO bummed after learning the 'fine print', and that is, that it seems those things are true IF you have a Bachelors Degree in Nursing and IF you have nursing experience under your belt.

I was completely convinced up until the last couple days reading over posts that Nursing was the perfect fit for me but maybe this isnt the best thing for me to do and since I have to decide this week bc Im preparing to attend WCC Spring 09 to complete my pre-reqs, Ive decided to come on here and ask some questions of the experienced nurses that will help me decide if this is what i should do?

I am a single mother. Its just me and my child, there is no father in the picture or family really to babysit while Im working sooo I can only work when my child is in school. Ideally, I would like to be there to take her to school and be there when she gets home. I could never work weekends or holidays. Flexibility is top priority for me. I am also expecting (more like needing though) to make at least $60K to start. I would like to know if Im being reasonable or unreasonable.

Thanks in advance for your help!

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

Sorry to say but I think your living in a fantasy world if you go into nursing thinking that your gonna find a job fresh out of school working school hours and off on weekends and holidays. Its not gonna happen and I would hate for you to set yourself up for failure. Most hospitals do 12 hour shifts and everyother weekend. Days are hard to come by and alot of new grads get stuck on nights until they have been there for a while. Even in a clinic or Dr office, they work 8-5 and require at least a yr of experience. LTC has 8 hour shifts but most people don't want to work with the elderly fresh out of RN school.

Not sure about the 60k thing. Since you live in NY, that may be realistic. Good Luck!

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i do not know about the pay but you are being unreasonable (and very unrealistic in this economy) regarding flexibility in hours. there is no flexibility in nursing hours unless you work "as needed"(prn/part-time), which you cannot do if you are a new grad because you have no work experience. thus, when you have a full-time job in a hospital you are expected to work weekends, holidays, and nights (new grads start nights because senior nurses get priority for day shifts)! of course, as you have mentioned, this is if you can land a job after graduation... in places like ny and ca, which pay considerably more then other areas, new grads are having a hard time finding employment in nursing because they lack work experience as a nurse. it is a good thing you came here to read posts... people who work outside of nursing either lie about nursing or they repeat the lies of others, such as hospital administrators who report a nursing shortage.

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Disregard what i said about needing to work when my child is in school. that would be great but its not realistic for me only bc I want to be there to put my child on the bus in the a.m. and p/u when they get home and put them to bed. Even an 8 hour job wouldnt make that possible so what Im thinking is to work nights. I think I would be fine working nights, Im a night owl anyway and nights pay more from what im hearing but my issue would be finding quality childcare for my child during those nights I work. thats a big issue. add holidays and weekends ot that and it becomes an even bigger issue. I guess alot of people rely on family for that but I dont really have that support system. How many weekends would I be required to work as a new grad adn? and how do they determine what holidays?

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I'm a new grad and I work nights. I am also a single mother.

While I am in orientation, I HAVE to work my preceptor's shift. I PREFER working my 3 12's in a row, but my preceptor split hers up and I have to work according to her schedule for now. There is no flexiability.

The good thing is I don't have to work weekends, because my hospital have a weekend option program where they specifically employ people for Saturdays and Sundays. Holidays is one major and two minor, but with the extra pay for holidays, I may not even have to work those because the senior nurses want to work them for the higher pay. So, based on my seniority (which is very low), I may not have to work a holiday because I'll get bumped.

However, when I went into nursing, I knew what I was getting into. I knew I wanted to work 3 days a week, and I didnt know I was a night person until I started working nights.

What I would suggest is that you do ALL your research before committing to nursing, because if you think you are gonna get a set schedule in nursing, no nights, holidays or weekends, you are mistaken. And there is NO nursing shortage, regardless of how many times the nursing schools are saying it. Don't believe the hype. I graduated in May 2009 with my BSN, and I had started applying in Feb 2009 and didnt land my first RN job until August 2009.

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nurse2be09,

I will not be graduating until May 2012 so I am hopeful that this whole new grad/dry job market thing is over and done with by then. I feel so bad for all the new grads right now who cant find a job.

What hospital do you work at??

I think thats GREAT that you arent required to work weekends and prob wont be required to work holidays. Exactly what im looking for!

Question: sorry if this is a dumb question but what is a preceptor? im assuming thats someone who is training you?? do all hospitals make you train with someone on THEIR schedule?? and for how long is this?

lastly, what do you do with your child/children when youre working at night??

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nurse2be09,

I will not be graduating until May 2012 so I am hopeful that this whole new grad/dry job market thing is over and done with by then. I feel so bad for all the new grads right now who cant find a job.

What hospital do you work at??

I think thats GREAT that you arent required to work weekends and prob wont be required to work holidays. Exactly what im looking for!

Question: sorry if this is a dumb question but what is a preceptor? im assuming thats someone who is training you?? do all hospitals make you train with someone on THEIR schedule?? and for how long is this?

lastly, what do you do with your child/children when youre working at night??

I work for a Level I Trauma hospital (non profit) in KCMO.

A preceptor is a nurse who is training you for your RN role. Typical orientation is anywhere between 8 and 12 weeks depending on what area of nursing you are in. I'm in critical care (ICU), so my orientation is 18 weeks. I am also part of a New Grad Residency program, so add another 8 weeks on to that, for a total of 6+ months. Most hospitals do make you train on your preceptor's schedule. Sometimes, you'll get more than one preceptor during your orientation period.

Since I only work 3 nights a week, my son stays with his father and goes to school from his house. On my nights off, I pick him up from school, or from his father's house and take him to his boxing lessons, help him with homework and do my motherly duties. Some weekends, my son stays with my mother, because I have brothers close to his age, so he wants to stay over there with them.

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wouldnt I be able to request a preceptor for nights only? did they tell you this before you agreed to the job that youd be working on a different schedule than you were hired for for 6 months?

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wouldnt I be able to request a preceptor for nights only? did they tell you this before you agreed to the job that youd be working on a different schedule than you were hired for for 6 months?

If you are hired for nights, you will be working with a preceptor who work nights only. However, you still will have to work the nights your preceptor works. And if your preceptor takes a vacation day, they will put you with someone else for that night only.

I knew that I would have to work my preceptor shift for the duration of my orientation before I accepted the job. I knew this from experience, because I worked as a nurse intern while in nursing school and the same rules apply until you are off your orientation.

If you are hired for nights, you will precept on nights. The only time I have to work days is when I have to attend class. And while in class, I'm not doing any patient care.

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oh i see, phew I thought you were saying you had to work a completely different shift. I see though how that would still be a pain in the butt to have to be on someone else's schedule.

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