Can I just say how SORE I am?? These 2 twelve hour shifts were NO joke! Sure I thought maybe my feet would be sore, but I didn't take into account my back and my calves. I mean I seriously feel like I have walked 500 miles. My poor body is like wth is going on here? I was talking to my nursing bestie (he just got an extern job also) & he said "Do you think you could do another day tomorrow?" & I was like "NO!!" Of course I know I COULD do another day tomorrow & work 3 in a row, but I wouldn't WANT to. He's trying to get as many hours as possible this summer & so he wants to try to work at least 4 days. Fortunately for him, he's 10 years younger than me, weighs much less & he's a waiter, so he's already used to being on his feet all day running like a chicken with its head cut off. But my poor body can't even remember my waitress days. They were a LONG time ago & I haven't done this type of work since then. I've been a desk jockey for so long I had forgotten how physical this was. Luckily I have these 2 days off & then I am working Friday & Saturday. I believe working Saturday will put me into overtime. As a matter of fact I think I'll text my boss just to make sure. That plus the shift diff for working on Saturday (which I'm still not sure what that is) is the only reason I decided to do 4 days this week. Whew, this is for sure going to take some getting used to!!
So today I was reading Sophia's blog over at All Things NP , she's a NP student at Penn State. As I was reading about her interview process with Penn State & her rotations & her Sim Man day I started thinking, I am nowhere NEAR as smart as she is. I still struggle with what lab values are correct, much less IF they're off then why??!! I know that I don't put in as much time studying as some of my other classmates do and all of this makes me really doubt myself. When will this stuff start to really click? When will I start to KNOW this stuff? I wish I could spend more time studying than I do & in all honesty I probably could, but I also have a very busy life. I know that's not an excuse as everyone has their own "stuff", but I was seriously thinking as I was reading over her blog that I really need to buckle down & start reading a bit more. I definitely need to start studying more. I mean, I'm doing fine in my classes but P...
Haha- welcome to the wonderful world of 12 hour shifts! In the UK, we are expected to be at university and do placement hours at the same time- on my two days 'off' I work two 12 hour shifts- the joys of nursing! ;-)
ReplyDeleteBoo!! I will continue to work once school starts back, but I probably won't work more than 2 days a week.
DeleteShift diff (shift differential) is added money on top of your hourly salary for working certain shifts or times. Let's say your hourly salary is $30/hour. A Saturday shift (ex: weekend shift diff is $3.00) you would make $33.00/hour for working that shift. Hospitals normally pay shift diffs for weekends and nights. You can make a whole bunch if a holiday is on the weekend (holiday pay + weekend shift diff + if you work nights = more).
ReplyDeleteHopefully, this will help!
It will be funny because come September school will be a needed break from work
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I'm already looking forward to only working 1 or 2 days once school starts, haha. Until then though I need to work at LEAST 3 days a week during the summer so we can get caught up on our bills. Only 2 more semesters of my BSN though & then I can work full time while I pursue my NP.
DeleteHey simple cure for aching feet and calves: Compression stockings, like the ones diabetics wear. Here you can get them at the pharmacy for reasonable price, and I have heard they help alot!
ReplyDeleteWell luckily this past shift where I worked a day & a half (got sent home for low census) I was just fine afterwards. I guess all of that walking just takes getting used to.
Delete