tips to handle Fri-Sun almost 14 hr night shift?

[mercermom_rn]

Hi all,

I am contemplating on accepting a position as a new grad RN at a state (NJ) facility. Starts either in Dec or Jan 09, depending on how quick they do the background check. The place is quite a drive for me at 70 minutes, so I would prefer a 3 day work week. But the only three day work week they have falls on a Sat, Sun and one weekday, and they prefer the weekday be either Friday or Monday. Since I am desperate to start working, I opted for the Night Fri, Sat and Sun for a total of 41.5 hours. it is going to be a 13 hr 50 min shift, but the nurse huddle/reporting turnover is already built in into the 13Hr50min, and they allow a total of one hour break that I could spread into two 15 minute breaks and a half hour mid-shift break. Anybody have experience doing this kind of shift straight? Any tips for a new grad like me? It is a mental health hospital with state benefits, 5 weeks orientation, and there is a sub-acute medical unit I am hoping to work at so hopefuly I won't be just passing meds to patients in the psych wards.

Acute care hospital positions for new grads are so hard to come by in the East Coast, that I am open to anything at this point. I was thinking this was a good shift for me so I could do somethinig else on weekdays part time, especially since I have two young children. Oh yes, pay is $59.1K/yr, no differential for nights and 13 holidays paid a year, and future option to transfer to any other state facility.

My other option is an offer from a skilled nursing facility with an LTC wing 10 minutes from my house, a five day work week, but with only two weeks of orientation for $26.5/hr and no night differential either. A for profit organization with less than stellar benefits. I only have till Monday morning to give a decision to the nursing home. . I don't want to accept that position and suddenly resign by Jan either, since it is a good place to do part time work in the future, so I want to remain in their good graces. Of course my third option is to continue looking for an acute care position, but I have been out of school since May and need to pay the mortgage and get healthcare for my family.

[casperx875x]

Working 3 14 hour shifts in a row wouldn't be so bad - we work 3 12.5 hour shifts in a row on our weekends, though I would worry heavily about your safety. Driving over an hour, then working 14 hours and driving over an hour longer to get home before you hit the pillow is rough. I would worry that you would not be getting enough sleep in between your shifts. Working nights can be a tough adjustment for some, then to factor in the excessive driving and the longer shifts? I don't think I would accept mostly for the safety of myself and my patients.

[mercermom_rn]

Thanks casperx875x. I never thought of the total drive time that would intrude on sleep time. I guess I'll have to negotiate that the weekday part of the shift would be in the middle of the week. Unfortunately, the saturday sunday part is not negotiable. I can always crash at my relatives' homes near the area. Do you think a two-night 14 hr shift is doable? All the other threads address a 12 hr shift...... State benefits are so hard to pass up. My ultimate goal is to transfer to another mental health state facility 10 minutes from my home perhaps after 6 months.

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

For a lot of us "12 hr" actually translates into "13-14 hr" shifts. Get there about fifteen minutes early, work 12.5 hrs, spend 30-45 minutes catching up on charting after shift is done. I routinely work 3-4 shifts in a row, so it is doable, but it took me about six months to work up from doing just two in a row.

[Hilinenursegrl]

I work a 7-730 shift 45 miles from my house. One week I work 3 shifs the next I work 4. I get up at 5 am and get home between 8-830pm. I work in an er so it can be busy busy. The plus side is I work for the government on an Indian Health Service and get very good bennies. Sleep can be a problem. But for 3 to 4 days a week and the awesome bennies, its more than worth it. Invest in some green tea, and eye blinds and earplugs and you can make it work. And staying at the relatives may be a good idea.