Schedules of Nurses and I am scared to start working as ED nurse

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I know nurses have 3 shifts-am, midshift, night. I want to know if youre assigned in a shift, how many weeks will you work on that shift? I am a new US nurse, but I ve been working as ED nurse in the Philippines for 3 years. Our 8hours shifts there changes every 15 days which was crazy, crazy x100. Crazy like after your night shift, you will have one day off then after that go to an am shift. (That was my least favorite shift transition ahha) But I survived. ?

I will start working next month. I will have 3 months training. But I am soo scared. I want to know what should I do to prepare myself. I stopped working for a year because I focused on my immigration papers here in the US and also studied and took the NCLEX plus transferring to another state because hubby was relocated. So, I need guidance and advices on what to do to prepare myself. Thanks!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Scheduling is going to depend on your facility. What did they offer you? I worked nights for years, mids for years, days for a bit, but I did not switch around that often.

How long is your orientation?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

Not sure about where you're going, but at the hospitals I've worked at, you self-schedule (and hope to get what you want). If you rotate, they usually require you schedule your required amount of weekend days, nights, and my old job required a certain # of Mondays and Fridays. Never a guarantee you'll get what you want, though. And I've only done day/night 12s, so for midshifts, not sure how that works. Good luck!

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, Med-Surg/Tele, LTC.

Every facility (sometimes even department) handles scheduling differently. At my current place we self-schedule 12hr shifts, at another place we had set blocks of 12 hr shifts. Neither place rotated between nights and days though.

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Thank you guys! I'm so excited and nervous you start working next week.

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Specializes in ER.

you get whatever shift is available when hired, then you stay on that shift until YOU request a change or your manager may offer you one but that is rare. In the US you have much more control of your schedule. I have never seen a hospital that operates the way yours did.

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