Working Nurses with Kiddos!

nurserachel22

Hi! I'm a RN in pediatric home health. I used to work ortho and med/surg(12 hour shifts). Right now I average 8 hour shifts.

What is your current hours for the week & shift times? What do you plan to work with baby? I have been trying to think of what would work the best for us as I can return to the hospital anytime and work less days (less days for daycare). I really like home health though!

alaw0729

Before getting pregnant with my first I was working charge nurse 12 hr shifts 6a-6p. I loved those hours but they were transitioning to house supervisors and I didn't want the hours they were proposing so I took my infusion job. It is 4 days a week 730-5. The hours are pretty good and worked well with daycare.

nurserachel22

norsern said:

When DD was born I worked as a unit manager in LTC, Monday-Friday 7-3. The hours were nice, but I hated being away from her 5 days a week.

We moved when she was 5 months old and I started at a hospital, working three 12 hour night shifts per week. That was by far the hardest. I felt like I was always tired and needing to recover from the night shifts.

I now have mutiple jobs in the same hospital, all day shifts. I have an office position which is 24 hours/week and I do ER/med surg one 12 hr shift/week. My office hours are somewhat flexible around my meetings, so I currently do 8-430 Tuesday, 8-330 Wednesday, and 8-530 on Thursday. My 12 hour shifts are every 3rd Friday, and every 3rd weekend. It works great because I'm only working 4 days per week, and I'm home for supper 6 nights a week. DD is in daycare less, and I am not exhausted all of the time.

If it came down to nights vs days, I would choose days every time. I think I would also go for 8 hour shifts so I could be home in the evenings for dinner and bedtime.

Sounds like you have a nice schedule! Those hours are somewhat similar to my job. I work 4-5 days a week. Day shift is much better in my opinion. I did second shift for a while but that threw my body off.

flyinghorses6

This is my first baby so you might not even want my input, but I am planning in only working 8s after the baby comes...for childcare purposes and also just being around to raise my own baby. I need to work enough hours to keep my benefits but thinking about 24/32 hrs a week

nurserachel22

@flyinghorses6‌ glad you replied!

rivers714

I'm in grad school. I have 16 hours of class a week. I'm really torn with what job to take- monday-Friday is nice but not good with school, 8's are nice but I don't want to work 4/5 days and 2 days of school ... So I am taking a 8-12 hour shifts - working 24/36 flex.

nurserachel22

@rivers714‌ I am going to be In grad school too, but my School only allows part time (two courses per semester). I think some summer classes are included as well. Just got accepted so I have to go meet with my advisor soon.

rivers714

I'm in an NP program so I'm in the clinical phase ( home stretch) 2 semesters left!!!! But I need to get 135 clinical hours fall and spring, next fall I need 240

nurserachel22

@rivers714‌ I am going to be starting for my NP the number of clinical hours are kinda scary. I think the highest in nursing school was 90. You're almost done though!!!!

iimama

I actually switched to nights 8 hours after my year mat leave. But just part time so I can raise my son. With his baby after my year off I will stay part time nights.

gypsyheart85

I work three 12 hr overnight shifts.
I love it. I have more time with my daughter then I ever did on day shift and it's so much easier to pump on night shift (if you will be breastfeeding). My husband gets my daughter up and ready for daycare which she goes to twice a week - the other shift is usually a weekend shift so my husband has her the next day.

gypsyheart85

Oh and I am also in school - all online now. But I imagine when I get into clinicals I'll go part time night shift. Yikes.

jennadesigns

I work 8 hour shifts as a med/surg nurse. I work 72 hours a pay period, so I'm four days one week and five days the next. I have a 5 year old and 11 year old but they're both in school. I work day shift right now, 7a-3p. I'm thinking that I will likely switch to 12 hour shifts after I come back from maternity leave and work 7a-7p three days a week. It will mean less daycare and more days home with baby. I am a little worried about how I'm going to pump multiple times over those 12 hour shifts as day shift is insanely busy. I'm just hoping I can manage the 12s as I find them to be very long and exhausting.

nurserachel22

@jennadesigns‌ I am thinking about going back to 12s but sounds scary. I am worried about pumping in home health! Guess all kids go in the crib until I'm done? Lol, I have no idea!

peacelovemama

This will be my first baby, but I was planning on going back to my 3, 12 hour day shifts in the SICU. If it's too much I'll look at something part time/ per diem maybe in like SDS or PACU. 8 hour shifts sound like a dream come true! Lol

PlayboyMommy

I quit my 9-5 job and am back inpatient doing 3 12s 7a-7p. I'm just contracted so far until I get something permanent. I wouldn't mind keeping the same sort of schedule after delivery or even 2 12s, and I'm applying to NP school next year

masonsmomandmaybaby

I use to work pediatric home health with my first. I would 2 12's and would pump twice during that time. I now work as an OR nurse and I work 3 8's. But after this baby I only want to work 1 or 2 days a week. I would prefer to not work at all!

zbornak123

I'm doing adult (geriatric) home care now PRN -but still case managing several people. I'm working four days a week (same days as DH). After the baby I plan on cutting back and doing the bare minimum of one weekend a month to keep my PRN status, then hopefully build up more as the baby grows. We will see. I do visits, not shift, so I think pumping and such should be doable. But I'm with you- I love home health!

Alliinwonderland

I currently work three 12s rotating between day and night shifts on a maternity unit. After my maternity leave I plan work nights only and work .80 since I'd get paid the same as on days but with one less day per pay period.

nurserachel22

@Alliinwonderland‌ kudos to you for doing rotating shifts. I think it is smart to stick to one shift with baby. I almost switched to nights before when considering the pay and days worked

surprisebaby4us2009

I am currently looking into trying to find something more family friendly. I'm currently doing 3 12 hour night shifts. I love the 4 days off, but I might love days more for more time at home with family

nurserachel22

I think I have opted for splitting my days between home care and orthopedic nursing. My home health job hours are too inconsistent for me I came from ortho so I will go back there prn and work 8 hr shifts as well.

Jennifazx

I'm a FTM and I currently work three 12s 7am-7pm on an ortho unit...I'm currently having a hard time with pelvis pain so I'm switching to fours 8s from 7am-3pm until I come back from
Maternity leave and then going back to my three 12 hour shifts. I just booked a wonderful home daycare for September and by doing the 12s I will only need daycare two days a week whih is wonderful! My hubby is thankfully off the weekends and can watch baby while I work every other weekend. The 12s are exhausting but if it allows me an extra day home with my LO it will all be worth it!

Mari621

I work 3 12's and have to do a 4th once a month. I work every Tuesday, Thursday and most weekends. Try to split the weekends so we have at least one day together as a family. My husband is with my son on the weekends and have a nanny during the week. Working two days during the week keeps her part time and she works for another family the rest of the week. I chose to to do Tuesday and Thursday when I was coming off of maternity leave to give myself a break after a 12 hr day plus I don't think I could go 2 days without seeing my son. My husband and I took turns waking up in the middle if the night...he would get up on the nights I would have to go to work the next day.