What's it like having a flexible work schedule?

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Mar 13, 2016

Who said you get to work whatever you want?

Some places schedule for you, and you don't have much input. In my experience (at two hospitals in my area), we self-schedule, but have weekend and holiday requirements and management can and will move us around to meet unit needs.

simbawicz · Mar 14, 2016

Is this satire? Sarcasm? What is this???

I think it is youthfulness.

Julius Seizure · Mar 14, 2016

I work 6 days on which usually happens to be over my weekend which is about every 3rd weekend. Them six days can make you age fast let me tell you. After which i am usually tired and need 1-2 days off to recover depending how the stretch goes. They are all 12hr night shifts. I usually have between 6-7 days off after.

I did this once, but they told me that I wasnt allowed to do it again because I was so crabby by the end. :unsure:

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Mar 14, 2016

And can a minor legally sign a confidentiality agreement?

No. Must be the age of majority. 18 (19 in Nebraska). Plus depending on the unit there may be hazards a minor cannot be exposed to unless a patient.

Most volunteer roles for teens are filing visitor passes at the front desk, delivering flowers, assisting in the gift shop. Many have a junior volunteer program but most don't let minors on the floors like they did decades ago when the junior volunteers in red/white stripes would help enter vital signs into charts, refill water pitchers, make beds, transport patients via wheelchair for tests or discharge. This is no longer allowed in my state as it violates labor laws. Junior volunteers that have established themselves as professional and reliable may be able to visit the pediatric ward to play games or bring gifts, visit with lonely patients at nurse discretion assist the child/life activities department but usually need 1+ year doing the administrative assist work (guest passes, gift shop, etc)

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Mar 14, 2016

People on "Yahoo Answers" Go figure huh. I rarely trust people's information on that site anymore. But i figured, since they claimed to be Nurses it must've been true lol. I'll stick to getting all my information from this site from now. Also, from Google.

You should never trust random strangers on yahoo answers. I know people that create accounts just to post whacky answers. Even here where there is a tad more professionalism there is no proof any of us are who we claim to be as this is still an anonymous public forum.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Mar 14, 2016

You should never trust random strangers on yahoo answers. I know people that create accounts just to post whacky answers. Even here where there is a tad more professionalism there is no proof any of us are who we claim to be as this is still an anonymous public forum.

So true. There are still people who come on here & pretend to be nurses.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

What's it like being able to work whenever you want? I cannot wait to be a nurse. Working three days a week sounds like heaven. Although, knowing me, I'd most likely do tons of over time anyway lol. What do you like to do on your off days?

Dude.. No nurse works whenever they want. A three day 12 hour schedule is still dictated by the unit needs. Those three 12 hour shifts will be mandated . You will work weekends and holidays.

No LOL involved.. on my days off, I would try to recuperate.

LucidDreamer · Mar 14, 2016

Not necessarily sarcasm, i only said that because yahoo answers is usually the home ground for trolls. People who decide to say whatever they want, just to get points. So it's kind of hard to believe everything that is told to you, on yahoo answers because you never know if its true or not. Which is why i'm glad i found this amazing site. It seems more professional for these type of questions.

dream'n, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

Even if an employer uses self-scheduling, by the time you get the official schedule it will look little like what you requested. Also, nursing can be very inflexible when it comes to needing urgent time off.

RNKPCE · Mar 14, 2016

To shadow at a hospital you will usually have to sign a confidentiality agreement, show proof of TB test etc.
Agree shadowing is like a one time thing, not ongoing.

I'm think our youth volunteers, or candy stripers must sign something saying they won't disclosed protected information and they do tasks where they are privy to patient names

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

On my days off, I'm a mom to my 5 kids. I have no days off. :laugh: I have to work every other weekend and every other holiday...the holidays isn't fun but I became a CNA at 18 so have been working them literally half my life. My parents and grandparents are used to it, and my kids don't know any different. When they complain, I tell them one of two things: "I don't like it either, but the hurt people in the hospital need their nurses today. Remember that and be glad that we are all healthy." or "Just think--when your friends have opened all of their Christmas presents, you still have yours to look forward to!!" (because we usually celebrate Christmas the following weekend.) Otherwise, our scheduler is good about accommodating our requests; however they can't guarantee anything.

OT availability varies. My last job I worked per diem (picking up shifts when needed), and I once literally went two months without work. The facility's census was low and none of the FT'ers were out on maternity leave or vacation. The last month or so where I work now has been extremely short staffed! I get 4-6 text messages a day from our staffing office saying how many ICU RNs are needed for the upcoming shift. Our assistant nurse managers have even picked up night shifts because there was no one else.

I will say I don't work anywhere that utilizes mandatory OT to fill staffing holes. Even if I wanted to pick up extra shifts, my life is such that it needs to be planned with military precision. I cannot work an 11p-7a with

calivianya, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

But seriously, where is this get-it-if-I-want-it OT???

It's at my hospital, which is offering high vacancy incentives in all departments because more than 30% of all the RN positions in the entire hospital are vacant. We need 17 nurses per shift on my unit alone and on Saturday night there were only 9 nurses on the schedule. Talk about a day that wouldn't even be worth overtime pay because the working conditions are so bad!

So no, those are not places you want to work.

Here you guys go, here is what a really badly run workplace (mine!) looks like in the staffing department. The mouse is hovering over Sunday night to give a key for what those numbers mean.

So... anybody want a job? I can get you hired. :)