Shift availability for nurses in Cali (& elsewhere)

[NewJA]

I am wondering what are the commonly available shifts for nurses in California, and in the nation in general. This is crucial to me, because I am starting a bachelor's nursing program in January and I need to know if I can expect to work at hours that will be congruous with my own life. Of course, i am talking about hospitals primarily here, but other considerations are noteworthy also.

It seems that I have heard and read (I have posted this question here before, last year) that the common shifts for hospitals (and maybe any other places, I do not know) are 7 pm to 7 am and 7 am to 7 pm. Neither of those shifts is even remotely acceptable to me. When I heard that, I just shrugged it off as unfeasible that the hospitals, etc... would limit their own pool of potential employees by only offering such terrible hours and I also could not believe that the nurses themselves would allow such a condition to occur. After all, nurses have enormous and unprecedented bargaining power right now... why would they accept such terrible hours as their only option? Long story short, I didn't believe it when I heard it, and none of the info has sounded very all-inclusive... It has occurred to me that urgently I need to learn the truth of this matter.

I may need to be able to start sometime from 10 am or later, and quit sometime before approximately 2 am.

Is it true that most shifts in the nation would require me to work at those hours? What about alternative nursing positions.... non hospital jobs, or anything else that you can think of?

Thank you for your help,

J

[caliotter3]

There are many places of employment that offer multiple shift combinations for certain positions. You need to research job listings and inquire at hospitals to find these opportunities. If you can't find what you want, then you will just have to realize that you have to adapt yourself and find the best compromise.

Once you have experience, you might consider home health, where there is a bigger possibility for flexibility. Good luck with your future work plans. Hope that you can find something that is good for you.

[fergus51]

I don't know any hospitals that have 12 hour shifts fitting in the hours you've mentionned. I know several that have 3p-11p. I personally would only work the 7-7 shifts.

[smile123]

I am wondering what are the commonly available shifts for nurses in California, and in the nation in general. This is crucial to me, because I am starting a bachelor's nursing program in January and I need to know if I can expect to work at hours that will be congruous with my own life. Of course, i am talking about hospitals primarily here, but other considerations are noteworthy also.

It seems that I have heard and read (I have posted this question here before, last year) that the common shifts for hospitals (and maybe any other places, I do not know) are 7 pm to 7 am and 7 am to 7 pm. Neither of those shifts is even remotely acceptable to me. When I heard that, I just shrugged it off as unfeasible that the hospitals, etc... would limit their own pool of potential employees by only offering such terrible hours and I also could not believe that the nurses themselves would allow such a condition to occur. After all, nurses have enormous and unprecedented bargaining power right now... why would they accept such terrible hours as their only option? Long story short, I didn't believe it when I heard it, and none of the info has sounded very all-inclusive... It has occurred to me that urgently I need to learn the truth of this matter.

I may need to be able to start sometime from 10 am or later, and quit sometime before approximately 2 am.

Is it true that most shifts in the nation would require me to work at those hours? What about alternative nursing positions.... non hospital jobs, or anything else that you can think of?

Thank you for your help,

J

I work at a hospital that has 8 and 12 hour shifts. I work the evening (swing) shift from 3pm to 11:30pm, 4 days a week. The am shift is 7am to 3:30pm and the night shift is 11pm to 7:30am. It sounds like you would be perfect for the swing shift. There are other places that do 12 hour shifts but instead of 7am to 7pm (3 days a week), they may do 3pm to 3am (that may not work for you).

The other alternative is to work for a clinic. They usually have M-F, from 8am to 4:30pm, no weekends. The pay is lower than hospitals and they usually like people to have experience. But those places do exist.

To clarify: the reason a lot of nurses work the 7am to 7pm (and they rotate monthly) is that they only have to work 3 days a week. The other 4 days are spent doing their own thing. They also have to work every other weekend. So they have a trade off: 4 days free time in return for 3 - 12 hour shifts a week. Sometimes, you can bunch up your work for a 2 week period such that you can work 6 days in a row and have a week off the following week. But most places don't like nurses to do that (it's a potential burnout situation and could be unsafe for everyone).

Feel free to PM me if you want. Good luck!

[TazziRN, RN]

Different hospitals have all kinds of shifts, you just need to research them. Home health is very flexible but to work home health most agencies require hospital experience first, and your orientation will be 8-5 (or similar) until you're out on your own.

Keep one thing in mind: if you are so inflexible in what hours are acceptable, you will have problems finding a nursing job in the beginning. The flexibility doesn't come until you have paid your dues, which include working hours you don't want. Most new grads (not all, most) end up starting out on nights.