How long until day shift on your unit?

Specialties NICU

Published

  1. How long is the wait to get to day shift in your NICU?

15 members have participated

Hi there,

Just curious as to how long the wait for night shifters to come to day shift is on your unit?

My unit used to be 5-7 years, but a back log of long termers on day shift not retiring has pushed that out to 8-10 years.

Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.
Whoatemyburger:

You work in a NICU where there's *high* turnover?? I don't think I've ever heard of such a place.

The first 4 years I worked in my NICU, the turnover was low. Now, working there sucks like a Hoover (not Herbert), and we have lost 17 nurses in the last 12 months.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.
I didn't realized this was a NICU forum .... Uppppsss.

Intruder alert! Intruder alert!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The first 4 years I worked in my NICU, the turnover was low. Now, working there sucks like a Hoover (not Herbert), and we have lost 17 nurses in the last 12 months.

I'm an intruder here lol . Wow that's a lot of nurses to loose so fast . How come it sucks ? What's so bad about it ?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

Believe it or not, it's just 2 people that are responsible for making everyone miserable. Hard to believe that so few people can have such an impact. It's bad enough that I'm looking outside of the NICU for jobs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Believe it or not, it's just 2 people that are responsible for making everyone miserable. Hard to believe that so few people can have such an impact. It's bad enough that I'm looking outside of the NICU for jobs.

OMG . Yes that can definitively cause a chain effect . Where I work we loose nurses all the time . I'm actually leaving myself . Are you transferring to another facility ? What about the maternity unit ? Or the regular nursery? I accepted a position at New York Presbyterian -Columbia . It is a medical /stepdown unit . The nurse ratio is 1:6 . I hope I like it. They told me I can do ICU after it spend a year there . Where I work now , we can have up to 8 a night but out of those 8 patients , maybe one is a walkietokie , the rest are confused trying to get out bed all the time and incontinent. On top of that we have just one aide and the majority of work is on us . I feel like I work in a nursing home all the time .

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency and Critical Care.

Sorry but I have to giggle a little about this. 36 years ago when I started nursing, you automatically started on nights and we used to joke about having to wait for a day shift nurse to retire or die in order to get a day job, I spent about 20 of my years on night shift, then I rotated which just about killed me so I went back to fulltime nights. I did not start on days for a prolonged period of time until I joined management. Even then I was back and forth between days and nights. I was never a full time NICU nurse I was a per diem critical care nurse and rotated between them all in a level I trauma center. I got so I preferred nights and the night personality, but alas my body gave up nights before my mind was ready too. I am in education now and love it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MSN, FNP-BC.

The first 4 years I worked in my NICU, the turnover was low. Now, working there sucks like a Hoover (not Herbert), and we have lost 17 nurses in the last 12 months.

Do you work where i do by chance? Over half of our day shift has less than 2 years experience it seems like. We have had so many people quit for various reasons in the past two years I can't keep up with it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Silly me, I thought the poll was in months! Typical wait around here is 1.5-2 years. You'd be amazed how many people pass on the opportunity! They just keep their names on the list in case conditions change so if they feel they need to go to days they aren't starting at the bottom of the list.

I'm a dedicated night shifter though. Maybe if I moved away from bedside nursing but to me, I just can't be bothered by all the extra people milling around messing with my kid, my area, my chart. . .

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

I was fortunate to get a day weekend position about two years in, but that is not the norm. We have had a couple of nurses take day/night rotations (six weeks of days, six weeks of nights, etc.) to get off nights, and we have also had some go from FT to PT to get a day shift spot. We have a big group of nurses who are nearing retirement within the next five to ten years, probably all around the same time, so there will be some major change then.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You mean people WANT day shift? *shudders* all those people. doctors wanting to DO things with patients, management and other weirdos from the hospital milling about, phones ringing... lol jk I'll probably go to the grave working night shift, happily!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You mean people WANT day shift? *shudders* all those people. doctors wanting to DO things with patients, management and other weirdos from the hospital milling about, phones ringing... lol jk I'll probably go to the grave working night shift, happily!

I'm an old lady. There is no way I can physically do night shift forever.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Two years, but part time days is offered at about a year in.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment