NurseSara

I forgot to mention that my hospital has 3 shifts, so there’s options! Also, out of the 7 new grad hired on their previous new grad program, only one had to work nights. I told my boss that I’m open to evenings, bc I could figure out child care much more easily that way. Thankfully, my hospital does 8’s on the medsurge floor. So my daughter goes to school in the morning (I pay someone to do that since I leave my house at 6:10-but it’s only 2 hours of pay)and I pick her up in the evening.

I was hired into a new grad program straight out of school and am getting to the end of my orientation period. I was hired, but never given a specific “position” (shift), although I have been training on day shift. I was told that at the end of orientation, I would internally apply for a full time position on my med surge floor. It was never implied that I would be on one shift verses another, but I sort of assumed I would be on days, or that they would create a day shift position for me if there weren’t any available (That’s what I was told from a nurse who was hired into the new grad program last year). Now, they’re saying that there’s only night shifts available. Unfortunatley, I’m a single mom and can’t work the night shift, as I don’t have anyone to watch my child, and can’t afford to pay a nanny, as her preschool is already costing me $700/month. if it weren’t for the child care issue, I would be glad to work any shift available, but I can’t change my situation! I don’t want to seem inflexible, or have them regret hiring me bc I’m a single mom, but I’m doing the best I can! My boss has been made aware of the situation, but I haven’t really received an answer yet. There are shifts open on other floors, but they don’t put new grads (understandably) on tele, icu, pacu, or OR. There was never a conversation of availability when I was hired, and technically I’m not in the union yet bc it’s before my 90 days. I don’t want to lose this job. Could they let me go bc I can’t work the only shift that’s available right now? Any insight/experience with a similar situation would be appreciated!

Wow, I’m sorry your school is so unorganized. As someone else said, it sounds like your school just sucks. What I’m getting from you is that it’s not the actual nursing field you don’t like, it’s the way your school is executing things. Stay positive. The more you tell yourself you HATE nursing school, the more you’re going to HATE nursing school! Don’t let these irrelevancies distract you! Sometimes we have to learn how to take things less personally- easier said than done I know. Do you enjoy learning about theory/the human body in general? Do you enjoy connecting with the patients? Try to focus on the things you enjoy, or you’re going to make yourself miserable. And if you find that you really don’t enjoy nursing, then continuing is not going to make you happy. We need happy nurses to have happy patients!