Question for RNs?

Hi, Congratulations!! It feels great to finally finish school and pass the boards doesn't it. Now on to the real world and the decisions of where to work and the shifts involved. Regardless of whether you work 8 or 12 hrs you will have to have someone to keep your daughter while you work and then sleep. If you go ahead and work the 12 hr shift you will have less days to need a sitter and the way your schedule works out at times is great. You can have 5 days off together and are able to get more vacations each year because of this. How great is that? If you work 5 days a week you do not get that. Just a thought for you and the 12 hrs go by so quick. As far as your statement about are you ready for this, yes you are!! Everyone has doubts about this but you have a good base knowledge and now you will learn so much during orientation and there is always someone to help you out. We all need help at one time or another so don't worry and have fun with your job and the patients. It is very stressful but so rewarding. Good Luck to you.

Hi, I am not a RN but have worked with RN's LPN's as well as PT's OT's and SLP's. I have worked the past 10 years in the Nursing field, the coorporate end most recently. But I have done marketing, and tons a Nurse Recruitment as well as Nurse scheduling. I was also an Onsite Nurse Coordinator/ Scheduler. Don't be too nervous, have confidence you have what it takes. You do or you wouldn't have passed the NCLEX Exam. Congrats!!

It is typical for you to be nervous at first. Try not to show it though, at least not to the patients! LOL, know what I mean? It may make the Pt's a bit uneasy. Be sure you have your orientation as told to you. SOme are so short staffed they try to assign your duties because they are not sufficient with staffing levels. LEt it be known if you do not feel oriented and have a clear understanding.

As for the 12 hr or 8 hr shift's??? My Nurses loved the 12 hours!!! By far. It also gave them opportunity to work OT, make some extra money and still have time off to spend some of it as well. The Nurses loved the 12 hrs because it gave more home time and freedom. I don't think it is ideal for continuity of patient care though. 12 hr also made it tough to fill open spots due to call out's or just lack of staff.

Me myself, I'd suffer though the 12 hrs to have 3-4 days off a week and still earn a full salary!

But... most important, you have to decide what is best and works best for you and all concerned, Ie; the Child you mentioned. I wouldn't want my child, if I had one to be home alone all night at all. So 12 hrs would enable you to be there more nights with her opposed to the 5 you'd need to be working the 11P-7A 5 x a week.

Goodluck to you and congrats! We need more nurses!

I took the 12 hour shifts. And did it for lots of years.

You have to have child care regardless of when you work. You need to sleep days so you need both-