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It's more like 12/3 and anything over is OT... and you say there are Nurses that can't get jobs and then you turn right around and say "many more like myself who are returning to nursing for the same reasons." That ????
What I mean is the hospitals are open 24/7 so you will get crappy shifts, it's not like a 9-5 job and no weekends.
The same reasons meaning the economy, I'm returning because it's the only thing I can get a job in right now. So my point being it's tough out there for new grads. There are some areas that are hiring but they need to do the research if they want a job...many are located in rural areas.
That is the road I followed when I first began school I was majoring in nursing but soon found that it wasnt for me. I changed my major to chemistry and never looked back and I am so happy I did. I am a Medical Microbiologist/Supervisor in the lab at the hospital and I love it! There are a glut of new RN's right now. Whenever they advertise for new grad position, they get over 500 applications.
I think the money and ease of finding employment in nursing attracts many who would otherwise never consider patient care type jobs.
A very good nurse isn't really into it for the money as much as they are in it for the patients, the really great nurses who love their jobs would love them if the pay was much lower because they are the kind of people who really care about people -- can provide the TLC and everything it takes to be a very good nurse.
Not that lab and other people don't care about patients because they do but they aren't the kind that want to face the pain, the grieving families, patiently answer call bells of patients just wanting some attention and caring. The more scientific types aren't going to be as happy dealing directly with patients but the true nurses aren't going to be happy somewhere other than with the patients.
So - even if the money is quite good, quite a lot better than other careers, and there are plenty of jobs, not everyone is cut out to be a nurse, certainly not everyone would enjoy the job. In that way, I would see nursing as almost a vocation.
One of my co-students in nursing school was one of the least personable people I've ever met. She was rude to everyone, including patients.
She ended up in Infection Control, a fine place for a not-people person.
I am wary of people saying being an RN is a vocation/calling/"special." It's a profession, a job. If you're professional and have personal pride, you do the job well, and part of the job is being courteous and kind to the patients. I see it as not much more human contact than, say, customer service in another field. And I work in psychatric, where the patients are *supposed* to give you a hard time.
Woe to the worker who thinks he or she will "care" and cure the patient. I've seen these types- often lack hard skills and common sense. And they only "care" about some patients- like a personal preference- and they still need to get the smelly psychotic guy into the shower. It's not glamorous (or emotionally intertwined) but it's the way you care for that one guy, or part of the way you do.
I wish some supervisers who will remain unnamed gave a rat's butt about people, namely the nurses and counselors who they torture on a regular basis with favoritism (or not), temper outbursts, personal B.S. and other non-professional behavior. I am posting and working from third shift to avoid said people as much as possible.
And believe me, you would want someone like me to take care of your person in the hospital. Trust me on this one. I'm not Flo Nightengale (sometimes I think she wasn't, either) and no Ma Theresa. It's a professional job and one should take pride in doing it properly and well.
I know someone who works in a hospital and nurses tend to bloat up and get fat (many of them) due to the shift work, night work. They also have major attitudes. Perhaps, like teachers, people expect Mary Poppins/Florence Nightingale but hey, they are 'just people' not 'miracle workers' who 'love to serve.'
I have 2 cousins who are RNs, both had major weight battles because of the nature of the work (shifts). Nurses are not the healthiest people out there, nor doctors for that matter (again, shift work will hurt your body clock).
What is good, I suppose, is that by a certain level you can work a few hours a week and make decent money. I know a couple who are both nurses and doing well financially.
Then there is my brother's friend who is a nurse. Never a very bright penny. But he is a nurse. Guess he's good at what he does and being a big, burly guy, they need someone like him to help carry and move people.
What I mean is the hospitals are open 24/7 so you will get crappy shifts, it's not like a 9-5 job and no weekends.
The same reasons meaning the economy, I'm returning because it's the only thing I can get a job in right now. So my point being it's tough out there for new grads. There are some areas that are hiring but they need to do the research if they want a job...many are located in rural areas.
I guess it's different at different hospitals but where my daughter works they DO NOT work two weekends in a row unless they want to for OT and only then it seems if someone is like on vacation.
And what's wrong with 3 days on and 4 days off?
Also when someone calls in and if they call you they give you a choice if you want to come in... And my daughter will go in most of the time if they call her....but not always..
I think it has a lot do with where you work...
I worked in a different field for over 40 years and it had it's problems to...
I agree with brightdoglover about the third shift. We work 12's and I work the night shift for the same reasons. The politics and the bs with admin during the day is mind numbing and I prefer not to deal with it. However, I love the job and have been working in an ICU for over a decade. There is nothing like working 3 days a week and off 4. I also am happy financially with nursing. The pay may be less than some professions but is also alot more than most. In South Florida the pay is around 38 hr. once you get about 10 years exp. plus we get another 5 hr for shift diff and this is staff with bene's. So, I can't complain. However, there are downsides to the job in that I miss some holidays and some weekends with the wife and kids but there are trade offs to every career. In retrospect, I would do the same thing over with the exception of maybe pursuing a crna when I was younger and making 130k and up.
I agree with collegeguy35 -- nursing is a terrible job. If you're a masochist, then you will love being a nurse. If nursing was so awesome, then why don't nurses stay at the bedside? Why do they become supervisors, educators and case managers? I've had a lot of jobs in my life, but nursing is by far the worse. Who likes night shift? Maybe night people. What about us folks that are early to bed, early to rise types? How do we change our circadium rhythym to adjust to nights. We are there to help people, yet working nights is damaging to your health. I would never recommend nursing to anyone I love.
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