[ocankhe]

They are both equally hard, but for different reasons. There are two many variables between institutions to generalize.

[YellowFinchFan]

Originally Posted by catlynLPN

I have always been a night nurse, because I did not want the pace of dayshift.
I know days is terribly busy, but nights has its own set of problems, too.
I do try to do some things at night that I know dayshift nurses can't get to, due to time constraints.

I'm a day shifter...and we are lucky that we work as a team (days/nights) we treat each other with respect and we try to help ea other out - sometimes we have to pass things on - and if I anticipate a prob with a patient starting to sundown - I will put the call in as early as possible for posey or meds or whatever the night shift will need.

Nights gets slammed with admissions (esp when we've been discharging like crazy all day - days is so busy - but nights have probs too plus there are less people around to help out in rapid responses/codes etc....

I tell my orientees that they need to think ahead - it's a 24 hour job and we all need to work together.

You sound like the kind of nurse we like on our unit!

[YellowFinchFan]

Originally Posted by november551

I'll tell you what, out of 3 nights a week that I work, I literally do not get lunch breaks on 2 of those nights. When I was on days, without fail, the dayshift always managed to get a breakfast break, a lunch break, and a linner break (lunch/dinner).

Congrats on losing the weight! (the good news!)

I'm sorry you can't get a lunch break - I've never heard of a Day shift 'breakfast break" (?)

On days where I work we are lucky if we get 20 mins for lunch - if we can....seriously...no one takes additional breaks.....and of course the stress is at the max for most of us - that's why we have such a huge turnover it seems...cause even if we have an inservice or take the much needed break - it puts us behind even more and we have to work past our shift....

[nrsang97]

I have to say that I have worked all shifts and days and nights are equally busy, but in different ways.

I also work a neruo surg ICU so we travel more than any other ICU in the hospital.

Days is busy with doc rounds, famlies, travelling, admits, transfers,etc.

Nights is busy with famlies (open visitation and some spend night), travelling, admits,transfers, etc.

We are pretty good about working together. Everyone needs to remember the hospital runs 24/7/365. Remember it isn't a competition, we are all busy. At least the nurses on our unit realize that the pt never sleep all night.

[namaste_71]

Neither. All the floor nurses I've met -- whether day shift or night shift, on just about any unit -- run their buns off.

[General E. Speaking, RN]

no more shift wars! I have worked both. We each work hard in a different ways.

[Tweety]

I've been working my butt off for 16 years. The first 13 of those spent on night shift.

[CareBayer]

I work days....very busy, but I know that the night-shift nurses run their butts off too! I am so appriciative of them. They get the floor ready for the day shift (when they can) by stocking, cleaning, getting paper work organized, etc., etc., etc. They also have to deal with many patients that get sundowner's syndrom....so they are busy keeping patients safe.

[snowfreeze]

Day and Night shifts are Ying and Yang, they compliment each other. One shift sends patients to all the tests and has most doctors rounding along with having all the ancillary services available to plan an effective hospital stay. Family is around on all shifts now, by phone or staying in the room. Nights tucks the patients into bed multiple times due to the stress of being sick, not many really sleep. Reviews all orders written to assure all were carried out. Restocks the shelves/carts/drawers and/or orders what is needed for the next 24 hours. Refills the charts with order sheets, puts tabs for things that need signed, tucks all the test results in the right place so doctor rounds run smoothly. Reviews the patient history and hopefully listens to patients concerns and passes them on to the doctors/social workers and daylight nurses.
Neither shift is less or more busy than the other, each simply does their part of the 24 hour work load.
An appropriate nurse patient ratio makes for more effective nursing, less stress, less bickering, less mistakes, happier nurses and happier patients and families.

[BlueRidgeHomeRN]

Originally Posted by namaste_71

Neither. All the floor nurses I've met -- whether day shift or night shift, on just about any unit -- run their buns off.

AMEN, brothers and sisters....

To OP--have your instructors go work a few shifts and then get back to you!!!