I just thought I'd post this question to show how you can use the poll option right inside the topic:

no problem

Interesting isn't it?? The night nurses, here, love to work nights. I have done so for many years (both with nursing and non-nursing jobs). Hate working days . . . too many phone calls and distractions like doctors. The evening shifts is the busiest (in my humble opinion). Nights are just right. I love being able to call the doctors when I need them. Had many a pleasant rambling talk with the patients during the night shift. And . . . if everyone's sleeping and the paperwork is finished . . . I get to go "surfing".

I will be interesting to see which shift finally comes out ahead!

Cheers,

Ted:)

I always enjoyed 2nd shift. Amazingly we had just enough indaians and most of the Chiefs left us alone to do our work, enabling us to do wonderful patient care. Our staff was a tight one and we always made sure each other was well covered during anytime of the shift. It was nice being there with people you enjoyed and able to do your job as it needed to be done without administration breathing down your back , and sucking up the credit for your hard work.

Hi all,

Just putting in my 2cents...

Love the night shift only because I can get to give more pt care during the night time which makes me feel like I made a difference for someone.

When I worked days a few times I couldn't wait to get out of there because I felt everyone was trying to impress the the head nurse on who could do the better job. After the second day on days I finally asked other people if they felt the same vibes and they all totally agreed. It seemed that everyone was in such a hurry to do anything. No one walked down those long halls, everyone had a swift pace about them and I actually asked some one where are you going in such a hurry??? Their reply was," Actually, I'm going to do a dsg change on Mr. so and so." I said,"Slow down, you'll get there!" Then they wonder why they're burnt out!

Nights are wonderful...You move at your own pace, you can actually give pt care, a few back rubs, actually have time to sit and talk to my residents who can't sleep. The only drawback is I'm not a normal person. I sleep in the day and am up and about at night. My kids suffer sometimes(12 & 15 y/o's) because they want to go here and there which I do, but then I can't get the proper sleep and then I suffer. But we manage and I wouldn't trade the night shift for anything except maybe evenings, but not for long...

Hi Everyone, I have worked nights for about 15 years, and I love it for much of the same reasons that other posts have mentioned. Always worked 11p - 7:30a. Started working 6p - 6:30a in March. Love that, too. Went from Med/Surg to CCU. I work with great people. Always willing to help, answer questions, and teach. Have always enjoyed nights. Sleep suffers, and sometimes family, but I try real hard not to let it affect family life. Compared to when the kids were real young, I get much more sleep now. I pretty much never slept when they were very little.

The youngest one is 12 now, so it is much, much better. I'm also a volunteer fire fighter and an E.M.T.. So if I get woken up for a call, it's very hard to go back to sleep, especially after 4 or 5 hours sleep. But I truly enjoy the things that I do. And no matter how tired I am, I know that I'll eventually get some sleep.

Have a good one! Sue

My favorite shift, which I worked for 4 years, was 11a - 11p. Sleep in, go to work just in time to relieve one or 2 people for lunch, then start taking the first open-heart patients from surgery. It's the busiest 12 hrs of the day, so it goes by really fast---and if you have the energy, there's still time to go out for a drink after work! I agree with Zoe that eves had just enough people around to get something done but all the therapists, dieticians, social workers etc. all go home by 5 and get out of your way.

I worked all shifts, and I always have preferred nights. Night nurses have the most fun Even though I do not work in the clinical setting anymore, I still find myself working in the middle of the night on allnurses.com

I love afternoons. The shift is sometimes the toughest but you don't have to put up with all the noise and extraneous, nonproductive people. I can't stand all the vacuums, the intercoms interuptions, the constant phone calls during the day. Its almost impossible to think with all that noise.

I like the 3-11 shift, it's still busy enough that the time goes by, but you don't have all the noise and cios that the 7-3 shift has. And you also don't have the big cheeses looking over your shoulder :rolleyes:

I also don't like days, cause I'm not a morning person, and many patients don't wanna be up that early, and they resent you for forcing them up :mad:

They're happy with me cause I get to put them to bed.:) :)

I work 10 hour shifts from 0530 to 1330 and love the days off.right now it is 104 here in the afternoons and those are killers by 2pm but I,m gone by 4pm when its at its worse.

Ok, now can anyone tell me why as a new hire there are no day positions???? I see the majority of us prefer off shifts, and I think it is fair to say we are a random sample-how interesting!!

I am one of the few who PREFER DAYS (!) especially the 7A-7P.

I think the 7-7 shifts are great, three days a week, plus the bonus of a bit of extra time in your day to handle emergencies, loose ends etc. The hours between 3-4 when you are not giving report to anyone are great for just that!

BTW- I switched from nursing home to hospital, 7-7 days for 7-7 nights. Still on orientation on 7-3 days though.

I worked 12-hour nights for a long time, because I liked having the extra time off. I got away from that for a few years, and then took a contract for 3 12-hour nights. That was the longest three months of my life. I'm too old! I used to think 11-7 was too much work and not enough time, and then I got used to doing them again. Except for how sleep gets screwed up, it's a great shift.

I work 8-4 now, but that's because I'm in management. It was hard the day they had a callout, and I had to start pushing the med cart at 8:30. Wasn't as bad as I expected, though. :>