Nursing; Single Mother; are all nursing jobs 12 hr shifts?

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Jun 28, 2008

Plenty of doctor's offices have 9-5 hours.....

angel337, MSN, RN · Jun 28, 2008

i think its good that you are thoroughly researching the career before you venture into it because so many people come out of school and are shocked because they are required to work weekends, holidays and rotating shifts. to break it down simply, its hard to get a day shift, office position as a new grad. sure there are excpetions to the rule but its not the norm. most require at least 1-2 years of hospital experience. i am not a single mom and sometimes the 12 hour shifts are hard on us as a family. the good part is that you have 3-4 days off. there are a lot of things to consider before choosing nursing as a career. good luck with your decision.

Drysolong · Jun 28, 2008

Depending on size and location of city you live in, there is often childcare available that take into consideration 12-hour nursing shifts. As mentioned before, doctor's offices, or clinics and LTC, school nurses, (and some hospitals) have 8-hour options.

nursegreen · Jun 28, 2008

There are other options besides 12hr shifts. In my area we are only required to work three 12's a week. I worked Sun, Mon, off Tues, worked Wed, and then had five days off. I work in ICU and we only do 12hr shifts in the units but the med surg floors offer other shifts as well as 12hr. There are child care programs that offer services depending on your area. Good Luck!!!!!

bubbly · Jun 28, 2008

maybe being a school nurse? I know people who have started as a new grad, just have to have a bachelors degree in my state. Hours seem comparable to that of a teacher.

christine_chapel · Jun 28, 2008

This is going to depend on where you work. Some hospitals, nursing homes, etc. staff only 12 hour shifts, some staff only 8 hour shifts. Some vary according to unit. A very few even vary within the unit; where I work now, we had a mix of 8 hour folks and 12 hour folks up until May. They moved us all to the same thing (12 hours) just this month because scheduling everyone was getting to be a nightmare without creating 4 hour holes!

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Jun 28, 2008

our ICU does 3-12 hour shifts, or 2- 8hr, 2-12 hour shifts a week. times vary, some 3 am to 3 pm, some 7 am to 7 pm, some 7am to 3 pm, some 3 pm to 11 pm. it takes all kinds. when our children were young my husband and i both worked 12-14 hour days with no help from our families, they lived too far away. we got a good nanny to come to the house and the kids benefitted from their time with her. kids are resilant that way. if you're happy, they will be too. straight day jobs are difficult to find in a hospital. we all put our time in on less ideal shifts....this too will pass.

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 28, 2008

Be sure to research your local job market before making a decision. Yes, there are 8-hour nursing jobs -- but that doesn't mean they are available for new graduates in your local area. In many places, the jobs mentioned above require a few years of nursing experience. A new graduate would have little or no chance of actually getting one of those jobs. However, in some communities, there are 8-hour shift jobs that are available to a new grad.

I've seen many new grads be shocked after graduation when they realize that they have to compete for the most attractive jobs in nursing -- compete against nurses with years of experience to offer an employer. They mistakenly believe that every possible nursing job is available to them as a new grad. That is not true.

So ... find out the what the job opportunities are for new grads in your area. Don't base your decision on what might be available for some nurses somewhere else.

I also recommend talking (or communicating here) with some single mothers in situations similar to yours. People make it work (with 12-hour shifts) every day. If you really want to be a nurse, don't assume "I can't do it." Focus instead on "How do they make it work?"

Good luck to you.

Jo Dirt · Jun 28, 2008

There are many single mothers with no support system who went to school and finished and became nurses.

Look at it this way: NO support system is better than a resentful nonsupportive spouse who drags you down.

You don't have to pile up mounds of debt to go to nursing school. I'm always saying this on here, but it is good advice--why don't you go through an LPN program at the local vocational school before tackling an RN license. It only takes a year and you can get pell grants to help you pay. I know they even have programs to help you pay for child care.

On top of that, as an LPN you can make better money when you are trying to get through RN school than working at the convenience store or mall. I found a job as a private duty LPN on the night shift. Most of the time I was sitting and this is when I studied for RN school. I made over $200 a night doing this.

I work 8 hr. shifts, it is not unheard of in nursing. Even if you had to work 12 hr. shifts, you would figure out how to manage. A lot of nurses have to.