5 Ways to Use Your Nursing Schedule to Your Advantage

I’ve been preaching it from the rooftops since I became a nurse in 2014, but one of the best things about a career in nursing is the schedule.  The typical nurse works 3 days/week, meaning we have over 200 day off every – single – year.  And if you’re not using that time off to your advantage, what are you even doing?!  In all seriousness,  taking advantage of your nursing schedule takes a bit of trial and error.  But I’m here to speed that process up for you and share with you five ways to use your nursing schedule to your advantage!

 

Check out my Instagram post about this topic!

 

1.  Stack Your Shifts to Create “Mini-Vacations”

One of my favorite things to do is to take what I call, the “8 Day Vacay“.  Essentially, you stack your shifts at the beginning of the week on week one (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday), and you stack your shifts at the end of the week on week two (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) – giving you 8 days off without needing to use any PTO.  This is perfect for nurses who don’t have PTO or are planning a shorter trip.  I’ve traveled to Europe multiple times using this method and it’s a great way to escape the hospital setting and reset for a week before returning.

 

Check out my favorite “8 Day Vacays”…

• Bruges, Paris, & Colmar
• Northern Portugal
• California
• Albania
• Barcelona, Madrid, & Southern Spain
• Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia
• Romania
• Washington
• Alberta & British Columbia
• Boston, Provincetown, & Newport
• Budapest, Vienna, & Prague
• Rome, Florence, & Verona
• Belgium
• Tallinn & Finland
• England

 

2.  Schedule Yourself Strategically When Requesting PTO

When you schedule yourself strategically when requesting PTO, you can turn a seven day vacation into a 15-day vacation, while still only requesting three days off.  For example…

• Week 1:  Work Sunday + Monday + Tuesday
• Week 2:  3 days of PTO
• Week 3:  Work Thursday + Friday + Saturday

Now you have 15 days off, while only using three PTO days.

 

Don’t miss…

• How to Best Utilize your PTO When You’re a Staff Nurse
• How to Maximize Travel While Being a Nurse

 

3.  Take Extended Breaks Between Travel Nurse Contracts

If you’re a travel nurse, I highly recommend taking extended breaks between each assignment.  By doing this, you can travel to further to reach countries, get to know a culture better, or simply take time off to spend with loved ones.  My general rule of thumb is for every assignment worked (13-weeks), you should take four weeks off.

 

Don’t miss…

• 10 Countries to Visit Once Your Travel Nurse Assignment Ends
• The Ultimate Travel Nurse Bucket List – 10 Experiences to Have as a Travel Nurse
• 3 Reasons to Actually TRAVEL if You’re a Travel Nurse

 

4.  Use Weekday Flexibility to Travel Cheaper

Another way to take advantage of your days off (and subsequently take advantage of traveling), is by traveling during the week!  Weekday travel is notoriously cheaper than traveling on the weekends so next time you decide you want to travel, check flight and hotel prices for multiple days of the week, choose the cheapest, and build your schedule around that.

Pro tip:  When using search engines, keep an eye out for a “flexible date” option or use the “entire month” option to see prices for the entire week/month

 

Don’t miss…

• 10 Countries Every Nurse Should Visit (Even if You Don’t Have PTO)
• 10 Affordable Countries Every Nurse Should Visit

 

5.  Prioritize Wellness Days, Not Just “off” Days

There’s a difference between having a day off and being an unproductive mess – versus having a day off and treating it as a wellness day.  On one hand, you don’t feel refreshed and recharged after laying in bed all day, scrolling on your phone, or not going outside.  On the other hand, even if you didn’t get any “goals” accomplished, you still cared for yourself and nourished your body and mind.

I recommend treating days off as a way to recharge before heading back to the hospital for another shift.  Book a massage.  Take a bubble bath.  Go on a long walk.  And sure, this might mean staying in bed longer than usual or binge watching a TV show, but try to do at least one thing that will make you feel better in the long run.

 

 

Nurse Essentials

 

As I mentioned previously, I struggled taking advantage of my schedule as a new nurse.  I wasn’t quite sure how to schedule myself, how to make the most of my time off, etc.  If you’re a nurse struggling with burnout or you’re a new nurse trying to adjust to your new schedule, I hope that you found this post helpful!  If you have any questions, please let me know in a comment below.

 

If you liked this post, you might also like…

• Questions to Ask in Your Nursing Interview if You’re Looking for Work-Life Balance
• Preventing Nurse Burnout by Traveling

 

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For more information on nursing related topics, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinscrubs” or under my highlights for “Travel Nursing” or “Nursing”.  Alternatively, check out my TikTok and YouTube channel for more information on nursing related topics!

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