Nursing hours

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If you make a mistake as a teacher, it's highly doubtful anyone will die as a result. I'm not saying teaching isn't stressful; a good friend of mine was a teacher, but it's not a life and death profession.

Sure, but how many times have you made a mistake as a nurse that resulted in absolutely no harm to the patient? Not every misstep in nursing is a life or death situation.

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Do not do nursing. I am older now and wiser and wish I had gone into something else.

Nursing hours are not family friendly. I have known so many gf's who have missed out on their kids birthdays, or who have been exhausted taking their kids out, then had to cut their outings short cos they had to go home & sleep for nights, or who went to nights with no sleep. Nursing takes over your world.

And 3 x 12's is not just 12 hour shifts: quite often you have to stay back to do charting, and then there's the drive home. Depending on where u live, by the time you get out of work, add maybe another hour onto your journey. And the way the economy is in other countries, I doubt u will find a job close to your home.

I also know friends who's marriages have suffered due to the shift work and not seeing their partners very much. It is horrible having to say bye to your other half, when they've just come in from work and your leaving, just horrible. U never get to spend much time together, or to talk re problems.

And you won't be able to choose an 8-5 job. I doubt very much a new graduate would be able to walk into a doctor's office job like that with no experience.

I urge you very strongly to look at another career. Do not do nursing, unless ur willing to sacrifice alot of family time, have a lot of flexible babysitters, and to have nursing take over your life.

I'm regretful I did this job. It is not a career, it is soul sucking. Now I'm older it's harder to handle - travelling is the worse part - and your body aches more. I'ts easier when ur younger, but not as you age. I am so glad I have other skills to fall back on & when my debts are paid, I am gone from nursing.

let's not forget many places do two 8s and two 12s. and the 12s end up being 13s many times. some jobs you can get 5 eight hour shifts but those are usually evenings or nights. straight days 7-3pm are VERY VERY hard to find and my facility does not allow this for any floor nurse even with 30 years seniority. getting into a doctor's office is next to impossible for a new grad in most areas. and many hire only mas or lpns

joanna73, BSN, RN

4,767 Posts

Specializes in geriatrics.

While in theory we should be able to work part time, it doesn't happen often. I am part time, but working full time hours. I don't want to work full time, but we are always short, and they are always asking. Yes, I say no. But....you have to be willing to go in for some extra shifts sometimes. This is common everywhere. Lots of unemployed nurses, yet we work short.

This I definitely do not care for.

RNfaster

488 Posts

I know you didn't mean to offend... In general, I think the term "girls" is used by many and is not meant to be anything but friendly. BUT I do think it worth changing (discarding in the workplace) --because I think words can create reality/culture. I hope I didn't offend you with my comments, either.

As you get more experience, your options will change as a nurse. I wish you luck! Long-term care / rehab places often have a 0700 to 1500 shift. If you get into a good place with decent ratios - say 15 or 18 pts --it might be more palatable... If you took a part-time hospital job in med/surg and then transitioned to PACU or preOp, you might get better hours to suit your family...

Best of luck!!!

GivingLove

108 Posts

Hi rnfaster, I don't take any offense. Its totally ok. I understand. I don't like dealing with the elderly poop and all that that's why I don't think I'd do long term care. I'm not sure what I would be interested in doing besides kids. I'd like to work at a valley children's somewhere. For all the people who are nurses already, any in California and if so, are they very flexible with hours and family?

roemerr

87 Posts

If you make a mistake as a teacher, it's highly doubtful anyone will die as a result. I'm not saying teaching isn't stressful; a good friend of mine was a teacher, but it's not a life and death profession.

Those going into nursing know they are dealing with life or death situations at times and yes, that is a very different kind of stress. The field of teaching is full of stress as well. As a teacher you get very attached to students and hear many things that pull at your heart strings and many times there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Kids bring weapons to school, frequently harm themselves and others, die from tragic accidents and foolish teenage behaviors, and you are left to help the other students' cope. In my career I have dealt with suicide, death from car accidents, kids from abusive homes, kids who have threatened my life and had the weapons on them to follow through, kids who beg me not to report how they skipped class because they feared being sent back to jail, and kids with deep psychological problems (I had a teenage girl balled up under a desk meowing like a cat for over an hour before authorities came to remove her). I know as a nurse I'm sure you have many stories as well, but please do not belittle the stress involved as a public school teacher.

roemerr

87 Posts

That's not true, the pay is very reasonable.

Pay in my area is way below the pay of nurses. Especially if you compare salaries after a few years of experience.

As a teacher I have worked a lot more hours than what the general public thinks teachers work. One year my principal expected me to miss my own daughter's high school graduation, so that I could film the graduation ceremony at the school I worked at. I found another faculty member to take on that responsibility, but I still had to edit the video and prepare the disk for all the graduates who wanted copies. This was hours of work I did not get paid to do.

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I worked 8-5 (supposedly) hours for years and years in hospitals. I can't say it was any better than shift work. Some units were good, but during day hours, there are more problems and people to deal with. I very often went in early and stayed late, just to keep up with the work. My phone in one very busy plastics unit would ring with at least 100 phone calls per day, & that didn't include the countless voicemails left. If I was sick (very rare), there was no replacement and I would have double the work to do when I came back, then I'd have to stay late to get caught up - it was a never-ending circle. Coming back after public holidays was a nightmare.

I think it's just the hospital/health care environment - it's always busy.

The 8-5 or 9-5 job can be just as stressful, if not more so, but it was nice when the clock ticked over to 5pm on a Friday as I would be out of there. I stopped working back Friday nights as you'd get more work piled on you. After 5pm on a Friday, everything that happened was the w/end NMs responsibility. I used to literally run out the door so no-one would chase me in the corridor, and nip down the stairs so they wouldn't catch me in the lift.

Good times...

mazy

932 Posts

Just another note: I cringed when I saw the term "girls." :uhoh3: With that, you inadvertently excluded all the men (would you have called them boys???) in the nursing field and diminished (however inadvertently/innocently) the status of the women in the field. Nurses are professionals and adults. I don't really like the term "girls" for women, but if it must be used, I'd rather it be in a non-professional context. --I also don't like the term "girls" for CNAs. I think it's important to pay attention to terminology we use. Good luck!

I believe that the preferred term now is "bat." Gender neutral, and can be adapted to circumstance: see "crusty old," "baby," and "vampire," or "batty," for those nurses who are overworked and over stressed, "bat-s**t crazy" to refer to many individuals we encounter througout the day.:D

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/im-grateful-you-645885.html

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