Pros/Cons to Working Night Shift

GGT1 · Aug 31, 2009

PROS: If you are a person who does not like managment lurking over your shoulder... then working nights can be great... they generally leave by 5- 5:30. Evening/Night shift differentials.

CONS: So tired the next day that it feels like you've worked 2 days

AnnaN5 · Sep 1, 2009

You generally get paid a little extra. Our hospital pays $2/hr extra for nights but other places pay more. You generally have to deal less with families, case management, doctors, etc and have to do less discharges. You kind of get to do your own thing which is a pro & a con.

The cons are that you tend to have a pretty crazy sleep schedule. I personally usually work 3-4 days in a row then have a long stretch off. I switch back to a semi-"normal" sleep schedule on my stretches off that way I can see my husband.

mindlor · Sep 1, 2009

Here is a scientific answer for ya.

Working off shifts is in direct violation of a humans normal circadian rhythms. Scientific studies have proven that we are healthier and happier when active during the sun up period and sleeping during the sun down period.

I would assume that the body could be fooled by artificial sunlight and efforts to pitch black the sleeping quarters during the day.

Working night shift destroys any chance for a normal social life. And worst of all, good luck finding anyone to raid with when playing WoW on US based servers!@!!

Also most AA meeting are during the evening hours

rn2bnwi, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2009

working the night shift is very hard on your body...on the other hand.. i love the relaxed environment (if you work at in an acute care type place....in a nurseing home they just give you triple the residents)

I still saw a lot of families in the more acute care type facility.... which i like. I did find that the 12 hour night shift was really too much for my body... i felt like was going to vomit in the morning and it was hard to recover from... the 8 hour shift was fine for me.. i even enjoyed it. When im done with nursing school im open to working it again.good luck

jlb_rn · Sep 1, 2009

each facility is different, but my opinions in critical care as a new grad:

PROS - shift differential, free parking, more laid back environment, more independent decision making (r/t docs not actively walking the unit at all hours of the night)

CONS - less learning opportunities, messed up sleep / social schedule

petethecanuck · Sep 1, 2009

Working night shift destroys any chance for a normal social life. And worst of all, good luck finding anyone to raid with when playing WoW on US based servers!@!!

I LOL'ed so hard when I read this! Almost spit out my water.

Too true mate! LOLOL

bmonayRN · Sep 1, 2009

I have been working nights for six years and love it. If I had the option of coming in at noon at my job then maybe I would work days. I think if you can sleep a good eight hours during the day your body should adjust. It usually takes a day to recover from working a stretch of nights then doing errands during the day. You definitely do not have to deal with management and families during the night. Patients do not get up three times a night like during days. If you are a new nurse its probably a good idea to start off during the day since procedures and surgeries go on during the day.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 1, 2009

pros: i am asked to come in for day trainings etc. and all i have to do is say "ok" and if i do not show up no one really follows up immediately... i think the last time i blew off an administrator it took a month for a follow up.

cons: umm... 6-8 patients that are high acuity and not to mention last minute admits from the ed, where day shift and the night charge refuses to help out so you sometimes have to stay over to finish the paper work however the same is not forced upon the day shift who have 4-5 patients and get to go home as soon as the shift is over despite not finishing their admit paper work :down: (yes, i am leaving medical surgical nursing soon!!!.. i will be heading for the ed and staying on nights).

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2009

Con -- mood swings, personality shifts

Pro -- sleeping in

Con -- thinking you did a task, and you realizing later you actually had not!

Pro -- being able to stay awake when you go out on the town.

Con -- inability to sleep at night.

Pro -- differentials $$

Con -- having your daughter describe you as a bum to her friends, "all he ever does is sleep!"

Pro -- Having more time to attend to things day shift might have missed.

Con -- Day nurses thinking you did nothing on your 12.

Pro -- not having management hounding you

Con -- day shift receives all the free meals, extra perks (gifts etc); night shift gets the leftovers or nothing at all, as if we didn't exist.

Sidebar: I am very fortunate to be working days now; and, Never do I take night nurses for granted. Whenever a day RN speaks her mind regarding the laziness of the night crew, I make my point of view known. Damn those ignorant day nurses who have never worked nights and have the gaul to insinuate that the night shift is lazy!!!

mn_nurse · Sep 1, 2009

Pros: Never needing an alarm clock, seeing the kids more during the day, shift diff. , better social life (staying out late), less stress at work (no mgmt), parking, less patient family drama

Cons: going on vacation and trying to switch to a 'normal' schedule (unless you goto Vegas, where you can stay on your schedule) :yeah:

sleepyRN2 · Sep 1, 2009

in response to the circadian rhythm comment, it's true of its existence. however, if you have a circadian rhythm that is in tuned with you being up and awake at night then you are more than at home working the night shifts---that's a big pro to you. like the rest here have pointed out, working the night shifts affords you the pay differential, as before i've been quoted $(1 to 2)/hr which is another pro to you. a con would be to you is sleeping in the daytime hours and missing out on having "normal" interactions with the "normal" people.