How likely is it as a new nursing grad I'd have to work nights?

[honeymist]

I am applying to second degree nursing options now, I'm so excited about becoming a nurse and have wanted to do this forever!!! My ultimate goal is to work in L&D, but I understand I'd more than likely have to start off on a different floor. I am fine w/ that, especially considering the difficulty in finding a position these days.

My question is, I've heard that some people do well working nights, and others do not. I suspect I'm one of those that would not. I am SUCH a morning person but I am useless late at night. Even if I get a lot of sleep I'm still pretty darn tired by 10pm! I know your body can adjust but I am really committed to becoming and being the best nurse I can and I don't want to be a sleepy one!

Since nursing jobs are scarce, especially for new grads (although I wont be done w/ school until 2011), do any of you have any input on whether (as a new grad) I could realistically have a shot at working days?

[tatara]

You can't avoid night shifts in a hospital.

You'll learn to be an owl sooner or later because you have to.

You will be flexible because eventually you'll love being an owl, nocturnal that is!

You can do it.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

it is highly likely you will be working nights if all of the senior nurses want to work days. even worse..., it is highly likely that you will be working nights while trianing on days because all of the senior nurses, training sessions, and meetings are on days (in other words you will be going back and forth at first). on the other hand, like you said... you have until 2011 to concern yourself so do not concern yourself now.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

It all depends on the hospital. Most places generally have more openings on nights than days, and most places tend to give dayshift positions within the unit by seniority. But it depends. You might luck out and get a place with dayshift openings that is also hiring new grads.

Count me as one who does better on a diurnal schedule but whose body has been so used to working nights for so long I'm messed up. :)

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

It depends on the hospital. Where I work now, there are new employees on dayshift, permanently. We have a decent night diff, so there are lots of staff that prefers nights, like me.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

I always warn students that if you can get hired someplace on days as a new grad that it's a huge red flag. I feel that if a department isn't keeping nurses happy enough that there's a waiting list for dayshift, that you don't want to work there. I lucked out, got a dayshift in an awesome department because my crappy department was absorbed, and I'd gotten on days while there. It's hard to get days on my unit because the manager keeps us happy and nurses never leave, thus dayshifts rarely open up. I've seen places where you can get days really quickly, even get hired in as a new grad. There's a reason there's all that turnover. I'd rather suffer through nights where the working environment is good than work days where the environment is bad.

[voraciousj]

I am a new grad and I got hired onto a tele floor as a day shift. It's possible, it just depends on the units needs at the time. I lucked out and am blessed to work for a great NM and fellow RNs and techs!

[november17, ASN, RN]

It depends on how flexible you are. You might have to go to a unit that you might not be particularly interested in to score a dayshift position, but its certainly possible.

[justiceforjoy]

I don't mind nights. You'll learn to love 'em.

[iteachob, MSN, RN]

I was hired on a post-partum unit, day shift, as a new grad. After a year, I transferred to NICU, 12 hour night shift...........LOVED IT!

So, it's possible, though chances you'll go to nights are high. Nights really aren't so bad...

[misspink789]

work for an agency

idk, i love working nights, try it, you might come out loving it!

[hotflashion, BSN, RN]

I had to jump in because when I worked nights (diff job) years ago, I never got used to it and I do consider myself a night person. But not an "all night and into the morning" person. I figure I could work a shift that ended at 3am, but after that I am toast. So, I am a new nurse who cannot imagine working a night shift. I'll let you know how hard it is to get a job. I have a wide variety of interests, and while I'd like to get that 1-2 years med-surg under my belt, the job market being what it is, I'm not sure what compromises I'll have to make to get a job.

During that period of time when I was working nights, I fell asleep driving (on a highway!) and I attribute that to my being unable to tell how tired I was -- since I was tired all the time and had just gotten used to functioning that way. I wasn't hurt and no one else was either. Lucky for me the median strip that I drifted onto was (relatively) flat and there were no massive boulders or trees. So, be careful!

HF