What is "shift work"

[krstxn]

I just got a call from a place that stated the nurses do "shift work".. 2 days on 2 days off, 3 days on 3 days off and every other weekend or something like that-- she talked too fast.. This just sounds like a normal schedule-- is there a reason she called it shift work? It is f/t w/ benefits as well. I already accepted another job, but I was just curious what she meant buy that.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Shift work simply means a business, company or in this case hospital runs on a 24 hour clock instead of a normal "9-5", and the work day is divided into "shifts" to accomodate.

You probably are "young" thus haven't heard the term before, but not to long ago, and probably still today for all I know, advertisments for nursing positions always mentiond "day, evening or weekend shifts....", and for persons of a certain age the term is common enough, at least if they have worked in any job other than a normal "9-5".

[ItsTheDude]

it's just a way of saying it's not the standard, monday through friday day job.

[krstxn]

Thanks.. I have heard of the different shifts, just never heard of them referred to it like that . I think it was just the way she said it because she asked if I was OK with it. I immediately thought don't most nurses work 12 hour shifts??? Anyways it doesn't really matter because I told her I had accepted another position and unless she needed me only PRN then I wouldn't be able to take it.

[caliotter3]

Without coming out and saying it, she may have been alluding to the fact that you would be required to work all three shifts in a rotation pattern. Although not popular, some places have rotating shifts instead of set shifts.

[UnicornRN]

Shift work means that you could work days or nights (graveyard shift) and you will be working holidays.