Pro's
1. You get three days off a week. Sometimes even a 3 day weekend.
2. Therefore, you can plan to travel more because you'll actually not have to take time off to do it.
3. You don't get asked to stay over.
4. To me, it's easier to go through a 12 hour shift with a patient to see how they progress.
Con's
1. Physically, it can be exhausting when your body is used to getting a break after 8 hours and now must carry on an additional 4 more.2. It's been hard to figure out when to take a lunch break. Used to be at 11:00 am, but now it's closer to 1:30-2:00 pm. I'm actually having to eat breakfast now to make it until then.
3. While you work only 3 days a week, every other week, those 12's are 3 in a row.
4. You lose 4 hours a week because it's technically only 36 hours. You can pick up on your off days, but right now, I'm thinking....uh, no.
My first couple of weeks I spent getting used to the physical change of 12's. This past week, it's my family who has had to manage without Mom being around. Hunnybunny does a great job of being the cook and chief bottle washer while I'm gone. Now that I'm getting more used to it, I'd like to get back to quilting on a regular basis. I have so much fabric, patterns, and just can't get organized.
Oh, and by the way, I'm signed up for medical microbiology which is the last prerequisite for nursing school. Yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment. Getting the RN will open a whole world of opportunity for me. This class is online, which blows me away. I have to get a microscope for the lab part. One of my nursing pals did A & P this way and totally endorses it. We will see.
Stay tuned.
