Staff @cvs vs. overnight (full time) position in hospital

[hye345]

I recently interviewed for a full-time inpatient position at a hospital in a midsized city. They casually let it drop early in the interview that it’s for overnight shifts.

I’m looking to leave retail in the long term (been there for 5 years, currently with cvs, and to paraphrase Chernobyl, “it’s not terrible, but not great”). This was the first interview invite I’ve gotten out of dozens of apps, while I was prepared for part time per diem shifts (at least at first), overnight was never really on my radar.

Probably jumping the gun a bit, but if I do get it, would it be worth leaving a stable daytime job for it, if anything to get experience? On related note, anyone with overnight experience wanna elaborate on their take on it? Thanks!

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[mentos]

Will you be the only Rph overnight? If so, it would probably be difficult and stressful IMO. But every hospital is different.

 

[hye345]

Will you be the only Rph overnight? If so, it would probably be difficult and stressful IMO. But every hospital is different.

No, they said there was at least one other.

 

[projektreverb]

If you can pull off overnights I would take the hospital gig.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

If getting your foot into the hospital door full-time is the goal, then this is it. Sure, you could take a per-diem position but if a day or evening position opens up you'll be in a much better position to transfer.

 

[RxPreceptor]

If you can pull off overnights I would take the hospital gig.

Pretty good scenario for getting your foot in the door having hospital experience (having someone experienced & knowing of the environment to fall back on & seek advice from). I'm like sooooo offended everyone seems to gasp at the thought of overnight positions (really builds character, self reliance, and creativity in problem solving skills; use your resources/environment to the best of your ability)

If you can do overnights solo long term, you pretty much build your skills up to a level to be able to face/adapt to any kind of environment (minus the whole BS politics & large groups of people management)

Ok, I get it....priorities. Many here put family first (many obstacles with overnight work) and some even put partying/social life over work (overnights = uuuhm no)

 

[Dred Pirate]

I work overnights and love it - that being said I don't work in the pharmacy (100% "floor job") and there are 2 other rph's and we are expaning with another position. I make $20+ an hour more than I would make at CVS, have a better job (IMO), less BS, mgmt leaves me alone, etc.

If it was day it would be a unicorn job, but for nights it is pretty dang good. The two biggest things that make one sink or swim at nights are
1. - Can you sleep during the day, and switch back to sleeping at night on the off week?
2. - Can you work independently without all the resources available during the day - because depending on your setting you have to be the "jack of all trades, master of none" I cover everything from NICU to ED to cards to Neuro ICU -you don't have to know everything, but you have to know enough (or where to look) to cover the pt and not mess things up until days clin specs come in.

from a family perspective, I see my family more than if I worked a combo of days/seconds. I put my daughter to bed, then go to work, when I come up, she is just getting up. I work when she sleeps. When I sleep, she is in daycare, but I only at work 70 hours a pay period vs 85 if I worked days (taking into account lunch breaks that I don't have at night) = that is 390 hours less a year - almost 10 weeks of "free time".

 

[sdh0202]

I made a jump from retail to overnight inpatient rph 6 months ago. Other than the fact that I still struggle with my sleep schedule on work week then going back to normal sleep schedule on my off week (the reason why I'm staying up now at 4:00 AM), I would say the job satisfaction is much better than I was in retail. Since I'm the solo pharmacist along with my tech, I struggle at times when hospital gets busy and there is a need to prioritize my orders. I have to reach out to other rphs in different campus for quick answers if I don't have time to look things up. But I'm learning new things every day and I love the fact that I don't have to deal with BS politics that exist in every hospital pharmacy lol. I come in and do my work and I leave when dayshift ppl show up - it can't get better than this. Worst days in hospital is still better than normal days in retail... my only concern is really my sleep schedule and how will it impacts me for long term. But I can probably pull this gig for at least couple of years for sure. Best part is of course 7 on 7 off schedule where you can take up to 3 weeks of vacation if you use a week of PTO. I can also easily pick up extra shift in my off week so I always get some sort of extra income. I believe it will be a good way to get yourself into inpatient positions and it will be easier for you to transition from FT to different FT position. Good luck!

 

[Sparda29]

Hospital. This is a no-brainer. If you're alone on the overnight it's even more of a positive (unless you like social interaction with coworkers). I've had 5 oppurtunities to move to either evening or day shift and I've turned them all down because they don't get the 7 on 7 off schedule and of course having to work while management is around.

 

[Sparda29]

I made a jump from retail to overnight inpatient rph 6 months ago. Other than the fact that I still struggle with my sleep schedule on work week then going back to normal sleep schedule on my off week (the reason why I'm staying up now at 4:00 AM), I would say the job satisfaction is much better than I was in retail. Since I'm the solo pharmacist along with my tech, I struggle at times when hospital gets busy and there is a need to prioritize my orders. I have to reach out to other rphs in different campus for quick answers if I don't have time to look things up. But I'm learning new things every day and I love the fact that I don't have to deal with BS politics that exist in every hospital pharmacy lol. I come in and do my work and I leave when dayshift ppl show up - it can't get better than this. Worst days in hospital is still better than normal days in retail... my only concern is really my sleep schedule and how will it impacts me for long term. But I can probably pull this gig for at least couple of years for sure. Best part is of course 7 on 7 off schedule where you can take up to 3 weeks of vacation if you use a week of PTO. I can also easily pick up extra shift in my off week so I always get some sort of extra income. I believe it will be a good way to get yourself into inpatient positions and it will be easier for you to transition from FT to different FT position. Good luck!

When you finish work on your last day, don't go to sleep afterwards. Try to make it to 9PM. You'll fall asleep and sleep like a baby and wake up naturally in the morning around 6-8AM. Or if you are super tired, go to sleep immediately after coming home and make sure you wake up by noon. Go outside, get some sunlight (usually this drops the melatonin level).

 

[sdh0202]

When you finish work on your last day, don't go to sleep afterwards. Try to make it to 9PM. You'll fall asleep and sleep like a baby and wake up naturally in the morning around 6-8AM. Or if you are super tired, go to sleep immediately after coming home and make sure you wake up by noon. Go outside, get some sunlight (usually this drops the melatonin level).

I'm usually super tired by day 7 so I will try to go sleep at noon and get some sunlight outside. Thanks for the advice

 

[Dred Pirate]

When you finish work on your last day, don't go to sleep afterwards. Try to make it to 9PM. You'll fall asleep and sleep like a baby and wake up naturally in the morning around 6-8AM. Or if you are super tired, go to sleep immediately after coming home and make sure you wake up by noon. Go outside, get some sunlight (usually this drops the melatonin level).

I do the - go home and crash and get up at noon - but I also have a toddler that I have to pick up at daycare - so if I tried to watch her after being up 24 hours - it might not go so well

 

[Sparda29]

I do the - go home and crash and get up at noon - but I also have a toddler that I have to pick up at daycare - so if I tried to watch her after being up 24 hours - it might not go so well

Do you do that every day or just on the last day?

The other days, I sleep until 5-6PM.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Do you do that every day or just on the last day?

The other days, I sleep until 5-6PM.

naw - just the last - normally sleep 730-330 - get up, hit the gym, then get my daughter from daycare

 

[Sparda29]

naw - just the last - normally sleep 730-330 - get up, hit the gym, then get my daughter from daycare

Ah, you get out pretty early. I usually get out anywhere between 815-9 and don't get to sleep till 10-11. You probably start earlier than I do though?

 

[Dred Pirate]

Ah, you get out pretty early. I usually get out anywhere between 815-9 and don't get to sleep till 10-11. You probably start earlier than I do though?

Ya 9p to 7a. Out the door right on time and I live 1/2 mile from the hospital.

 

[Sparda29]

Ya 9p to 7a. Out the door right on time and I live 1/2 mile from the hospital.

That's nice. My drive home is usually 1 hour, sometimes 1 1/2 hours if there is bad traffic. Without traffic it's 40 minutes.

 

[mentos]

That's nice. My drive home is usually 1 hour, sometimes 1 1/2 hours if there is bad traffic. Without traffic it's 40 minutes.

That commute would kill me. I'm about 25min and hate it.

 

[Sparda29]

That commute would kill me. I'm about 25min and hate it.

Yeah, unfortunately, it is very hard to find a 7 on/7 off job out here on Long Island. And the pay on Long Island seems to be lower than Westchester.

 

[Alexis_pharmD]

Yeah, unfortunately, it is very hard to find a 7 on/7 off job out here on Long Island. And the pay on Long Island seems to be lower than Westchester.

Long island is a really nice area. And one of the best school district too. I drive 45 mins to work. of course I hate it too. but school district near my hospital is not so good. so i guess my drive is worth it.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Long island is a really nice area. And one of the best school district too. I drive 45 mins to work. of course I hate it too. but school district near my hospital is not so good. so i guess my drive is worth it.

I have to chuckle a bit. What is nice is obviously matter of opinion. I am in Long Island right now visiting my in laws and I can’t stand the place. Crowded, expensive, the streets look like strip malls from the 70’s. Just not my taste, it I grew up in rural America that my wife would go crazy living in. I will take my mid sized metro area in the southeast any day. Plus I make more money where I live then anywhere in NYC area from what I have been told.

 

[Alexis_pharmD]

I have to chuckle a bit. What is nice is obviously matter of opinion. I am in Long Island right now visiting my in laws and I can’t stand the place. Crowded, expensive, the streets look like strip malls from the 70’s. Just not my taste, it I grew up in rural America that my wife would go crazy living in. I will take my mid sized metro area in the southeast any day. Plus I make more money where I live then anywhere in NYC area from what I have been told.

I know it's expensive and crowded. I was there for 2 years. then I moved to Midwest. I love to visit NYC time to time specially in summer time. But I can't imagine myself living there either.

 

[Sparda29]

Long island is a really nice area. And one of the best school district too. I drive 45 mins to work. of course I hate it too. but school district near my hospital is not so good. so i guess my drive is worth it.

Yep, I live pretty close to Jericho which has been the best school district in the nation a few times. The taxes are up the wazoo though.

 

[mentos]

Yep, I live pretty close to Jericho which has been the best school district in the nation a few times. The taxes are up the wazoo though.

Taxes suck. Everyone is happy about their property value going up but I hate it cause that means higher taxes every year and we're not moving. Our property tax went up by $500 in two years.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Yep, I live pretty close to Jericho which has been the best school district in the nation a few times. The taxes are up the wazoo though.

You commute to the city from there? My wife used to go from mineola to Jamaica but took the train so it wasn’t bad.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Taxes suck. Everyone is happy about their property value going up but I hate it cause that means higher taxes every year and we're not moving. Our property tax went up by $500 in two years.

This exactly. We want to get a new place but what was 500k 2 years ago is 700k. Our place has gone up 40% since we moved in. Doesn’t do us any good unless we move to a place that hasn’t gone up, which is only rural America and run down industrial north.

 

[Sparda29]

You commute to the city from there? My wife used to go from mineola to Jamaica but took the train so it wasn’t bad.

To Westchester. I don't mind the drive going to work. Roads are pretty wide open. The drive coming home sucks.

 

[baronzb]

When you finish work on your last day, don't go to sleep afterwards. Try to make it to 9PM. You'll fall asleep and sleep like a baby and wake up naturally in the morning around 6-8AM. Or if you are super tired, go to sleep immediately after coming home and make sure you wake up by noon. Go outside, get some sunlight (usually this drops the melatonin level).

health wise its better to stay on the shift sleep cycle. i think science says its the flipping that makes it much more unhealthy.

 

[Dred Pirate]

health wise its better to stay on the shift sleep cycle. i think science says its the flipping that makes it much more unhealthy.

it is - but it screws with your life, I can;t image living like a vampire on my week off

 

[baronzb]

it is - but it screws with your life, I can;t image living like a vampire on my week off

I can't recall the data, but would you say night shift is sustainable if one never flips or is it still bad? How long can people do this before they can never flip back or they get high BP, etc.

 

[Dred Pirate]

I can't recall the data, but would you say night shift is sustainable if one never flips or is it still bad? How long can people do this before they can never flip back or they get high BP, etc.

I know nurses who never really flip (and they all look 10 years older than they actually are), but they do a sort of 2 days on 3 off, 2 on 1 off, random mix. Not a 7 on 7 off. I don't know anybody who does a 7 on 7 off and never flips. I couldn't imagine doing it, especially if you have a family, etc who live a "normal" life.

 

[baronzb]

The two day thing is the worst. can't believe that happens anymore.
how does one know if they can do such work, 7 on off? I've heard some people say a few months, others a whole year. Knew one guy, did it for two years and was developing severe chronic health problems. Knew a former gas station guy, stopped night shift 20 years ago, but still couldn't sleep through the night.

 

[Dred Pirate]

The two day thing is the worst. can't believe that happens anymore.
how does one know if they can do such work, 7 on off? I've heard some people say a few months, others a whole year. Knew one guy, did it for two years and was developing severe chronic health problems. Knew a former gas station guy, stopped night shift 20 years ago, but still couldn't sleep through the night.

I have learned it is very polar- peopel lvoe it, or hate it. I am likely leaving in a year or so, but that is because of family considerations. if you can get into a routine where you prioritize your health, you will do fine

 

[croquemonsieur]

I worked nights at a hospital for 3-4 years, hoping to eventually switch to days when a position became available. But a day shift spot never did open up and no other hospital would hire me for a day shift position because PGY1 is a requirement. So I pretty much messed up my health for years for nothing and all I have to show for it is a day shift retail job...so I'm back where I started. Womp womp.

 

[Dred Pirate]

I worked nights at a hospital for 3-4 years, hoping to eventually switch to days when a position became available. But a day shift spot never did open up and no other hospital would hire me for a day shift position because PGY1 is a requirement. So I pretty much messed up my health for years for nothing and all I have to show for it is a day shift retail job...so I'm back where I started. Womp womp.

I don't agree with everything my hospital does, but current employees are always given first short to move positions internally (assuming they meet the correct qualifications). But then again, we don't require a PGY-1 for day shift and NOT night shift (that just doesn't make sense to me as I think the night shift people who deal with all sevices, not just a specialized service should require more training/experience than day shift.

 

[baronzb]

I worked nights at a hospital for 3-4 years, hoping to eventually switch to days when a position became available. But a day shift spot never did open up and no other hospital would hire me for a day shift position because PGY1 is a requirement. So I pretty much messed up my health for years for nothing and all I have to show for it is a day shift retail job...so I'm back where I started. Womp womp.

Was there a reason you felt you couldn't do night shift anymore? Also, there a few online verifying companies for hospital. Sounds like you are in a bad area.

 

[Sparda29]

I don't agree with everything my hospital does, but current employees are always given first short to move positions internally (assuming they meet the correct qualifications). But then again, we don't require a PGY-1 for day shift and NOT night shift (that just doesn't make sense to me as I think the night shift people who deal with all sevices, not just a specialized service should require more training/experience than day shift.

It's weird. Montefiore hospital in the Bronx requires PGY1 to work the day shift but not the evening or night shift because "dAyShIfT gOeS oN rOuNds."

At my hospital, they put the newbies usually on the afternoon/evening shift. Night shift, they want people with experience who can run the pharmacy by themselves. Day shift is old people or others who don't mind the drama that comes with working with so many people and while management is around.

 

[MyDogAteMySuboxone]

If you're wanting to work hospital pharmacy, I would take the hospital position. It's easier to go from hospital to retail than vice versa if you ever change your mind. The hospital position would get you experience and you could likely eventually transition to a day position within that hospital or apply at another hospital (although it might take a year or two, or maybe longer).

With that said, overnight shift can have major impacts on your health. I worked night shift for 2 years and will never do it again, regardless of the job offer. I believe I aged more in those 2 years than I did in all of college and pharmacy school. I developed a severe skin condition as well as depression/anxiety and was constantly falling asleep during the day on my week off.

Night shift affects different people differently so you may not have these issues. But it is definitely a consideration.

You already have cvs experience, so it should be easy enough to go back to retail if you hate hospital. Granted, I know nothing about your job market but generally walgreed and come visit satan have high turnover, so positions open up not uncommonly.

Ultimately, it comes down to how much you want a hospital position and if night shift is acceptable to you.

 

[Barzahd]

I do nights at a hospital, 7 on, 7 off. Like was mentioned before, I think you either love it or hate it. I happen to love it

Been doing it for 2 years, and I actually don’t flip back to living the day life on my week off. I’m as healthy as I’ve ever been. But I agree, living the vampire life does come at the cost of a social life. I didn’t really have one before that though, so it works out. If you’re an introvert like me, you’ll have an excuse to not go to social outings because you either have work that night and need to sleep, or you’re asleep all day so you don’t mess up your schedule

Not having to deal with management is great, traffic is nice, parking is a non issue, night/weekend differential…there are a ton of perks to consider

Best of luck!