Nursing Questions

Hello all, I had a few questions about the nursing profession.

1. Hours: are they consistent every week, or changing on a week to week basis? For example, are there opportunities to work Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8am-6pm (completely made up days/hour, but you get the picture) or is it all varying from week to week?

2. Vacation time: how much do you have? What should be expected?

3. Government(county) nursing jobs: how does this work? I recently came across openings with my county (I live in IL) and the starting pay was ~27 hourly. Does this increase with experience? What kind of salary can I expect after say 10 years experience?

4. Salaries: what is the real salary for a nurse?

5. Best industry: what is the best industry to practice for and why?

6. Male nurse: as you know I am a male, will this affect the opportunities I have for a career? Will I be discriminated? How will other people look at me in the medical professions?

As far as hours go...typically it's 7-7 or 6-6 in a hospital setting. Sometimes they have mid or evening shifts like 11-11 or 3-3.

**With the exception of OR sometimes. I see 8 hours here 5am-1pm.**

In an office setting more like a 9-5pm kind of thing.

Days may vary from week to week. This week may be Tuesday Thursday Friday, then Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Depending on the unit. Some are able to work specific days each week if there is someone else to cover. Usually everyone is required to work a certain number of weekends. Because its not fair to make one person give up their weekends every weekend.

Men are always welcome in the profession!!!! Don't worry. You are not up for discrimination or anything like that as a whole. There may be cases (as there are with any profession) but you should certainly pursue the career.

I don't know about salaries. Check the Bureau of Labor Statistics for that one.

Vacation days are up to the employer and type of facility. Usually if you work full time, it's roughly 3 weeks. More or less depending on your employer.

That's about all I know for now. Hope someone is able to answer your other questions! Best of luck!

Oh! Nursing homes or LTC may also have more 12 hour shifts available sometimes. 7-3, 3-11, 11-7. Or variations of the sort.

Nursing homes typically pay a few dollars better than hospitals.

There are also phone triage nurses. They work weird hours too.

School nurses! They work during the school year, summers off. And depending on elementary, middle or high school they work a roughly 8-10 hr shift. :)

Allnurses has a forum for Men in Nursing that you can utilize as well: Men in Nursing

Good luck in your future endeavors!