I LOVE NIGHT SHIFT!!!

Nurses New Nurse

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Specializes in Operating Room.

i'm officially on my own. i had my 3 month introductory period evaluation the other day with my manager. she gave me nothing but good feedback. no constructive criticism at all, i was surprised! especially since i found out the other new grads on my unit (dayshift) are really struggling... =( making mistakes, staying way late charting, not being where they should be... i really feel for them and encourage them when i can. it just takes time. my manager told me how proud she is of me and how far i've come. she even gave me a score of 3 (exceeds expectations) on quality of work saying i'm "very thorough with accurate documentation". she said she rarely gives a score of 3 so i felt proud! ( regarding attitude, "very caring and compassionate, displays teamwork on the unit." so that's it, no more orientation, introductory period, preceptorship. i feel even more like a nurse now.

night shift has made all the difference. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! the night crew has been so supportive and helpful. night shifters just have a different, calmer vibe. i was nervous because i heard they were 'clique-y' but i haven't seen any of that. i feel i'm one of them. and i am!! i feel i can be a better nurse since on night shift i actually have time to look up my patient's history, check the chart for any missing elements, and give a great report to the dayshift nurse. i gave report the other morning and the nurse said, "great report, by the way. i can't say the same for most other night shifters on this floor...." HAH! on days i used to get so anxious at 7pm knowing i had to give report, i felt like i gave the crapiest one because my notes were such a mess. not anymore. 7pm-11pm are usually busy and we get admissions from the E.D. but after that it usually calms down. USUALLY. i had one crazy night last week where my patient called me into her room @ 1am holding her vascath in her hand saying, 'IT CAME OUT!' i checked her neck and there was no bleeding whatsoever but i said, 'let me go get my charge nurse'... her and another nurse came into the room with me and we checked her out... i put a pressure dressing on her neck and called the MD. everyone told me how lucky i was that i didn't find her in a pool of blood!! that same night, my 60ish y/o patient called me @ 3am saying, "i took my IV out. i was having a dream!" haaaaaaa. only on nights!!

but then there are nights where all my patients sleep and are stable and i catch up on all my charting and have time to relax. IMPOSSIBLE on day shift. i will never ever go back. i love being there for my patients at night... i had a patient the other night who had a bad cough that was preventing her from getting any sleep so i called the doctor at midnight and got a cough suppressant ordered for her. i love how i can do something small like that that makes such a difference. i had another patient on sunday that i had friday as well and when i walked in her room she said, "ooh yay, you were the best nurse i've had since i've been in here" which meant SO much to me!! i admitted this guy from the E.D. on friday night and when i passed by his room sunday he said, "hey stephanie!" I stopped by, (i just looove having the time to do this now!!), got him some ice cream, and just saw how he was doing.

i love my patients, i love my co-workers, and i love my job!! yes, i have some bad nights where i can't wait for the shift to end, but it's always a challenge and i'm always learning and taking care of people. i can't ask for anything more. :heartbeat

Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

This is a very encouraging post! I will start orientation on April 20th for a 7p-7a position on a neuroscience floor. I have only worked night PRN when someone called out. I most work 3-11pm all my life. I really like that shift. I am not a early morning person so I know 7a-7p would kill me. Thanks again and I hope to channel the same story that you have in the comming months.

Specializes in Operating Room.

best of luck to you!!

Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

Glad that you're happy. I'm a night shifter too.

I'm sure that the other co-workers that aren't getting such good praises during the day is because 'day shift' is much more difficult than nights, although

we have our own type of problems at night.

Nurses don't have that extra time to spend with their pts and look up H&Ps

during days.

I trained on day shift and it was an absolute nightmare!

I'm glad you understand that the reason the dayshifters are making mistakes, staying late to chart, and not being where they should be is a

lot more of a struggle for them because days is so much more hectic.

Congrats!

Yes, this is very encouraging to hear! Since we're on the subject of night shift nursing, what do you think is the best shift to work with school-aged children? In other words, what shift would be best if I want to spend quality time with my family? I'll hopefully be starting the 2-year nursing program this fall, so by the time I graduate, my children will be in 7th and 2nd grade, and my husband has an 8-5 job. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks! :nuke:

Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

I find that night shift gives me more time with my children.

If I worked days, it would be bedtime by the time I got home,

esp if I had to stay late to chart as I see happening with many day

nurses. Working nights, I can usually get home in time to see them off to school in the morning and be awake upon them returning home to help with school work.

That's great! I work with a new nurse who told me she loves working night shifts as well. Matter of fact, most of the night nurses work 4-5 nights (12hr shifts) a week whereas most of the day nurses only do 3. I like nights too, but I have school (I'm not a nurse yet!).

Specializes in ER.

thanks for the postive words, I start nights in July (grauate this June) and I am terrified!

Specializes in Operating Room.
Glad that you're happy. I'm a night shifter too.

I'm sure that the other co-workers that aren't getting such good praises during the day is because 'day shift' is much more difficult than nights, although

we have our own type of problems at night.

Nurses don't have that extra time to spend with their pts and look up H&Ps

during days.

I trained on day shift and it was an absolute nightmare!

I'm glad you understand that the reason the dayshifters are making mistakes, staying late to chart, and not being where they should be is a

lot more of a struggle for them because days is so much more hectic.

Congrats!

oh yes, i definitely understand how hectic dayshift can be. as you said, we have our own problems at night but days were too much for me, esp. as a new grad. i worked 3 months as a senior nurse tech on days and then oriented for 3 more months as a new grad RN on dayshift and i just KNEW it wasn't for me. luckily, my unit had an opening for nights and i e-mailed my manager and she offered it to me. i never want to go back!!! that's why i feel for my fellow new nurses who are working days and struggling. it's just too much. i would always get report and my phone would ring, "we need 606 down for x-ray/surgery/whatever" and i hadn't even gotten report on that patient!! new orders always coming in, patients always going somewhere, families asking so many questions "how was their night??" I DON'T KNOW I JUST GOT HERE!!!.... discharges left and right... just craziness.

Specializes in ED/trauma.

I don't agree with the poster that said day shift is much harder-at least it isn't at my place! We are a level one trauma and our ICU/advanced trauma floor can get anywhere from 12-15 admissions on a 12 hour night shift, we have 2 less nurses and 2 less techs on nights. When we have to travel that leaves the floor incredibly busy and understaffed. If we have a code, which happens almost every night, there is just a skeleton crew there to intervene. We do many procedures on the floor at night like, chest tubes, I&Ds, tube, etc, which pulls two nurses from the floor, whereas during the day this is done in special procedures. We also do all of the baths for the dependent people and anyone having am surgery. And there are no NM there to help if the s**t hits the fan.

Specializes in NICU Level III.

I looooove nights, too! Days are so crazy with consults and MDs and students waking the babies up all day and at night they finally get a little rest! Plus parents usually don't stay all night so we nurses get some downtime, too. I've done days and there is RARELY a spare moment.

Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i love nights too. congrats to you op and the rest who are off of orientation!! if they make me go back on days, i will go back kicking and screaming! :D

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