Day shift vs Night shift - Page 3

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  1. Guide
    Sep 16, '12 by
    I work permanent nights, which I prefer. However, I always have been nocturnal and I sleep more soundly during the day. The money is irrelevant if you can't function well on nights, which depends on you. Some people don't function well on nights. Perhaps you could try it and decide?
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  2. Sep 16, '12 by
    I did day 3x12 for a year and then night 3x12 for two more. Now orienting on days and will be headed back to nights at some point.

    I have mixed feelings but prefer the lifestyle of working days. On the other hand, there are some advantages to doing nights because you have flexibility with your day time hours: for example, going in to you child's class, keeping the kid home from school, etc. It comes at a cost, however.

    In terms of environment, I greatly prefer nights where it's just more laid back. Fewer suits, fewer families, etc. And the night crew just seems to be a more cohesive team everywhere I've been -- even before nursing.

    As a newbie, I think days are better because there are more resources available to help, it's easier to get hold of the docs, and they're usually more pleasant than at 0-dark-30 (though I take secret pleasure in waking them up).
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  3. Sep 16, '12 by
    Staff who regularly work NOC do so by choice (or necessity, which is still choice). As a result, I've found that we all try to make the best as possible for ourselves. There tends to be more staff cooperation & supportive helpfulness among ourselves. It sometimes is scarey how sympatatico & in-tune co-workers can become that they fall into one another's pattern. Depth of personal involvement does vary but it turns out to be mutually acceptable.

    There's all the other points that other posters discuss as positive or negative per their selection, but IMHO the staff closeness trumps all the other benefits. As far as I'm concerned, that's worth everything for me. (Just my 2 cents)

    Hmmmmm .. I would venture that much of the complaints about lateral bullying, 'meanie old nurses', 'know-it-all newbies', unfriendly peers, unsupportive mgt, etc etc etc might statistically be lower on NOC. I'd be interested to see if any studies bear this out. Might be a nice topic for any thesis, research projects out there. Hint, hint, hint.
    lilaclover likes this.
  4. Guide
    Sep 16, '12 by
    Quote from amoLucia
    ...but IMHO the staff closeness trumps all the other benefits.

    Hmmmmm .. I would venture that much of the complaints about lateral bullying, 'meanie old nurses', 'know-it-all newbies', unfriendly peers, unsupportive mgt, etc etc etc might statistically be lower on NOC. I'd be interested to see if any studies bear this out. Might be a nice topic for any thesis, research projects out there. Hint, hint, hint.
    I agree!!
    lilaclover likes this.
  5. Sep 16, '12 by
    Wow thanks for all the replies!!!!! It's all given me a lot to think about. I have worked nights before as a cna but it was 10p-6a. I def did not have a social life. Lol. As of right now they have me on days. During the interview she asked for my preference and I said I did not mind either shift (I assumed as a new nurse id be a nights and she was seeing if I was picky). Oddly enough she said they needed days and with my commute days would be better. Which I know she's right. I'm living in north Austin commuting to south. Traffic is worst both ways 7a-9a and then again from 430p-630p. On nights it'd put me right in traffic, unless I always used toll ways. With days I'd miss it and I have done trial runs.

    I think I'll def give days a shot. I do know I loved nights as a cna even tho my social life was shot. People were great. Then again I never got a chance to get to know day shift ever. I can imagine day shift is ridiculously busy but maybe that'd be good for me as a new nurse (and bad at times I'm sure lol). I do think days would be easier with kids tho. I worked nights when she was younger and i hardly saw her and when I did I was tired and grumpy. But everyone's right I'll never know till I try it. So I'll give days a shot and try to get to know all coworkers on both shifts and ask coworkers as well. I can sleep days or nights if I'm tired lol. I think I actually got more sleep when I worked nights Bc of blackout curtains and being so tired lol. But my family comes first and I love our goodnight routine to my daughter. I'd def miss it.

    Again thanks for all the responses and opinions!!! I'm soo glad I found this site!
  6. Sep 16, '12 by
    I LOVED nights. It's actually a deciding factor when I am looking at job postings, and I am still a nursing student. I worked as a tech previously, worked as a registration clerk in the ED - always nights. I picked up extra shifts for days, HATED them.

    I'm also single, and a total night owl though. When my mom was pregnant with me, she worked nights and loved it too. She said it was the only time I was active. Guess I've always been a night owl, huh?

    It just depends on the person really. The only hard part for me sleeping during days, is when I worked weekends and people would mow their lawn right as I laid my head to the pillow. But if I was awake until about 9:30/10, I could sleep through the lawn mowers.

    I would really hate to be a new nurse on days, and pray that I never have to suck it up and take that shift. I think nights work for me being single with no family commitments, so I am going to enjoy it while I can, and if a family is in my future, I will bite the bullet and start working days.
  7. Sep 16, '12 by
    Honestly, I think we could do this debate all day long! I have always worked nights (LTC, community hospital peds dept & now a large children's hospital) except for orientation has always been on days for a length of time. I'd definitely say the friendships and teamwork are stronger on nights - maybe attributed to the fact that we consistently have less resources at night so we really HAVE to work together. Staffing is always worse at night, so you will have a heavier load and as much "in your face" interdisciplinary staff and even just service staff (dietary, transport, etc) seems during the day, I'd loooove some of that help at night.

    I'm single and don't know that I could afford a paycheck without the shift diff. I also know some people work nights BECAUSE they have kids but when I have mine, I'll be switching to days. Depending how my shifts are scheduled, I'm fairly useless on my "days off" because I'm trying to catch up on sleep. I think I'd be major zombie and not so much the mommy I want to be.
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  8. Sep 16, '12 by
    I hate nights. I really do. I work as a PCA and a sitter. The only good thing about night shifts for a single person is more money. For someone with a family, it can be great for two-income family as the nurse can work around another person's schedule. Nights are usually not as busy as day, but I have found that to be false more so than not. Overall, I think nights are very hard on the body and wrecks the body's circadian rhythm.
    anotherone likes this.
  9. Sep 16, '12 by
    Quote from ThePrincessBride
    I think nights are very hard on the body and wrecks the body's circadian rhythm.
    I use the term "circadian syncopation." :-)
  10. Sep 16, '12 by
    If one can keep hours at a minimum while still obtaining FT bennies, I prefer nocs. 60 hrs/pp is the best, imho. At our hospital, M/S nocs are easier to fill than M/S days. This is a paradigm flip from ten or fifteen years ago and on back, when no one wanted to work nocs indefinitely.

    If you enjoy delegating, and chaos management then days is for you. I think the happiest day-shift nurse is one that thrives in managing systems processes.

    The happiest night-shift RN conversely, is the one that thrives more on pathophysiology and sciences.

    Nothing worse than being a patho-junkie on days with no time to systematically review your patient and problem-solve much beyond the various drains hanging out their various parts while simultaneously trying to get them transferred to another floor.

    Igh. Not for me.
    CP2013 likes this.