Shift work - why???

[mom2cka]

Sorry - a bit of a rant. Thanks in advance for listening - if anyone has creative ways they've worked through this - or just advice for dealing with this for years, feel free to share :)

I started working in my unit (acute rehab) last July as a new grad - knowing that I would be working alternating day/evening shifts. Fine - I understand that's the need, husband was a stay-at-home dad, there for the kids, etc.

A year and a bit into this - I wonder why??? Different shifts work for different people, yet the only 'straight' shifts that my hospital hires for are night shifts and that's not too often. Most of the positions are day / evening, or day / night.

How can I have a life like this? I can't take a community class; I can't be involved in PTA; I don't feel as though I can do anything except keep all days and all evenings free because I have no set schedule - and will not have one.

I know, I can move to home health (no full time positions, not even close to full time); wait, how about public health? Sounds great - no nights, weekends, holidays... oh, did I mention the $6-9/hour pay cut??? With one income, school loans, and household stuff, that's not quite feasible. Clinic work? I've seen one position for an oncology nurse - but that was PT again.

Oh yeah - my husband can get a job - then kids in daycare, he has to have a day shift that fits around my schedule - no holidays or opposite of mine - and he wants to work at the hospital too - so it goes back to the no set shift/schedule problem. Did I mention he wants to go back to school, too?? And that we have one car, and I work 45 minutes from home? Public health hires in town, but not often, and not always for FT hours... and then there's that huge pay cut... at least we can afford our home :)

How about going back to school? Great - I want to get my NP - one class at a time, closest school is 2 1/2 hours away from home - but I can only do part time (again, I have to work FT to pay the bills) so it's still a few more years of crazy shift work.

I just hope my son (now 9) doesn't suddenly decide to sign up for a sport or after school activity - he wants to swim, not offered in elementary yet, so I'm safe for a bit... and baby is 1 1/2, so we have time there, no dance lessons, sorry!

How do they expect us to be at their whim and call AND have a family AND have a life AND stay happy employees AND wait 10-15 years to get a set schedule???

Thanks for listening :)

Stressed out nurse/mom in Minnesota

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

My first job had shift work like that and I hated it, so I understand.

[mom2cka]

I'll work 2 days, have a day off, then switch to evenings for a few days, then a day off, then switch back... I'm napping when I get home half the time, falling asleep at 7 pm on other days or at 11 am when I worked an evening - is this normal, or do most hospitals at least block out their day/evening employees? thanks!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

That's not the normal around here. My facility has no rotating shifts at all. All shifts are permanent. I like it like that.

[sasha2lady]

well...one good thing about my place is that we have regular 8 hr shifts. i work 2nd and i have to work 3rd when someone calls in.....but i dont do any day shift...i too am in a similar boat like yours...i have a 2 yr old not in day care b/c i dont have an extra 400 bucks a month to dish out to someone to watch him while i work and i only need a sitter for about an hour and a half a day til my hubby gets off work...he works day shift. dont get me wrong...i hate double shifts b/c they put me at being awake for over 24 hrs b/c i cant sleep after a double d/t no baby sitter...however....i have a plan....when my son starts school...i plan to search for a job that offers 12 hr tracks...id love 7p to 7a...work like 3 days and be off 4....its a good way to get your time in and have time off to recoop...right now the way my track is...i get 1 day off a week and every other weekend.......its rough b/c i too feel like i have no time to do anything but work .

[Straydandelion]

The only place I worked at without having to do shifts as a floor nurse was a hospital that hired nights for a two week 8 hr rotation of 7 days.. they got paid for 10 days during that two weeks. Days and evening shifts stayed the same. This hospital NEVER was short night shift, rarely evenings. It was a wonderful place to work.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

I'm straight nights but I still can't register for things like leisure learning classes because I dont' know my schedule FOR SURE that far in advance and I don't want to pay for classes and then have to work that night. I'm not one of those people that can stay up all day then work all night AT ALL.

[lpnflorida]

I can empathize with you. My first employer originally made us rotate all three shifts, so it was a relief when they after 3 years changed it to rotating only 2 shift. Still I hated it. The choices were you were either days/eve or eves /night. They both sucked. I am so grateful to now work for an employer which has 12 hour shifts. Now I have the straight so to speak day shift. If only they would have locked in shifts so that one would know from here to eternity what days you work and which you are off. That would solve how to have a life and work.

[lpnflorida]

I can empathize with you. My first employer originally made us rotate all three shifts, so it was a relief when they after 3 years changed it to rotating only 2 shift. Still I hated it. The choices were you were either days/eve or eves /night. They both sucked. I am so grateful to now work for an employer which has 12 hour shifts. Now I have the straight so to speak day shift. If only they would have locked in shifts so that one would know from here to eternity what days you work and which you are off. That would solve how to have a life and work.

Yes, my first job was in Minnesota also, I wonder if it is done that way all over the entire state.