new grad psych shift hours

gnursjr2 · Sep 1, 2011

If you don't think you can hang with the night shift, I'd take the p/t evenings. Night shift is not for everyone, especially 5 nights a week. You never know what might happen, if they like you, maybe a day shift could open in the future, and you could get into that. Take it from me, its hard to get a job as a new grad, especially if you have an ADN. That's what I have, and I had to move out of state for my 1st job. Now, it seems they want BSNs. Due to the economy, hospitals can be picky. Some hospitals don't care about ADN or BSN, but if they are trying to go "Magnet" they want BSN. Hope this helps you.

morecoffeepls, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2011

I was hired as a new grad FT nights on a psychiatric unit. It's rough, a health hazard and all, but it has its advantages. If you plan on going back to school, it's convenient - I'll be finished with an online RN-BSN program soon and did the majority of my school work during down time. The differentials are significant - I am the only nurse, so I punch in charge 40 hrs/wk (10%), shift differential (15%), and I talked my nurse manager into giving me Tuesday through Saturday so I get both weekend differentials (10%). I got board-certified when I became eligible after 2 years - my hospital pays $3 more an hour for certification. Clinical ladder was easy because they didn't cap for points given for education credits, so that's another dollar an hour. Once I finish this program, I don't know what I'm going to do for work before I start a DNP program or whatever I end up doing for another degree. I'm just nervous that I'll be making less money elsewhere even though the base salary where I work is pathetic. Also, I wouldn't be able to work any other shift here because of the "strong" personalities of some of the long-standing RNs (I'm overstating, but maybe not really). I try to be involved, so I chair the unit council and stuff like that, but it's hard to come in off-shift. Another negative aspect that really concerns me is, although there are certainly opportunites to be involved with patients on nights when things get hectic, I feel like I am not gaining a lot of practical insight or experience from not being involved with groups or the therapeutic milieu on a daily basis.

So, with all that being said: I am pretty sure I make more money than most if not all of the people with whom I graduated a few years ago; I've been able to work full-time and finish by BSN relatively quickly; I don't have to put up with a lot of the BS of lazy, self-important staff members; my life is dogsh*t and I have a real hard time getting more than a few hours of sleep a day. I like my job, and I love my patients. It'll be worth it, for me at least.

morecoffeepls, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2011

Oh yeah, and I knew I wanted to be in psych before I graduated, even though the only reason I went to nursing school in the first place was to do anesthesia. Go figure. I knew psych was my calling, which made my decision (which meant buying out my tuition contract to come work at a state-of-the-art inpatient psychiatric unit) that much easier.

Good luck.

MrChicagoRN, RN · Sep 1, 2011

I just had interviewed a hospital for the mental health unit. Its been my only interview since applying for a few months. They offered me FT nights, 8 hour shifts (that requires 5nights/week) -or- PT evenings, 8 hour shifts (3-4shifts/week) but no benefits. I need benefits, but im afraid my body wont be able to keep up 5 night shifts everyweek. Should I just deal with it for the sake of getting into a "hospital system" or keep looking.

Yes, it requires saome adjustments but it vcan be done. Have you ever pulled an allnighter? Did you survive. I think that working straight nights is somewhat easier than doing it occasionally. Maybe you should repost this in the general topics as the issue is the difficulty of working nights. You can probably get a lot of good advice from the nightowls.

Or, you can ask "if I take the pm position is there a chance it could turn into FT in the near future?"

xdelitezx · Sep 2, 2011

thanks for all the advise everyone. its definately something to think about with the pros and cons. I have done a few overnights for my preceptorships and struggled with getting sleep & staying awake during the overnight hours. if it was 3 12's i think i could do it, but 5 8's...not sure yet.

Wabi Sabi, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2011

Maybe you should try it and see if you are able to handle it. It might be tough in the beginning but I'm sure your body will adjust. I know jobs are hard to come by in these days and age. If it's a good opportunity, you should give it a try.

elkpark · Sep 3, 2011

I've done 8s and 12s on nights in psych, and my own opinion is that five 8s is easier -- if you go ahead and get onto a regular "awake during the night, sleeping during the day" schedule full time and don't try to switch back to a completely "normal" schedule on your days off. It's the jerking your body back and forth between schedules that makes it so hard. When I have worked 12s, I had so many days off that it wasn't worth staying on a regular awake-at-night schedule, and that made it much harder on my body over the long run. If I were going to work nights again, I would want to do 8s.

sofia_PMHN · Sep 7, 2011

I agree with the previous postings, jobs are hard to come by as a new grad, it took me 5 months and im grateful everyday that i was given a chance to work. Here's the thing, you really just need to get your feet in the door, i say try out the noc shift get some experience but in the mean time, keep applying and/or keep an eye out for am/pm shift opportunities. Another option is, kick ass in the NOC shift and remind your HR or DON that you'll be very happy to get scheduled for am/pm shifts. hope this helps!

NPvampire, MSN, RN, APRN · Sep 9, 2011

Psych has high turnover, and probably within a few months someone will quit on day or evenings and you can slide into those shifts instead. Could you do 3-12s instead of 5-8s for nights?

xdelitezx · Sep 15, 2011

UPDATE: sooooo.... I accepted the 11p-730am night shift full time on psych, the pt shift wasnt available anymore. i took everyones advice, did a pros/cons list....and just going to try it out. I was seriously stressing about it, because I have worked fulltime/5dayweek in LTC in the past, all i did was work-sleep-work-sleep, made all this money, but was so tired/busy to enjoy it. Anyways, its a step in the door for a major hosp system...

im completely nervous...but im sure i can do it!

thanks all!