Nursing Career Choices...

[CarrieBarden]

I am a nurse with almost five years experience and work in intensive care. However, I am interested in exploring a different specialty. I really enjoy what I do (except for some compassion fatigue at times) but weekends and ESPECIALLY holidays make my position less thab desirable since i don't live near my family.

What are some different nursing specialties that allow most weekends off and don't require holidays? The only one i can think of is Same Day Surgery but i know very little about it. Any input on that specialty or any other would be appreciated. I'm not looking at something like a school nurse or something like that because i couldn't live off of that kind of salary.

Also, is there any position out there that still works you for three 12 hour shifts without weekends or holidays?

Ok....shoot. :)

[Student Mom to Three]

Endo! It has worked out to be days with no weekends or holidays for me. Not twelve hour shifts, though. Unfortunately I work 5 days per week. There are always trade offs...

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

If its a priority to maintain a comparable salary, any hospital-based 'procedural' area probably would be a good fit - such as PPs suggestion of Endo. However, with increasing pressure to minimize length of stay hospitals are beginning to eliminate the old "bankers' hours" schedules for these departments in order to minimize wait times. So you may discover that they are extending hours and requiring after-hours call. In these cases you may be able to obtain 12 hour shifts, but have to take call on a regular basis ....

[llg, PhD, RN]

Staff educators may work some of those shifts -- but often work fewer of them. Similarly, jobs like Infection Control Specialist, etc. often work mostly Monday-Friday day shifts.