NP Schedule

[KYNurse123]

I am a soon to be NP graduate and very excited! However, I am curious about the chances of obtaining a 3-4 day work week as a PMHNP? I've had life changes since beginning my masters and now finishing it that have me dreading the possibility of working 5 days a week! However, I also do not want to become a stale new graduate and forget everything I've learned by not using my new degree. Are there options for 3-4 day work weeks with benefits? Do those positions even exist?

[sleepwalker, MSN, NP]

I would think those positions exist mostly in the acute care setting. For PMHNP...maybe a residential psych facility?

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

Yes, a lot of places have flexible scheduling. 3 days are probably less common, but 4 10's are very common. 

[verene, MSN]

Yes, I work 4 days/week with benefits (most typical schedule among my colleagues). Some of my coworkers are 3 days/week. Very few are 5 days/week.  I work inpatient psychiatry setting.  Flexible scheduling is certainly possible and is one of many things you may be able to negotiate on when talking employment contracts with a prospective employer. 

[DrCOVID, DNP]

Kinda depends on the setting. I have a colleague that does inpatient under a psychiatrist in a hospital, she does on 7 days, and then it decreases from there until she has a week off. She recently told me that the MD recently did 12 days on. RIP. I feel bad, since I was going to work with them, but she is SALARIED and is working a LOT of what would be OT since they are short staffed.... not to mention your sanity. She is already burned out. I myself, am in an IP state and private company with insurance. I see all pts from home (no COVID) & I make my own schedule and am doing 4 x 8 hrs to start. Money is not worth QOL/sanity. At the FQHC I did rotations in, they allowed PMHNP to do 4 x 10 or 5 x 8. DNP also started at 120 instead of 90-100k

[KYNurse123]

On 8/9/2021 at 9:46 AM, DrCOVID said:

Kinda depends on the setting. I have a colleague that does inpatient under a psychiatrist in a hospital, she does on 7 days, and then it decreases from there until she has a week off. She recently told me that the MD recently did 12 days on. RIP. I feel bad, since I was going to work with them, but she is SALARIED and is working a LOT of what would be OT since they are short staffed.... not to mention your sanity. She is already burned out. I myself, am in an IP state and private company with insurance. I see all pts from home (no COVID) & I make my own schedule and am doing 4 x 8 hrs to start. Money is not worth QOL/sanity. At the FQHC I did rotations in, they allowed PMHNP to do 4 x 10 or 5 x 8. DNP also started at 120 instead of 90-100k

Wow that sounds really great! I would love a make your own schedule type job with those hours. I agree money isn't work QOL or sanity

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

The Urgent Cares that I've worked at generally put full-time at 4 shifts/week.  I'm now going to work at an Emergency Department; 120 hours/4 weeks is considered full time by the practice, with shifts being generally 10 or 12 hours long.

[Rnis, BSN, DNP, APRN, NP]

On 8/13/2021 at 8:39 PM, KYNurse123 said:

Wow that sounds really great! I would love a make your own schedule type job with those hours. I agree money isn't work QOL or sanity

So one thing I didn't realize....is when you start... you have a lot of power.   So think of the schedule you want....and ask for it.  After you have agreed to a schedule they are much less accomodating. I have a great schedule....but I would have thought out what I wanted more if I had to do it over