Weekend Nurse

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · May 19, 2016

Triage? From home? With no experience?

That doesn't sound realistic.

Gabrielle1818 · May 19, 2016

I know I will have to work a couple of years to get experience. I plan to get my degrees and experience in my 20s and get the jobs im interested in, in my 30s. I was just trying to get information on a pathway I need to take in order to get a at home triage nurse job.

roser13, ASN, RN · May 19, 2016

The "pathway" is:

Go to nursing school.

Graduate

Pass Nclex

Work as a nurse

Be experienced enough to be competent at triage.

There is no "pathway" to triage except experience.

(don't really know what "home triage" would be)

RNperdiem, RN · May 19, 2016

Your nursing dream sounds very, very specific. Non-bedside care jobs are difficult to land. It can be done, but will require experience, patience, and a consideration of Plan B if telephone triage does not work out.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 20, 2016

Telephone triage jobs require you to have at least 5 years of experience in ED or clinic work.

There are a few companies that have "home triage", but can be challenging to get into-the more experience, the better. :yes:

joanna73, BSN, RN · May 20, 2016

Five to seven years of acute care, ED and geriatric nursing experience is the usual minimum requirement. There are no home triage positions. Nurses work out of a call centre.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · May 26, 2016

OP: Why in the world would you want to work 7 days/ week? What is your current position?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 27, 2016

OP: Why in the world would you want to work 7 days/ week?

Some people are more motivated by dollar signs than others...

I worked 7 days a week for a brief time period of about three to four months. To keep a long story short, at the end of those months I was blazing in a ball of burnout.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · May 27, 2016

OP, I admire your dedication to work 7 days a week. Not something I would want at all but to each their own. You have a few things to think about. The other posters mentioned the problems with needing experience and naturally with time, that can be resolved. The other problem is what kind of job are you envisioning as your "Monday through Friday job". One thing I think people new to the field might know, but not fully appreciate is how scheduling works in hospitals. Most people going into nursing see themselves working in hospitals and while they cognitively acknowledge "some weekends and holidays will be required" it's not real until they start getting those schedules.

So, just think about those things. Also, if you are still wanting to work 7 days a week, and you have a standard bedside job, there's no saying you can't do (for example): Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday at your bedside job and Tuesday & Friday with your supplemental job.

I have met a few people that have, at least for a while, worked two full time jobs, as in two jobs with 3 twelve hour shifts a week. Takes some careful coordination and way more stamina than I have.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · May 27, 2016

Nursing is your dream, but you want to work part time and over the phone.

It may be possible, but don't limit yourself to triage.

AceOfHearts<3 · May 27, 2016

Some people are more motivated by dollar signs than others...
I worked 7 days a week for a brief time period of about three to four months. To keep a long story short, at the end of those months I was blazing in a ball of burnout.

I worked 7 days a week with 2 jobs roughly 70-80 hrs a week with a total commute time of 1.5-2 hrs/day (because of traffic) during weekdays one summer during college. Blazing ball of burnout is the perfect way to describe it! The only reason I did it was to save as much money up for the school year as possible. That summer my mom complained that I didn't get enough sleep, instead of being the "stereotypical" lazy student on summer break.