Can nights ruin happiness??

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Aug 20, 2003

I'd think that night shift can play a factor in it, but i think if you don't like who you're working with, then it doesn't matter what shift they're on, that in itself can make you miserable.

I plan on being a med-surg/peds float on night shift. Night shift on my floor is less hectic and i won't fell as overwhelmed, plus i work with those nurses now and get along great with all of them (except one). But that is what will work for me and my situation.

MandyInMS · Aug 20, 2003

Some people love nights..others hate 'um...has a lot to do with WHO you work with & if you are able to sleep during the day.Nights are usually bare minimum staff..so more responsibility..I've worked both and prefer nights.I've got a great supervisor and some great co-workers..that makes a BIG difference.

altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN · Aug 20, 2003

hey Nurse0977

Is your friend a night owl to start with?? The stress of being on your own as a nurse and also being around new people that you are not used to can play a big factor into how you are feeling. Particulary if you are more of a day person to start with...your circadian rhythms will be all whacked out and that is going to affect your mood.

Me....I am definately a NIGHT OWL!! always have been. I function much better after dark....:):) Much nicer person also!!

I work with a GREAT bunch of people.....I actually oriented totally on dayshift...not that they were not really nice to me, but getting up in the a.m. was H*LL!! My first few weeks on nights was tough b/c I was 1) on my own now 2) did not know my co-workers and their personalities, etc..

Good luck......and you and your friend both know if you are a day/night person....I would go for the shift that fits you.....

vettech · Aug 20, 2003

Originally posted by altomga
hey Nurse0977

Is your friend a night owl to start with?? The stress of being on your own as a nurse and also being around new people that you are not used to can play a big factor into how you are feeling. Particulary if you are more of a day person to start with...your circadian rhythms will be all whacked out and that is going to affect your mood.
Me....I am definately a NIGHT OWL!! always have been. I function much better after dark....:):) Much nicer person also!!
I work with a GREAT bunch of people.....I actually oriented totally on dayshift...not that they were not really nice to me, but getting up in the a.m. was H*LL!! My first few weeks on nights was tough b/c I was 1) on my own now 2) did not know my co-workers and their personalities, etc..

Good luck......and you and your friend both know if you are a day/night person....I would go for the shift that fits you.....

I'm a night owl myself. I've been pulling veterinary ICU overnights for 3 years now and will have 5 under my belt by the time I get my ADN and start working on humans for a living.

I agree, night shift certainly isn't for everyone. At my clinic, we run 2 night nurses working alone on a rotating shift (because of school, I work Fri-Sun, my cohort works M-Th). In the 3 years I've been there, we've been through 5 night nurses as my opposite.

There are huge up-sides to working nights - when you get off work and go to the grocery store, there's almost no customers and the store is all nice and neat... like having a brand new store just for you and no wait at the checkout line! :) Not to mention the huge advantages of being awake at night instead of the day shen you have to survive a summer on the Gulf Coast.

However, that being said, after grad I plan to try days for a while. For me, its purely personal - I'm single and its really hard to date or even meet people (IMHO) when working the overnights. Plus, I have a strong interrest in ortho/sports medicine - probably not a lot of call for that on the overnight.

nurse0977 · Aug 20, 2003

Thanks for the input. My friend thought she would like nights because she is not a morning person. She said that when she comes home after working an overnight, she is worthless for the rest of the day. I am a little scared because I worked a couple of overnights as an aide, and I was PSYCHO the next day. I assumed that it would be different once I graduated and got a job. Now I am rethinking....but am worried that hospitals won't hire me if I am so insistant on days.

bergren · Aug 21, 2003

First, nothing is like the honeymoon of orientation where you are always being supported and have resources propping you up.....

Second, each shift has its own personality. The kids and the families are the same from shift to shift, but the personality of the staff can change drastically.

Third, on nights the kids and the families are hopefully asleep for a good part of the shift, so the personality of the nurses has a greater effect on the environment that on the other two shifts.

Fourth, it is often ALL nurses on nights - fewer doctors, no PT OT etc. So again the personality fo the nurses is accentuated.

If she loved the unit, she should at least try a day/ evening or even a day/ night rotation before quitting. She is experiencing the abrubt cut off of the orientation supports and a shift that is predominently ruled by the personality of the shift staff and from what you are saying, it is NOT a good personality.

If the changing the shift rotation does not work, try another unit in the hospital before quitting.

Okiecruffler · Aug 23, 2003

Me, you couldn't pry me away from the night shift (1900-0700) more time for pt care, less time wasted explaining things to med students.:chuckle But alot of places don't hire new grads on the day shift (my hospital for instance) due to the fact that there are nurses on the night shift waiting for a day position to open up. You wanna make an enemy for life, just take their day position from them.

vettech · Aug 23, 2003

Originally posted by nurse0977
Thanks for the input. My friend thought she would like nights because she is not a morning person. She said that when she comes home after working an overnight, she is worthless for the rest of the day. I am a little scared because I worked a couple of overnights as an aide, and I was PSYCHO the next day. I assumed that it would be different once I graduated and got a job. Now I am rethinking....but am worried that hospitals won't hire me if I am so insistant on days.

That's why most people I know that work overnights live differently than dayshifters as far as scheduling (aside from the obvious).

When you're a day-shifter you typically wake with just enough time to do your "morning routine" (breakfast, a jog, whatever) then go straight to work and have your primary free time after work.

All of the night shifters I know do just the opposite. We get up and have our free time before work then come home and go straight to bed. I'm not sure why this is but it seems to be very common.

Even the so-called "morning people" don't get up earlier and do this (usually).

uk_nurse · Sep 13, 2003

I dont mind nights too much but after i have finished my last night i always get a migraine. I suffer with them quite bad. Its agony.