No one really wants to work weekends, right? Contrary to popular belief, some benefits do exist. Three staff members at VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (VCU Health CMH) with varying experience working weekends share their secrets.

Tiandra Smith, CPT, works in the lab and lives in Mecklenburg County. She works part time, mainly on weekends, and has done so for more than five years. The benefits she enjoys are not having to be on call, having time to help her children with homework, and her ability to work a second job as a medical assistant at South Hill Family Medicine. Having a flexible schedule is most important to her, but she appreciates the higher pay rate as well. Tiandra laughed as she said, “I know a lot of younger people wouldn’t want to work every weekend, but I’m not thinking about that.” She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and is currently earning her Medical Lab Technician credential.

Libby Bowlin, BSN, RN, CEN, is the weekend charge nurse in the emergency department. A resident of Clarksville, she’s worked weekends for more than eight years. Her friends and family are supportive. Currently she works every weekend so she can have time during the week to work on her Master of Science in Nursing. Libby is a strong proponent of VCU Health employees taking advantage of tuition reimbursement to further their education. She described other benefits of working weekends: fewer disruptions and distractions due to fewer people in the building, more time during the week to get other obligations completed and looking forward to Mondays instead of dreading them! She joked, “It can occasionally get you out of things you don’t want to do and saves you money because you are not going out on the weekends to spend it!” She also gets shift differential, a higher rate, for working weekends. Ultimately, it gives her more responsibility and autonomy - it forces her to learn more skills and gives her freedom.

Wendy Burch, RRT, is a respiratory therapist and lives in South Hill. She works during the week and every other weekend. She has worked weekends for nearly 35 years and says it comes with the territory. Her family and friends understand this priority. She has come to enjoy weekends because of her coworkers and prefers to have time off during the week. Wendy explained, “We work well together, and we have worked together for a long time; we are all best friends. I absolutely love helping people the best I can, and I still have compassion. If you ever lose that, hang it up.”

Tiandra Smith, CPT, works in the lab and lives in Mecklenburg County.

Libby Bowlin, BSN, RN, CEN, is the weekend charge nurse in the emergency department and lives in Clarksville.

Wendy Burch, RRT, is a respiratory therapist and lives in South Hill.