Overtime

laughingfairy · Nov 17, 2003

I do two weekend 16 hour shifts a week. but I live literaly 10 minutes from my job.

Is it stressful? Yes. Am I tired? yes. Do I find it anyworse than doing 12 hours? no.

But to be honest with you I find that I am more tired through out the week, being a full time mother of a 4 year-old and a 6 month old, and a full time homemaker. The girls wear me out. I've only slept more than 5 hours straight 5 or 6 times since January. Those nights that I did were Saturdays when my husband got up with the kids and I was able to "sleep in" until 6 am to be at work by 7 (That includes in the hospital after an emergency c-section and while on maternity leave).

I do work LTC and alot of the lifting is done with lifts and we have a lot of really good CNAs who do most of the physical aspects of the job. (Except for treatments, pushing a 150 # med cart for 4, two hour med passes)

But don't ask me to come in for a shift during the week cause it's not happening. And this past week where I had inservices Monday through Thurs, I was really a mess.

Personally I find it a matter of routine. I will continue to look foward to my weekends. I enjoy being a nurse and I enjoy interacting with my residents and staff. (read: wow there are people over 40 inches tall in the world) I find myself walking away from a weekend with the sensation that I have been able to complete a few things and provided good competent care. Things that I did not feel that I was doing when I worked 8 hours, when I found myself passing on because I had to run as soon as my 8 were up to get my oldest from daycare.

So I guess what it boils down to is we all can tolerate different things.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2003

I work to live, not live to work, so I do not understand your philosophy. But the answer to your question is most hospitals will not allow >16 hr due to patient safety. We are strict with paying OT and had a nurse complain the other day because someone who did not have in all her hours was given his 4th 12-hr day so both would have full pay that week. Made him mad because he has big truck, boat, etc and has created a lifestyle in which he MUST work OT in order to pay for stuff he has no time to enjoy. Was so selfish about it, I thought, because he did not care that the other nurse had kids to support. Weird to me.

healingtouchRN · Nov 17, 2003

sure I do 17-18 hours alot. Need the $$$....esp @ holiday time.

PMHNP10 · Nov 17, 2003

Originally posted by amyindallas
Well there are PLENTY of nurses that go straight into ICU after graduation.....and it's not that hard to find.....why do ALOT of hospitals offer internships for new grads then? And thanks, but no thanks, for your suggestion of first starting out on a telemetry floor first. There have been plenty who have done it, and done fine, and there's no reason that I can't either. Excuse me for being ambitious.

Interesting how many times on this forum I've heard people put down new graduates' thoughts of going straight into ICU. I really don't understand the logic behind this. True, the patients are usually more acutely sick, but note the word usually. Yes, you need very sharp assessment skills; yes you need to be able to prioritize; I understand this. Here is the thing, though, you need this for a floor position as well. Things go wrong just as easily, except you don't typically have the monitors to alert you of such things. In addition, it's not uncommon to take care of a floor patient who should for all intents and purposes be in the ICU. The difference being that on the floor you have 6, 7, 8, ...12 others to care for as well. I wouldn't wish my worst enemy on such a fate.

Granted you do have alot more to learn to become an ICU nurse, but over the course of 4-6 months accompanied by a strong drive, who has the right to say you can't do it (or shouldn't do it)and become a competent ICU nurse?

As for overtime, there is no guarantee. I know when I graduated in Waco, my first job scheduled me for 44 hrs/wk and it wasn't too bad--well the job and my charge nurse sucked, but the hours weren't too bad.

I know that at my current hospital in Dallas the ICU internship is done through Parkland, which will give you a wide array of experiences (they use Parkland because my hospital is much more specialized). Over the course of 4 months you will get experience in the OR, Trauma, Burn unit, and any other critical care units. I understand it is a wonderful experience. I was talking to one of the charge RNs of the unit last night and she told me in the last 2 yrs(length of her employment here), noone has quit during the orientation.

OBNurseShelley · Nov 18, 2003

Originally posted by canoehead
THis hospital dumped JCAHO a few years ago (thank God)

HOW THE HECK DOES THAT WORK? I know JCAHO is a pain in the tush sometimes, but I wouldn't want to work in a hospital that wasn't JCAHO accreditted.

Pretzlgl · Nov 18, 2003

Originally posted by purplemania
I work to live, not live to work, so I do not understand your philosophy. But the answer to your question is most hospitals will not allow >16 hr due to patient safety. We are strict with paying OT and had a nurse complain the other day because someone who did not have in all her hours was given his 4th 12-hr day so both would have full pay that week. Made him mad because he has big truck, boat, etc and has created a lifestyle in which he MUST work OT in order to pay for stuff he has no time to enjoy. Was so selfish about it, I thought, because he did not care that the other nurse had kids to support. Weird to me.

I am so with you on this. Don't create all the debt in the first place and boy are you free. I am talking extraneous debt here, not necessary debt (mortgage, school loans, etc.) I will not spend more of my life at work than at home.

a_clay · Nov 20, 2003

Originally posted by Pretzlgl
I am so with you on this. Don't create all the debt in the first place and boy are you free. I am talking extraneous debt here, not necessary debt (mortgage, school loans, etc.) I will not spend more of my life at work than at home.

Well, that would be my reason for wanting the OT...to pay of student loans. I am not about piling on debt. Right before I started school I was almost debt free....and that's where I'd like to get and stay. That's why I worked so hard before..I was 30k in debt and then until recently I was only $2.5k in debt. I came a long way from where I was. I don't have a lifestyle that would require me to work OT just to live. As a matter of fact, I am doing fine on a part time job. I just don't like the student loan debt.

Pretzlgl · Nov 20, 2003

Originally posted by amyindallas
Well, that would be my reason for wanting the OT...to pay of student loans. I am not about piling on debt. Right before I started school I was almost debt free....and that's where I'd like to get and stay. That's why I worked so hard before..I was 30k in debt and then until recently I was only $2.5k in debt. I came a long way from where I was. I don't have a lifestyle that would require me to work OT just to live. As a matter of fact, I am doing fine on a part time job. I just don't like the student loan debt.

That's great - it took awhile for me to pay off my student loans too. But I'm mostly talking about credit card debt, etc. The stuff we can live without. "Don't let your wants overcome your needs" is what my father-in-law says - and it's great advice.

Getting to a point where a part time job suffices must be great. I found out a long time ago that all the "toys" don't create anymore happiness - but no longer living paycheck to paycheck - now that's priceless to me.