What shift is most short-staffed?

slinkeecat · Jun 27, 2002

I think that 3-11 is the hardest shift to staff..... to hard to balance kids and etc

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jun 28, 2002

Tell me if this sounds screwy. Our 7A-7P shift is the most short-staffed. DAY SHIFT!!! They do the most shuffling around of staff--by calling to see if people can come in, offering to switch night people to a day shift or 2, etc etc.

But yet they won't open up any more 7A-7P day positions. They open a 7-3 or 3-11 shift even more rarely. They would have many takers if they did. Of course 7P-7A and 11-7A are always open. Screwy huh?

SmilingBluEyes · Jun 28, 2002

well where i work, it's nights and weekend nights. (7p-7a)....very very hard to staff. everyone wants the day jobs during the week, which in OB is hard to do.

mattsmom81 · Jun 28, 2002

Same here Debbie....nights and weekends seem ignored as far as staffing....a few call ins won't matter cuz the patients all sleep at night anyway, and the docs don't round much on weekends so not much goes on, right?

fergus51 · Jun 28, 2002

Same as smilingblueyes. Weekends are becoming a b*tch to staff.

Anagray, BSN · Jun 28, 2002

On our unit, evenings are always good, unless it's Monday or Friday.

I notcied that nurses get slammed with extra work on nights and 7a- 3p shift is just CRAZY.

SmilingBluEyes · Jun 28, 2002

Yep,that is the attitude...the night shift has it easy cause the moms and babies and gyn patients sleep ALL NIGHT and so must WE (the night staff)! HA! The babies come out to the nursery so moms can sleep...and we get to deal with their screaming and demanding ways. And they call every 1/2 hour to have their pillow fluffed, their bed changed, their meds ...more water. The gyn's often get disoriented and need us to go in and reassure them they are OK..... it goes on and on. I consider these things my job mostly, (except I am happy to POLITELY point the the new moms' way to the kitchen for water and food since they are HEALTHY).

but let's make no mistake about it...we DO WORK HARD AT NIGHT TOO! This is when it seems they(day shift staff and mgt) assume we don't work that hard and do not hesisitate to "low census" a nurse cause "we can cover it". GROWL !!! (lol).

thisnurse · Jun 28, 2002

3-11 is the most short staffed. i hate this shift. we have so many pts to deal with and so many discharges...why do docs wait until after dinner? and so many admissions. then there are the visitors to deal with and the 9pm meds. i am never on schedule and constantly running around trying to catch up.

zudy · Jun 28, 2002

Weekends nites are the short staff times for us. Like nothing ever happens in the ER on a Sat nite!!! The suits, can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em ( coz it would just make more work for you.)

mattsmom81 · Jun 29, 2002

I'm surprised in this day and age more suits HAVEN'T been shot!

Nurses are finally expressing anger at the abuses we suffer from greedy, ungrateful, ruthless hospital managers/administrators..... so far I haven't heard of any disgruntled hospital workers going after their administrators.....but never say never...LOL!

I just reread that and it sounds like nurse vigilanteism... and I'm a bit surprised I'm laughing....guess it strikes the same chord in me as the Dixie Chicks song "Goodbye Earl "'....(Earl deserved it too. :) )

ceecel.dee, MSN, RN · Jun 29, 2002

I hate 3-11 too. Especially during the school year! This shift is busy after the clinic closes with all those REAL EMERGENCIES that people "just couldn't get off work for". RN's are pulled from the floor when ER gets crazy and almost no one gets a break. We all know this and it's harder to get people to pick up extra for evenings. (Depends alot on what doc is on call).