Money or Life

To be short and quick. Newer RN. Make over $70,000 working straight nights 1.0FTE. Love the money from a savings and security perspective, love job, hate shift and schedule of staff RN's in general. It seems when you work in the hospital your life takes a back seat. This doesn't seem to happen with other professions. You work nights, holidays, every other weekend, take call etc. It sucks. I am looking for RN jobs anything m-f 8-5 no holidays, weekends, no call nothing.

My issue? I'd take about a $20,000 pay cut, thereby eliminating the substantial savings my husband and I are currently contributing to. Not sure if I am supposed to suck it up even though I am miserable for awhile to save up some cash or look at this as you are only here once and money is important but I miss out on a lot working this schedule. Plus, I am in a constant state of anxiety over sleep. Sleeping too much, sleeping too little, etc.

Not sure what the grown up thing to do is. What is a person's suck it up point and breaking point???
You can earn all the money in the world, but I'm sure you know that you cannot take the extra cash or material possessions with you to the grave when you die.Money is important because it makes things happen, opens doors, and enables a more comfortable lifestyle. Quality of life is also very significant, although many nurses find that they must forsake the huge paychecks.

If it's possible to still have some financial security w/pay cut, and it would make you happier, then I'd go for the pay cut, and feel better about your current life. There is some 'sucking it up' that just goes with nursing, but to really not like what you're doing costs you too much, imo. Nobody knows if they are going to have the length of time to do things they want to- whether because of other situations that come up (my dad ended up spending >10 years of his retirement taking care of my demented mom- he was happy to do it, but missed out on those years in their fullest; they had done a lot when they were both working, which I'm so thankful for). You can end up with restrictions on what you can do-- you don't want to waste all of your younger years waiting for something that may not turn out how you anticipate it will. JMHO-

That is exactly what I'm talking about. Every day I see dozens of emails from people on my floor looking for people to switch or pickup time because the times they work are not at all conducive the 8-5 or 9-5 world we live in. I just don't know what is the responsible thing to do. We would be fine to pay our bills but just would not be saving very much which makes me nervous with this economy and so on. Trying to find that point is so difficult. Ugh

I could have written your post- minus the nights and the husband.I hated my job in the hospital. It paid well...but I was so unhappy. I didn't want to miss birthday parties or Thanksgiving, or try to explain to my kids why I wouldn't be home on Christmas. I wanted a set schedule so I could live my life like a normal person. I transfered to the clinic. M-F, 8:30-5, and still all the benefits of working for the organization, just in the clinic and not as a hospital slave. I didn't take a $20,000 pay cut...reduction in base pay was actually less than $600 a year (but I did work day shift, and that makes a huge difference). I was plesantly surprised to find out that the differance in the hourly rate was not nearly as much as I had dreamed it up to be. Hating several aspects of your job takes up a lot of energy and it's just miserable. I can't tell you what a huge feeling of relief I had when I made the decision to leave bedside nursing. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Quote from xtxrnIf it's possible to still have some financial security w/pay cut, and it would make you happier, then I'd go for the pay cut, and feel better about your current life. There is some 'sucking it up' that just goes with nursing, but to really not like what you're doing costs you too much, imo. Nobody knows if they are going to have the length of time to do things they want to- whether because of other situations that come up (my dad ended up spending >10 years of his retirement taking care of my demented mom- he was happy to do it, but missed out on those years in their fullest; they had done a lot when they were both working, which I'm so thankful for). You can end up with restrictions on what you can do-- you don't want to waste all of your younger years waiting for something that may not turn out how you anticipate it will. JMHO-

Quote from ksc0723That is exactly what I'm talking about. Every day I see dozens of emails from people on my floor looking for people to switch or pickup time because the times they work are not at all conducive the 8-5 or 9-5 world we live in. I just don't know what is the responsible thing to do. We would be fine to pay our bills but just would not be saving very much which makes me nervous with this economy and so on. Trying to find that point is so difficult. Ugh

Quote from PediNurse3I could have written your post- minus the nights and the husband.I hated my job in the hospital. It paid well...but I was so unhappy. I didn't want to miss birthday parties or Thanksgiving, or try to explain to my kids why I wouldn't be home on Christmas. I wanted a set schedule so I could live my life like a normal person. I transfered to the clinic. M-F, 8:30-5, and still all the benefits of working for the organization, just in the clinic and not as a hospital slave. I didn't take a $20,000 pay cut...reduction in base pay was actually less than $600 a year (but I did work day shift, and that makes a huge difference). I was plesantly surprised to find out that the differance in the hourly rate was not nearly as much as I had dreamed it up to be. Hating several aspects of your job takes up a lot of energy and it's just miserable. I can't tell you what a huge feeling of relief I had when I made the decision to leave bedside nursing. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Don't worry about looking for what you need for your life. Nobody out there is concerned about what your situation is doing to you. Gotta do what's best for you.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vovq5...eature=feedlikFWIW- I think it's kinda cute

Make the change if you can afford it. This is going to sound sexist and stupid, but if my wife expressed the same level of unhappiness(?) with her job I'm pretty sure I'd insist on a change, and do what I had to in order to make up the difference on my end of things. Don't feel guilty trying to find another job for less money in this narrow market. That's silly. At least you have the option - I'm stuck on nights for now (even though I've convinced myself I prefer it this way). My wife doesn't contribute financially - she works once in a while, but doesn't make enough to justify screwing up my work and school and sleep schedule when I have to stay awake and care for our two small children. I would prefer her not to work at all for that reason alone. I make as close to 6 figures after working nights < 3 years out of nursing school than I imagine I would as a new NP (probably not, just saying). I have no choice but to continue my education and make enough money as a DNP or in administration or whatever for us to stay ahead. My life is dogsh*t, and will be for a long while. In the meantime, we get by, and I enjoy my family as much as I possibly can, and they tolerate me. Why resign yourself to that if you have a choice? Do you make more than your husband? If not, you really think taking an x percent pay cut will affect you both that much? What are you afraid of? Or maybe give yourselves a financial goal with a timeline so the professional decision doesn't weigh so heavily on a daily (nightly) basis? I don't know why I even responded to this thread, excuse me. Probably just trying to selfishly work things out a little. Sry. Thx.

Have you ever thought of trying PACU?...you usually do have some call....but if you work in a large enough facility with a larger staff then it rotates and isn't that often.. I am part time.....and work in a small facility...do call about one night every week...sometimes every two weeks and usually only one weekend per schedule which is 12 weeks....and about the same for full time, really. Otherwise it is M-F...or if you don't think you would like PACU maybe do the OR?Where I work call time is time and half...so maybe that would help to offset not getting the shift differential which I am assuming helps make your pay rate what it is?

PACU? I wouldn't recommend that. I worked PACU and was on call one New Years Day, Surgery started at 6 am and continued with one ortho case after another. I was the only nurse there, it was hell. The surgeon who was on call that day said that since his day was f'd up, he was going to 'f up' everyone else's day. NEVER AGAIN!

I'd say it depends on how old you are and what you retirement/investment portfolio looks like. Meet with your financial adviser (or get one if you don't already have one) and get their input about setting reasonable goals that will get you where you need to be. Then I'd cut back to the minimum necessary to meet those goals.