[meme_911]

i dont like night shifts at all,because i love getting up at morning taking anice could freash shawer,then taking my cofee mug to work,having a nice break fast with my freinds and starting your work with with a healthy body and mind..but som people like night shifts more they say because its more quite at night.

[PMFB-RN]

Originally Posted by tlcmel

Do you prefer day or night shift and why?

Is it more difficult for a GN to get hired for night shift?

*** NOCs for sure! No patient family to deal with, no nursing "brass" hanging around, no doctors making rounds and writing orders, more $$$$!
In my unit (SICU) new grads are never allowed to work NOCs. They work day shift becuase there is much more support for them. It can be lonely on nights when your patient is crashing and nurses need to have experience to deal with them.

[All_Smiles_RN]

Nights suit my family life best. No daycare for the kids. Like others have said, no docs, family, etc. Better pay. I am a night owl so the hours are fine. On the flip side, as others have said, there is a larger pt load on nights and less support when things go wrong. When all is said and done, nights are for me.

[susiebee60]

Nights do have thier advantages. But I personally could not adjust to the sleep pattern changes so I opted to go per diem and that guarantees no nights for me!

[mstigerlily]

I work 3 12 hr night shifts and much prefer it. I couldn't wait to get off days, I felt so tired after working. Sure it was hard the first few months to get used to nights but once I got used to it, I feel less tired after a night shift (even if I didn't sleep before) than I did after a 12 hr day shift.

But I agree meetings and such are planned at ridiculous times. Why aren't there ever midnight meetings for us? Oh, we're supposed to stay until 9am for a meeting (why don't they just stay until 9pm instead of leaving at 7pm if it's so easy?) or worse yet come in at 3pm or some ungodly hour. That's like 3am to us. I've been called at 10am, 1pm, 3pm, doesn't matter, they always expect you to be awake and ready to answer the phone.

I have read the studies about night shift workers having a higher rate of breast and other cancers and this concerns me since my bio mom died of breast cancer. I take melatonin supplements, not just when working but every time I lie down to sleep. I get some sunlight every day, get at least 6 hrs minimum of sleep every day (or night), try to stay up late-ish on my nights off (12am-8am-ish usually) have piles of earplugs, sleep masks, blackout curtains, aromatherapy, sweet smelling candles and microwaveable lavendar pillows. I make an investment in my sleeping because I think it's important. I'm surprised at how many nurses sleep 2-3 hours in a light room with their kids shrieking outside the the phones ringing. Years of that cannot be healthy for anyone.

I think if you work nights you have to take your sleeptime and your health seriously. The hours between 9am-5pm are just like the hours of 9pm-5am to everyone else. If not actually asleep all of those hours, you should be doing a quiet activity in your home, that is your rest period.

[gemgem]

i love nights!!
i work on a 45 bedded, elderly unit. the ward its huge, consisting of 16 rooms! and all the rooms are spred all over. (BRING BACK THE NIGHTINGALE STYLE WARDS!) if you hear a noise, you cant pin point the area, and have to check every room, its that big. a lot of these patients are falls risks, recent fractures strokes etc. 90% of these need assistance 24hr. we have 6 members of staff a night consisting 2 trained staff and 4 auxilarys. it is very busyand heavy, but i wouldnt trade it in for anything, i love it!!

[debbyed]

Night Shift

.

I don't deal well with people who wear suits.

[midwestvintage]

Did 3 - 11 for years but now that my kids are grown and gone love my 7p -7a shift. No baths, few visitors, few doctors, no managers or administration. I get every other week off and have no trouble sleeping or switching when I am off. Better pay. Oh yah, give me nights anytime.

[grammyj]

After being on days 6a-6p for a couple of years, but it was only weekends.
I am changing jobs, and will be on 10p-6a Monday thru Friday. It will be easier for my school schedule, and now, with Mom to take care of, the night shift will be easier there too. Hubby gets home at noon, so he can take over there, and I can sleep.

I used to work nights, and loved it. Hope I love it just as much now!

[ns lpn]

Nights if there is just enough to keep me busy on the quiet ones and not too much to do when things get crazy. Also it depends on the staffing, I find night shift is the one time management doesn't mind being short on and it is usually a skeleton crew to start. On the flip side b/c there are fewer staff it is usually a tighter crew who work hard and keep a united front when things do get crazy.