Curious to know what different people do all day at their 9-5? We’re investigating job titles and diving deeper into day-to-day tasks to get the low-down on exactly what those roles really entail. Not sure how much to ask for your raise? Wondering what a VP in finance does in the afternoon? We’re uncovering the details behind jobs, along with the salaries and tasks that come with them, to help you figure out what you’re interested in. Below, read about how a nurse in New York spends her day.
Age: 24
City: New York
Industry: Healthcare
Job Title: Registered Nurse
Years of Experience: 2
Salary: $53/hour
What does your job title mean? What does your job entail?
I am a registered nurse on a postpartum unit. I take care of mothers and their newborn babies as well as babies who require intensive care.
When do you wake up?
On work nights, I generally wake up around 5pm if I worked the night before. If it’s my first shift of the week, I try to sleep in as long as I can, then hit the gym by 4pm so I can be at work by 7pm.
At 9pm I am…
Getting my night started–meeting my patients, checking medical orders, doing head-to-toe assessments, getting started on charting, giving medications, etc. 9pm is busy!
At 11pm I am…
Hopefully caught up on my charting and taking a breather after the craziness of the beginning of the shift.
What does lunch normally look like for you?
Lunch breaks are an hour long and fall anytime between 1am and 4am–it all depends on when I have the least amount of tasks to complete. I live next to work so I try to go home on my break to make food, watch some tv on my couch, and just get away for a few minutes. When work is busy, I quickly eat whenever I can and forego my lunch break.
At 1am I am…
Probably about to eat or go pick up lunch! So, I’m possibly on lunch, or admitting a new mom and baby and getting them settled in. I am definitely helping with breastfeeding, giving medications, bathing a baby, or helping moms out of bed.
At 3pm I am… 
Doing the same thing as 1am…just a bit more tired!
At 5am I am…
In the home stretch. 5am is busy like 9pm. All babies need to be weighed, have their vital signs checked, and have any bloodwork drawn. At 5am I try to finish up as much charting as I can so I don’t have to stay late to catch up.
How does a workday end for you? What time do you normally leave work?
My shift ends at 8am. At 7:30am, the day shift nurses come in, so by that time I’m watching the door to grab the oncoming nurse taking over for my patients. Once I give the handoff report, I say bye to my patients and am out the door.
What do you do after work? An event? Dinner? More work?
I shower once I get home. Sometimes I eat something small. After that, I head to bed to sleep until work that evening or, if I am not scheduled to work that night, I take a quick nap for a few hours before switching back to a day routine.
What time do you go to bed? 
I draw my blackout curtains, put on my white noise machine, and hope to be asleep by 10am!
Is there anything about your job you’d like people to know?
I only work three or four 12 1/2 hour shifts each week, but working nights, weekends, and holidays is tough! It definitely takes a toll on your body. However, my job is extremely rewarding and there is nothing better than helping brand-new parents welcome their new baby into the world and sending them home healthy, prepared, and confident about caring for their family. It is also very special to take care of sicker babies who need some more time and care before heading home. Those little ones are strong fighters, and their parents’ strength is inspiring.