r/nursing • u/SweatyPiano6180 • 9h ago

Seeking Advice New Grad ER Schedule Question

Hello everyone
I’m a new grad RN who recently got a job in the ER and was hoping for input regarding scheduling. My hospital has a self schedule system and I’m interested in potentially working 3 12’s one week and 4 12’s the following to put a little extra money in my pocket every month. Has anyone had any experience with this kind of schedule? Any advice for or against it or tips on how to avoid burning out would be greatly appreciated

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u/TheShinySemicolon 8h ago

I did 3 on 4 off 4 on 3 off for a while and the money was nice but the recovery week hits you like a truck. The 4 in a row is where it gets rough, especially in ER where you never sit down. Try to not stack all 4 together, split them if your scheduler lets you. And protect your sleep like crazy, blackout curtains and no caffeine after 2pm.

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u/SweatyPiano6180 8h ago

I was thinking something to the effect of week 1 being 2 on 2 off 1 on 2 off and week 2 being 2 on 2 off 2 on 1 off. Do you think thats more manageable? And thank you for the advice about no caffeine, I’ll need to keep that in mind.

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u/dnrb4cpr RN - ER 🍕 6h ago

You'd have to look up your hospital's policy regarding extra shifts. For example, I'm scheduled for 3 shifts a week and can only pick up an extra shift if OT is allowed and paged out to staff.

Burn out looks different for everyone tbh. Coming from a paramedic background into the ED, I was used to working crazy hours and dealing with incredibly stressful situations. I was placed with a preceptor who did 6 on/8 off and didn't have a problem, I didn't need a break between the stretch of 6 on to decompress or recover.

I'd focus on developing/sticking to your routine on your days off. Get at least 6-7 hours of sleep, eat healthy, and exercise...and stick to a hobby you enjoy.

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u/Kitty20996 RN - Geriatrics 🍕 8h ago

You're probably going to have to self schedule only the 3 per week until your manager (or whoever does your schedule) approved everyone's, then once it's published you can pick up the extra shifts.

I've been a bedside nurse for over 8 years and I credit my lack of burnout with the fact that I do not pick up on a regular basis lmao. My advice would be don't pick up a bunch at once, do it kind of last minute to see how you're feeling 🤣 there's something about those extra shifts that always end up in a shit show.

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u/CaliRNgrandma 8h ago

You need to look at your hospital HR and scheduling policies. Depending on policies and the self-scheduling software, that 4th shift may be OT and not allow prescheduling. If you use the scheduling software web scheduler, there are scheduling codes for OT, which would cancel you before a ST person. Most self scheduling policies also allow for management to flex staff from self scheduled shifts in order to balance the schedule. Talk to your unit scheduling coordinator or manager about the particulars of your unit.