What's it like having a flexible work schedule?

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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?

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. :)

Get back to me in 6 years (; LOL. Grr, 6 years seems so long away. High school is pretty much almost over for me though. Also, college should past by pretty fast since ill be enjoying myself.

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.

"Whenever you want??" Where in the world did you hear nurses can work "whenever they want??" Are you kidding me? I've been a nurse for almost 26 years. I've had to work every other weekend, because most hospitals require that. I've also worked MANY holidays. Just recently I finally got a position that is the best one I've ever had. 32 hours a week 9-5:30 but still every other weekend. Nursing is not glamorous and we don't work whenever we want. Did you mean we get a lot of overtime? Maybe I'm confused. Because overtime is definitely possible.

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"Whenever you want??" Where in the world did you hear nurses can work "whenever they want??" Are you kidding me? I've been a nurse for almost 26 years. I've had to work every other weekend, because most hospitals require that. I've also worked MANY holidays. Just recently I finally got a position that is the best one I've ever had. 32 hours a week 9-5:30 but still every other weekend. Nursing is not glamorous and we don't work whenever we want. Did you mean we get a lot of overtime? Maybe I'm confused. Because overtime is definitely possible.

Nursing may not be glamours for you, but it seems to be for lots of other people. I guess it just depends on the person. Also, yes and no. I meant that in some places, people can ask for over time whenever they want but their schedules also seem to be pretty adjustable. I had one person say that they choose to work only on certain days. So by "whenever you want" i specifically meant, being able to choose what days you work on. I now know that that isn't always the case.

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Specializes in ICU.

Getting exactly what you want is not unheard of.

I got exactly what I signed up for this six weeks, but as you can tell from what I posted, we're so desperately short every single shift that rearranging isn't going to affect the staffing in any sort of significant way. Also, I follow the rules and sign up for my required holiday if I have one that time tract, and also my required number of weekends.

Lots of people say they get rearranged all the time, and when I ask them how many weekends they signed up for, it's usually below what we're supposed to sign up for. Well duh, you are going to get rearranged if you are trying to cheat the system. It's just the nature of the beast.

So, I DO get to work exactly what I want - to a certain extent. I get to work exactly what I ask for as long as I follow guidelines and sign up for what I'm supposed to sign up for. I think I have had fewer than five shifts moved in the past year and a half that I have been with my current employer.

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Nursing may not be glamours for you, but it seems to be for lots of other people. I guess it just depends on the person. Also, yes and no. I meant that in some places, people can ask for over time whenever they want but their schedules also seem to be pretty adjustable. I had one person say that they choose to work only on certain days. So by "whenever you want" i specifically meant, being able to choose what days you work on. I now know that that isn't always the case.

I have never thought my job as glamorous, don't think any of my co-workers would either. Interesting...yes......a reliable source of income....... yes............no two days are alike......yes......hard work....... yes......rewarding........a lot of days...............flexible..... depends......... but not glamorous.

I like that I don't have to work 9-5. I like that I don't need 40 hour a week day care for my kids. I like that I am paid OT even if I work 30 minutes over. If I don't have plans I don't even mind weekends. I like being able to run errands during M-F when most people are at work. So yes flexible but still not glamorous.

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Specializes in Public Health.

For a change of pace, for three years I worked the same schedule, frisatsun, and until this recent flu season that hadn't ever changed. Now with the heavy load I work a slightly adjusted schedule. There's no mandatory overtime, OT is available every day, and it's a pretty nice place to work.

Wow, everything is not always so terrible everywhere guys. We also, gasp, never get turned down for vacation time!

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Get back to me in 6 years (; LOL. Grr, 6 years seems so long away. High school is pretty much almost over for me though. Also, college should past by pretty fast since ill be enjoying myself.

Nursing school is NOT an enjoyable "college" education.

Nursing school ( assuming you get accepted) is BRUTAL. I have a genius IQ and learning comes easy to me. Nursing school took all that I had. 34 years later.. I remain surprised that I made it through.

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I do not work whenever I want. I have been a nurse for 2 years. The first year I worked night shift, 3 12-hour shifts a week. Most of the time i did not get scheduled 3 nights in a row, which makes things harder for night shift. I work days now, and also do not work only when I want. I can make scheduling requests but the needs of the unit come first. There were a number of times I had to miss events at my child's school, not to mention holidays (I always have to work 2 out of 3 end of year holidays, like Christhmas, Thanksgiving, or New Years). And all of that also applies to the nurses who have been working on my unit for over 10 years. I am just saying all of that because the comment "nurses can work only when they want" is not mecessarily true. You can, however, work only when you want if you get a per diem job. But then you will not have benefits.

Lastly, I agree with someone who said 12-hour shifts are gruesome. It does take me a full day to recover. On my first day off all I want to do is keep my feet up.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Telemetry.
But seriously, where is this get-it-if-I-want-it OT???

Maybe at a smaller community hospital? I work at a rural hospital PRN and there is CONSTANTLY overtime available. If I wanted to, I could probably work full time+. There always seems to be a staffing issue.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Nursing school is NOT an enjoyable "college" education.

Nursing school ( assuming you get accepted) is BRUTAL. I have a genius IQ and learning comes easy to me. Nursing school took all that I had. 34 years later.. I remain surprised that I made it through.

Agree, but to be fair consider they source-the OP is currently homeschooled, and due to his environment is selling social connection-all things that appeal to a teen his age; a bit naïveté, but he only knows what he knows. ;)

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Agree, but to be fair consider they source-the OP is currently homeschooled, and due to his environment is selling social connection-all things that appeal to a teen his age; a bit naïveté, but he only knows what he knows. ;)

And now he knows that nursing school is brutal. It is also not easy to be accepted. My class accepted 100 out of 900 applicants. OP should be seeking advice from college counselors for the best possible chance of admission. I am hoping for his success, but it's time to stop lucid dreaming.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

At both of my employers, you can get so much overtime, even bonus and incentive pay. Keep in mind that the places with the most overtime are typically the least desirable places to work.

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