NNP vs WHNP

[iluvnicu]

I'm getting ready to go back to school for my MSN. I have 5yrs experience in a level III NICU. I have always wanted to do NNP, but lately I have been thinking more about WHNP. I have a 6month old, and planning on more babies in the near future. My question is for the NNPs. What are your hours/shifts? Where I work, the NNPs are always switching around. They may work a 12hr day shift, off a day, then work a 12hr night, then two 16hr shifts on the weekend (I don't know their actual schedule, it just seems like there is no continuity). It doesn't seem very conducive to raising a family, and being able to be at your children's functions. The thought of clinic sounds so enticing. Thoughts??

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Ours work 7a/7p, 3 12's a week. But on the weekends it seems their day is more like 14 hours since there are less staff/residents to cover patients. They rotate thru shifts as needed. The higher senior ones stay on days and the less senior ones usually work nights but rotate to days to cover vacations, etc.

[Katie71275]

There are 3 in the NICU I work in. They work 24hr shifts and it seems they are always there but in reality it's probably more like 2-24hr shifts a week

[jumper44]

you mean 24 hours straight or on call? isnt that illegal?

[babyNP., APRN]

Um...doctors do it all the time :) 30 hour shifts at my hospital! I think the idea is that you are able to sleep at night, but the nature of the ICU is that you have to be readily available because babies don't know what time it is while being born or when they pull out their ETT and need to be re-tubed.