Challenge Tips

While changing shifts and jobs have been an option in my 40 plus years of nursing, I found the people I worked with made the shifts and roles bearable.  It was important to have people you could speak frankly  about the frustrations of the job and also celebrate the joys and highlights of the roles.  That helped me retain perspective and see that little glimmer of light even on the toughest days.

I've done a variety of these options at different stages of my career and I have to say in looking back there are pros and cons for each and it's a bit like the grass looking greener.
The scheduling option influenced things a lot when I worked full-time clinical. Having a set schedule so I knew my shifts for weeks ahead let me plan accordingly. "Self scheduling" seemed to cause friction, with not everyone getting access at the same time so shift choices could be limited.  Float pool was great but had low census cancellations, shift reductions or floats. Each shift had a different routine and crew and I liked them all in different ways. Monday to Friday was OK but commute sucked into evenings and getting things done at the weekend meant sometimes those flew by.  Working from home seemed the perfect dream but can be isolating and work fluctuates with projects. I think the most important things for me isn't the shift or schedule but the people I'm working with and the the job I'm doing. If I'm enjoying those  then I find the balance in life around the timing, If I don't enjoy those then even 1 shift a week can be miserable.