RN job with 'normal' hours?

LineaAspera · Apr 17, 2014

I love what Conqueror+ said on other comment:

Wow. Accusing the OP of being, selfish, immature,whiny etc.. because she asked a question is a bit much. In my 20 years I have learned a very valuable lesson. Don't let anyone dictate your career path. I come from a family of RN's and everybody told me Ihad to "pay my dues" and work in a hospital when I graduated. Well that was a lie because I wasn't going to work anywhere for almost the same $$ I was making as a CNA through an agency. I found a job as a dialysis nurse and went through their training program (which still exists BTW). After a year of that I became a travel nurse and the rest is lucrative history. I was making more than my mom a 20 year veteran RN by my 3rd year as a nurse. My point is people give you their opinion on what it takes to be a good nurse or a real nurse or whatever "I am the real thing" comparison they come up with. Nursing doesn't have to be some mighty all consuming fire that burns down your life and sits in its place. The martyr look is out. There are options and you can cut your own path if you are smart, creative, and ignore the finger wagging know it alls. I can count the number of holidays I have worked in 20 years. I eventually made it to M/S but for the money and schedule I wanted. There is more than one way to be a nurse and if God and family are most important to you tell him that in prayer and put those things first. He will bless you with a position that won't interfere with them. IGNORE anyone who tells you otherwise. Hang in there.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Apr 17, 2014

I love what Conqueror+ said on other comment:
Wow. Accusing the OP of being, selfish, immature,whiny etc.. because she asked a question is a bit much. In my 20 years I have learned a very valuable lesson. Don't let anyone dictate your career path. I come from a family of RN's and everybody told me Ihad to "pay my dues" and work in a hospital when I graduated. Well that was a lie because I wasn't going to work anywhere for almost the same $$ I was making as a CNA through an agency. I found a job as a dialysis nurse and went through their training program (which still exists BTW). After a year of that I became a travel nurse and the rest is lucrative history. I was making more than my mom a 20 year veteran RN by my 3rd year as a nurse. My point is people give you their opinion on what it takes to be a good nurse or a real nurse or whatever "I am the real thing" comparison they come up with. Nursing doesn't have to be some mighty all consuming fire that burns down your life and sits in its place. The martyr look is out. There are options and you can cut your own path if you are smart, creative, and ignore the finger wagging know it alls. I can count the number of holidays I have worked in 20 years. I eventually made it to M/S but for the money and schedule I wanted. There is more than one way to be a nurse and if God and family are most important to you tell him that in prayer and put those things first. He will bless you with a position that won't interfere with them. IGNORE anyone who tells you otherwise. Hang in there.

I saw no one make any such accusations of the OP.

Fiona59 · Apr 17, 2014

Belief in God is all well and good. But there is real life and seniority rules in Canadian institutionalized nursing.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2014

I am starting a position that is Monday-Friday 0700-1530, a management role.

Clinics are often day shifts too. Sometimes OR or PACU is as well. However, I would always prefer a decent working enviroment over the hours anytime. If you don't enjoy your workplace then the actual schedule won't matter.

LineaAspera · Apr 18, 2014

i was more speaking about this part of the convo:

Nursing doesn't have to be some mighty all consuming fire that burns down your life and sits in its place. The martyr look is out. There are options and you can cut your own path if you are smart, creative, and ignore the finger wagging know it alls. I can count the number of holidays I have worked in 20 years.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2014

I've read through the responses. I don't see anyone being harsh towards the OP here. They are honest. You might be able to find those hours straight out of school, and there is no harm in trying.

However, most new grads will not find Mon- Friday days, especially in this economy with all the cutbacks.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Apr 18, 2014

OR and PACU usually require a good portion of on-call, meaning that you may be able to go to a family gathering with your significant others, but you'll have to take your pager and two cars. You'll also have to abstain from adult beverages and be close enough to your workplace to get there within a reasonable time as determined by your employer. We have a 20-25 minute response time requirement at my hospital. And I don't know any managers who work only 8 hours a day.

Fiona59 · Apr 18, 2014

i was more speaking about this part of the convo:
Nursing doesn't have to be some mighty all consuming fire that burns down your life and sits in its place. The martyr look is out. There are options and you can cut your own path if you are smart, creative, and ignore the finger wagging know it alls. I can count the number of holidays I have worked in

Where in this conversation did you find this?

Problems arise here when Americans post with their opinion which bear very little reality in our world of nursing. It's just not good form to drag in quotations from other threads.

Trishrpn80 · Apr 18, 2014

You can work community nursing but pay is lower and its never really 9-5. There is a lot of work that gets done on your home time and you still work every other weekend.

No one has been harsh to the op either. We speak the truth. It may come across negatively but i grew up in the nursing world because my mom is a nurse so i knew the expectations and nursing has changed a lot over the years and it hasn't always beem for the better.

lemur00, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2014

You'll have more luck if you're flexible enough to take a position that includes 8 hr day/evening and weekends, on call or 12 hr weekday rotations (eg interventional radiology, endoscopy, clinics, OR). As mentioned, the big thing is being willing to do a job that has an on call component.

You could probably move into middle management (especially in LTC) after a few years. I don't know about other regions but we also have clinical educators and resource nurses for each unit who work M-F 7-1530. However I would argue those positions really need someone with serious experience to be able to do the job well. That isn't about "paying dues" but about actually being an asset to the unit.

You have to have a BILLION years of seniority to even think about PH or any "desk job". Much better to work out a compromise of some type. That said, if you're going to start a family in three years, then you don't need a M-F job for another eight to nine years (when your first child starts school). By that time it shouldn't be too difficult to find something.

kp1987 · Apr 21, 2014

Have you ever tried going grocery shopping or to the mall on a Saturday? This makes me happy I work weekends!

agiboma, BSN, MSN, NP · Apr 21, 2014

@OP the best option is public health. I did my final consolidation in public health and was offered to stay on after graduation. This may work for you to help get your feet in the door. Good luck.