Brand New Nurse, California Dreamin’
I have been a Registered Nurse for almost 20 years. I moved to California from the Philippines when I was 21 years old. My first job was at a nursing home in Los Angeles. Although the pay was low, the benefits were almost non-existent, and the nurse-to-patient ratio was overwhelming, I was thrilled to be working and earning my own money. I worked with some of the loveliest people and met my best friends there. Eventually, I transitioned to working in a hospital at a time when hospitals were only hiring those with hospital experience—a bit of a catch-22! It was my goal to work in a hospital so I could work three 12-hour shifts and have another job on the side. I thought I was going to make so much money! Yay!
Anxiety, Depression, Burnout
My first hospital job was at a county hospital in Los Angeles, on a med-surg, telemetry, and oncology floor. Man, that was rough! I don’t know about you, but I experienced firsthand the saying, “nurses eat their young.” I don’t understand why some nurses are so mean. I especially hated shift endorsements because I tried to finish everything during my shift, yet some nurses I reported to still made me feel like I hadn’t accomplished anything despite running around like a chicken with its head cut off. That job gave me so much anxiety. I wasn’t sleeping well and often cried in the car after my shifts. And then I had to go to my other job.
After almost five years of this, I nearly had a mental breakdown. Can you imagine working a 12-hour shift, then coming home and being unable to sleep because you’re so anxious about your next shift?
I didn’t even make it to five years (which would have vested me in my pension) before I handed in my two-week notice. I didn’t have another job lined up; I was just done. Oh, and another reason I couldn’t continue was the awful vacation policy. We were only approved for two weeks of paid or even unpaid vacation per year. How is that possible? It was so depressing to think that you only get to step away from (toxic) work that little in an entire year.
Even though I hated my life and my job, I’m fortunate to have gained valuable clinical experience during that time that have eventually helped me land a better job.
New Beginnings
About a year later, I was lucky enough to land a Per diem PACU nurse job at a surgery center in a big-name hospital in Los Angeles. I had no experience as a PACU/Recovery room nurse, but my critical care experience helped me secure the job. For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t rushed and could provide quality patient care. I had no anxiety when coming in for my shift. Let’s just say that I’m happy where I’m at now, and I’ve been working at the same place since 2018.
Per Diem Nursing
Working per diem obviously has its pros and cons.The pros include being able to set my own schedule, working only when I want to (as long as I meet the minimum requirement of four 8-hour shifts per month), not having to request time off, and enjoying a higher hourly salary than full-time/part-time nurses. I still get my 401(k) match and receive hospital contributions to my pension. The cons: no benefits, no guaranteed hours (although I’ve been working three shifts per week since 2018 and have never been canceled), and no paid vacation.
As a per diem nurse with no health benefits, I have to buy my insurance through the exchange. It costs me $800 for a Kaiser plan for myself and my son. I know it’s shockingly expensive, and im currently weighing the pros and cons of staying as a per diem nurse or move into a benefitted position to save money. This cost is one of the reasons why I started henrynurse.com, to document my financial decisions that can affect how i can reach financial independence, because paying $800/month for insurance is a lot or money.
So yeah, if you want to follow along as I figure out managing expenses, budgeting a nurse salary, and planning my own unique path toward Financial Independence, you’re in the right place.
