Advice on traveling

[Toadd35]

I've been thinking about getting into travel nursing for a while. I have over two years of med surg experience. I have always worked day shift but I was wondering if experienced travels would recommend I look for a night travel position? Do you think it would be easier as a first assignment to work nights to get to know the charting system and how the hospital works faster?

[8-ball, BSN]

not really, I started out traveling on days, I say if you do days now then travel as days if you are nights then do nights. Stick with what you do best. With that being said I am ICU and I have found some places like to do rotating shifts so being flexible is good too. Its totally up to you.

[Toadd35]

Great thank you. I was just curious if it might be easier for me to adjust to a new hospital at nights. I know more discharges and procedures and what not go on during day shift so it seems like a lot of information to have to retain in a day of orientation.

[Wolf at the Door, BSN]

Considering days are more hectic ask the manager if you would like to do 6 weeks nights and 7 weeks of days. I worked nights for a few weeks during a contract to get a break from days.

[NedRN]

Even if you like the work style on nights (no suits, treatments, flurry of admits and discharges), there is a lot of evidence that the disturbance in normal biorhythms cause a lot of health issues. If you are fortunate enough to get day shift contracts, take them! The majority of contracts are for nights.

I think your logic is correct in that the pace and style of working nights makes for an easier transition to a new facility the first few weeks. Be careful though, if you work in a non-union facility, particularly HCA hospitals, there can be a huge jump in patient to nurse ratios at night and that would also be difficult if you haven't worked such conditions before.

Either shift, you really want a traveler friendly assignment so your first assignment goes well and you learn about your own abilities to adapt rapidly to a new environment where everything is different.