Working hours

TweetiePieRN · May 27, 2004

I cannot believe the hours some of you work. 12 hour shifts - 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for example. I simply cannot imagine working those ideas. I'm a legal secretary and I feel my day of 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. is very long. Dinner at 7 p.m. and I'm usually in a coma by 10 p.m.
If I had to work with my colleagues for 12 hours in a day, I would be totally mental.
I've read all the threads here about the pros and cons of working 12 hour shifts.
I still find it hard to imagine it though.

Once in awhile I will work 16 hours in a row(double shift). For instance, I like to work 3pm until 730 am the next day.

Are you in school for nursing or wanting to be? Just wondering, since you say you are a legal secretary. I guess it's different with our jobs because when you work directly with patients the day goes by very fast. I used to be an executive secretary. Paperwork, filing, meeting notes!! I thought it was monotonous and by 4:30 I could not wait to get the heck out of there. I can understand how you say your day feels so long.

trish820 · May 27, 2004

I work 7A to 7P one weekend and then 3a to 3p the next and so on. I really like it because I just work the weekends (we have a 3 year old at home)

Trish

ang75 · May 27, 2004

I work 7p-7a one week (3 shifts) then 7a-7p the next and so on. That is changing soon to strictly days. Now that I am pregnant, I just can't keep up. Maybe it is all in my head, who knows! But man am I tired! I could never go back to a m-f job. I think it would kill me. I like having 4 days a week off.

Trauma Columnist · May 27, 2004

Are you in school? Sometimes there are other jobs for nurses: long term care, home care, school nursing to name a few that might offer that flexibility.

CHATSDALE · May 27, 2004

I work in ltc w/weekend option...i absolutely love it...it gives those with youg children the weekend off with their families and i love hnaving 5 days off in a row......i work 6a to 10p....i am not a morning person but anyone can get up two mornings a week....

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 27, 2004

They are very long days indeed. But the payoff of course is four days off a week. To me it's worth it.

What's hard to imagine is working five days a week. That would kill me. :)

gypsyatheart · May 28, 2004

If you're in nursing school and worrying about the shifts you'll be working, there are usually a variety of jobs offerring different shifts. The most common, of course, is the 7a-7p, 7p-7a shift. There are office jobs in nursing that you could probably work M-F though, if that's what you want....

Good luck in school!

JMP · May 28, 2004

We work a variety.

Latest shift is a new rotation:

2- 12 hour days followed by

2-12 hour nights then

5 days off.

I love it.

Mike RGN · May 28, 2004

I now work the 9-5 Mon to Fri

What I miss most is the ability to go and do all those thing during the week when most people are at work.

I believe the queues at the weekend

Katnip, RN · May 28, 2004

True, they're long days, but we only have to do it 3 days a week to be full time. My husband asked me why I didn't go to 8 hour days, I said: "What and work 5 days a week? Are you kidding?"

MiaLyse, APRN · May 28, 2004

I work on a fairly busy sub-acute/rehab unit and like to work 11am-11pm. Some days can be long but 4 days on is better than 5 for me. More time for studying, family, etc. And I like to work weekends. More laid back.

Kelly