How much more busier is days than nights?

Nurses New Nurse

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Hi Everyone, I am a new grad nurse who started orientation on the floor 4 weeks ago doing 12 hour nights. However I will be starting day shift this coming Thursday. I know everyone says day shift is busier than night shift. But I'm wondering, how much more busier does it usually get? Just wanted to prepare myself. Any tips or advice will be much appreciated!

The Poop can hit the Fan on night-shifts too... so i'm not saying that sometimes the night shift workers have more than they can handle...

But, with that said... MD/Surgeon/Social-Worker/Lab/PT/OT/RT/Family/Nurse-Manager... etc...

All of these people want a piece of me during the day shift. I give 2/3 to 3/4 of the meds. I do 2/3 of all admissions... and the phone never stops ringing...

When I leave my work, it looks like a tornado hit the nursing station... we just don't have any time to fix it... When I come back, its nice and neat.

There is a difference, you will notice it. You may like it too. =)

*PS: I've never worked a night shift at my hospital... so i admit that my perspective is HIGHLY skewed*

Hi,

I actually did the oppisite of you. I started on days for four weeks and now I'm on nights my perm. shift. I think they are both busy in different ways.

On days like Slobgob said you have everyone trying to get a piece of you. I remember just getting out of report and the case manager wanted to get a report on the pts from me. You also have PT, OT, and transpoters tying up your pts. You'll probably spend half the morning looking for your chart and then the Docs arrive and sit there with them. Then you have the orders to deal with. Not to mention on days you have to worry about diets, baths, family, and did I mention all the new orders.

You've been on nights so I know that you have a handle on that. I would expect you to be busier on days for sure, but I think that has more to do with all the extra people demanding time with your pts. For me I'm a night person, but we get the crazy nights like this last one for me. 10 pts, 2 discharges, and 3 admits all before midnight.

You'll figure out what is best for you I think. I hope that you like days. I bet you won't miss waking the Docs up at 3 am. Good luck with the change.

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