Shift Work vs Monday to Friday - Which would you prefer?

[MaleNurseYH]

Hi guys,

I have been a nurse for about 3 years working full time at a local hospital. My full time schedule has been 4 days on and 5 days off (2 days then 2 nights and 5 days off) which are 12 hours shifts. I have always been interested in public health where the schedule is 8 hours through Monday to Friday with weekend and holidays off but I am not sure if its any better than my current schedule. Working night shifts are becoming very difficult.

Which would you guys prefer? 4 days on 5 days off or Monday to Friday with weekend and holidays off. Have any of you experience working in the hospital and community setting? How was transition from hospital to office work?

Thanks in advance for any of your input! It would be greatly appreciated!

[Caffeine_IV]

I like the schedule of shift work but I love my outpatient job. Can't have it both ways unfortunately.

[caliotter3]

I have found that you can't beat shift work (extended care home health) for having open time during the week for all kinds of personal endeavors. Conversely, when I have worked a M-F day shift, I have found that I could not accomplish personal appointments without disrupting my paycheck as well as the continuity of care for my client.

[Eru Ilúvatar]

I have found that you can't beat shift work (extended care home health) for having open time during the week for all kinds of personal endeavors. Conversely, when I have worked a M-F day shift, I have found that I could not accomplish personal appointments without disrupting my paycheck as well as the continuity of care for my client.

Yep, life becomes a hazzle when you have to schedule your life around work. But when you can schedule work around your life, holy guacamoles its a perfect thing. Honestly i hated my life when i was working M-F in an office, 8 hour days actually became 10 or 12 hour days counting getting ready for work, commuting back and fort in a traffic heavy city, and then not leaving on time from the office anyways. Yeah screw that, ill take 3 days of work, even if they are 24 hour long, instead of that daily grind that eroded my soul and killed my joy.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I like being able to run errands and do my shopping while 90% of the rest of the world is at work. I like avoiding rush hour traffic. After doing shift work for so many years, I feel claustrophobic when I go to the supermarket during regular-people hours.

This is the reason why I never thought I wanted a Mon-Fri. BUT, now that I've had one for 3 years, I can't imagine going back to rotating shifts, weekends, holidays. I still hate going to the grocery store on the weekends, so I go some random evening during the week.

I am considering a change right now and am ONLY looking at Mon-Fri day shift jobs. Most of my friends are not nurses and I like having the same schedule as them.

[NOADLS]

If you want to work daytime hours Mon-Fri, enjoy the traffic, management and other irritable people that are confined to that schedule. At least on shift work, you get time away from those issues on a rotating basis.

[No Stars In My Eyes]

I did 9 months in a small doctor's office, hated M-F and 8-5. UGH!

I'm with the others here who like to be off when most of the rest of the world is working.

I love waking up Monday morning and knowing I don't have to join the mad rush!

[FlyingScot, RN]

I worked shift work for more than two decades. I've been M-F for two years and I'll never go back. Most of my life is lived in the evenings and I could never do something regularly (like race my sailboat in the Wednesday races or take a Zumba class) because we were not allowed a guaranteed day off. Holidays are no longer an issue and my schedule matches pretty much everyone else in my life. I'm off at 3:30 so I can get things done right after work and still have time to relax. Not only that but I am no longer dog-tired at the end of my shift and I don't need a recovery day. I feel like I actually have a life.

[SierraBravo]

If you want to work daytime hours Mon-Fri, enjoy the traffic, management and other irritable people that are confined to that schedule. At least on shift work, you get time away from those issues on a rotating basis.

Exactly! If I had to work a M-F schedule I am fairly certain that I would gouge my eyes out. One of the things that I love about nursing is that you can work three 12 hour shifts and have 4 days off a week. There is no way possible that I would ever work a 5 day workweek, even if 8 hour shifts are really nice.

[NightOwlPsyRN]

I'm an oddball and prefer to do three 8's and one 16, usually 16 hour shift being either a day and night (so I have the evening to relax), or an evening to night double. Three days off is perfect for me. :)

[StrawberryEssence81]

Shift work, please. That's one of the reasons I became a nurse. To have more days off. Eventually in my career I'll have to move to a more traditional schedule, but right now I'm loving night shift and my days off.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

I'm torn. Now that I recently became a mom I hate working nights weekends and holidays. However , I'm blessed to work part time 2 nights a week.

[kidzcare]

I'm torn. Now that I recently became a mom I hate working nights weekends and holidays. However , I'm blessed to work part time 2 nights a week.

This is very true. I was working 3-11 when I got divorced and stayed with my parents for a bit. My oldest daughter was in first grade and I was barely seeing her. I'd get home from work at midnight or 1am and then up at 7 to get her ready for school, on the bus at 8:10 and then I would be gone when she got home and my folks would do homework with her and put her to bed. It was not good at all. She needed me at that emotionally confusing time and I was never around.