RN 40 hours/week Job Postings

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 6, 2020

32 hours/week may qualify as receiving the same benefits; however, most facilities prorate the FTE. Someone working 40 hours/week is 1.0 FTE, someone working 36 hours/week is 0.9FTE, someone working 32 hours/week is 0.8FTE. It is not full time pay (ie, the same as working 40 hours per week) but rather in relation solely to benefits. I spent 13 years working direct clinical care 8 hours shifts, 5 days a week. I found it less exhausting than 12 hour shifts. To each their own. Hospitals may be offering those 40 hours/week because what they're finding is that applicants want the shorter shifts rather than the fewer (but longer) work days.

Wuzzie · Apr 7, 2020

This ^ and I think more hospitals are offering varying shifts. Although 12s will likely never go away they seem to be losing their appeal in some circles. I’m currently working 8s but have done every type of shift in my career. Honestly, I prefer the 8s but that may be because I’m older. Even 10s exhaust me and nothing beats getting off at 4pm in the Summer.

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Apr 7, 2020

20 hours ago, Newnurse24 said:
However, when I got into Nursing, many nurses have told me that 32 hours a week is full-time

Maybe it's regional, but I've worked in several different states and have never heard of 32 hours being the standard for full-time. If hospitals operate on 12-hour shifts, then 36-hour weeks (3 12s) are generally considered the default for 'full-time,' and you drop your FTE (full-time employment) status down when you take fewer shits.

Assuming you're in a facility that does 12-hour shifts, the nurses you've been talking to may do 0.75 FTE (60 hours ever two weeks, working three shifts every other week and two shifts on the alternating weeks).

As @Rose_Queen said, the more you drop down your FTE status, the fewer benefits you'll be eligible for. Different employers may have different standards for what qualified as "full-time" in order to receive benefits. Some might say at least 0.75 FTE (three shifts one week, two the next) is "full-time," others might say at least 0.6 FTE (two shifts a week) is "full-time."

Regardless, as a new grad, you'll almost certainly start out truly full-time: 3 12-hour shifts (36 hrs/week), 4 10-hour shifts (40 hrs/week), or 5 8-hour shifts (40 hrs/week). It is very difficult to find new grad programs which well let you start out with less, and in my experience, many places won't let new hires drop down below true "full time" until after they've been on the unit for a minimum amount of time (often at least a year).

It's quite possible that at your hospital, 32 hrs/week is still considered "full-time" for the sake of getting benefits, but that doesn't mean that the 32 hrs/week schedule will be available to you as a new grad.

If you're being hired to do 12s and they're advertising 40 hours per week, it's possible that they're factoring additional classroom time and education into your schedule. I was new-to-specialty at my last job, and the unit was very education-heavy. At least every other week I had 3 12-hour shifts, plus 4 hours of classroom time (I literally had over 100 hours of paid classroom time in less than a year). New grad residencies often have classes, seminars, and mentor meetings, which could take you past your scheduled 36 hours.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 7, 2020

I work 3-12s (36 hours) and am considered FTE 0.9

LovingLife123 · Apr 8, 2020

40 hours could be 4 10s or 5 8s. No way!! My 3 12s suit me just fine. I’m .9 FTE. I like my 4 days off.

Newnurse24 · Apr 8, 2020

The current hospital where I work is only 8 hours shift. There are still a few 3 12s because these employees have worked there for a very long time.

The problem with this current institution is that almost everyone works 4 8s or less. When I started working here, everyone asked me If I was doing 5 8s. I did and It was awful, especially because I have a family.

Every single nurse in my unit told me that I was insane for working so much, But it wasn't even a choice. I took what I could as a new graduate, desperate to get experience and a job.

Most of the nurses there are upset with HR because every single Job Post is 5 8s= 40 hours/week.

People in this hospital don't want to leave their current unit and commitment because if they apply for the new open full-time positions, every single open position is 5 8s.

I was lucky enough that my supervisor approached me a few months ago and asked me If I wanted to reduce my hours from 40 to whatever I wanted, so I asked for 32! 4 8s.

I looked at other hospitals and another state nearby, and all the full-time job posts say 40 hours/week.

Every single nurse that I come across, says they can only work 24 hours because they have a family or children. Which makes me feel like a horrible mother.