All the cool people work nights!

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Jun 26, 2013

We ALL walked (well, dragged and limped) out the door at 0730 with all work complete and documented.

According to my manager, this is why working nights isn't bad. We all manage to clock out on time so "you couldn't have been that busy." Riiiight.

Leahnore · Jun 26, 2013

I absolutely agree and it IS about teamwork. My manager asked me one morning if I liked working nights of course I said yes mam! She said have you ever considered days? I said no way. She asked why and I said "too much management around!" Lol. Of of course this was not the best answer but I later explained to her that I didn't like all the noise and confusion of days, and thàt most day shift nurses seemed more worried about impressing the management, and night shift had better team work skills I thought. I'm a night person anyway. My daughter says we moon tan lol.

Elle23 · Jun 26, 2013

I work private duty nights, so no teamwork here. And no diff!

I worked both shifts throughout my hospital nursing career, and there are certainly benefits to each shift.

At one unit I worked (NICU), the night nurses had to hang all the TPN, draw all the routine labs, weigh the babies, and deal with all the residents who did all their daily rounding/assessments between 5 and 7 (and thus deal with all the new orders).

I rejoiced when I went to days and didn't have to deal with all of that any more!

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2013

At one unit I worked (NICU), the night nurses had to hang all the TPN, draw all the routine labs, weigh the babies, and deal with all the residents who did all their daily rounding/assessments between 5 and 7 (and thus deal with all the new orders).

Never worked NICU, but this was very similar on the adult surgery floor. We had to hang the TPN, draw AM labs, discontinue foleys and PCAs on the immediate post-ops, and make sure that two shifts' worth of I & O's and vitals were done and charted before the residents started to round.

Baubo516, RN · Jun 27, 2013

I am an aide and a nursing student, and for about 1.5 years I worked day shift exclusively because I wanted to be home in the evenings with my hubby. In order to stay part time at my current job (32 hrs/pay period) I had to move to working only weekends this past January. The only way I could do this was if I agreed to work one weekend nights, then the next, days. I was nervous at the prospect of staying up all night as I have never really done that before!! However, after working a few night shift weekends, I did not want to return to my day shifts at all!

I agree that the teamwork is better on nights. I appreciate that the nurses I work with talk to me like I am an equal. I know that I am not a nurse and that there are skills and knowledge that I don't have that they do, but I AM a 40 year old woman and a human being, and it is nice to be treated like one! Not all of my day shift nurses talked down to me, but there was definitely more of a separation between the nurses and aides on days. I also appreciate that the night nurses will answer call lights. I usually jump up first (because I move pretty fast) but sometimes one of them will even say, "I'll get it..." On day shift, it was common for me to come out of a pt room and see 3 nurses sitting at the charge desk, 2 call lights on, and no one moving to answer them. I'm sure they were charting... but sometimes I have watched them continue telling a social story and ignore a call light.

I am also happy to be out of the "bath rush," as I used to call it. I work on a Rehab/Skilled unit, and the aides are supposed to get all the baths done by 11am (when lunches start), as well as answering lights, getting ppl up for breakfast, toileting, etc. I ideally, nurses can help with these things, but they have a ton of stuff to do on days as well and generally seem to be annoyed if they have to answer a light.

I am out of school for the summer and enjoying working full time nights. (I'm at work now, but doing a 1:1 and the pt is sleeping... so I am not slacking off!) I DO work the evening shift every other weekend, but no more days - per my request. I hope that my body can handle nights in the long term because so far, I love them!

Baubo516, RN · Jun 27, 2013

I am an aide and a nursing student, and for about 1.5 years I worked day shift exclusively because I wanted to be home in the evenings with my hubby. In order to stay part time at my current job (32 hrs/pay period) I had to move to working only weekends this past January. The only way I could do this was if I agreed to work one weekend nights, then the next, days. I was nervous at the prospect of staying up all night as I have never really done that before!! However, after working a few night shift weekends, I did not want to return to my day shifts at all!

I agree that the teamwork is better on nights. I appreciate that the nurses I work with talk to me like I am an equal. I know that I am not a nurse and that there are skills and knowledge that I don't have that they do, but I AM a 40 year old woman and a human being, and it is nice to be treated like one! Not all of my day shift nurses talked down to me, but there was definitely more of a separation between the nurses and aides on days. I also appreciate that the night nurses will answer call lights. I usually jump up first (because I move pretty fast) but sometimes one of them will even say, "I'll get it..." On day shift, it was common for me to come out of a pt room and see 3 nurses sitting at the charge desk, 2 call lights on, and no one moving to answer them. I'm sure they were charting... but sometimes I have watched them continue telling a social story and ignore a call light.

I am also happy to be out of the "bath rush," as I used to call it. I work on a Rehab/Skilled unit, and the aides are supposed to get all the baths done by 11am (when lunches start), as well as answering lights, getting ppl up for breakfast, toileting, etc. I ideally, nurses can help with these things, but they have a ton of stuff to do on days as well and generally seem to be annoyed if they have to answer a light.

I am out of school for the summer and enjoying working full time nights. (I'm at work now, but doing a 1:1 and the pt is sleeping... so I am not slacking off!) I DO work the evening shift every other weekend, but no more days - per my request. I hope that my body can handle nights in the long term because so far, I love them!

Baubo516, RN · Jun 27, 2013

The only downside to nights I have experienced so far is not getting to sleep in bed with my hubby when he is sleeping. When I am a nurse, however, this would only be 3 nights a week, so not as bad as now when I work 4 or 5 nights a week! (8 hour shifts) For now I have to be content with a quick snuggle before he gets up in the morning.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Jun 27, 2013

The only downside to nights I have experienced so far is not getting to sleep in bed with my hubby when he is sleeping. When I am a nurse, however, this would only be 3 nights a week, so not as bad as now when I work 4 or 5 nights a week! (8 hour shifts) For now I have to be content with a quick snuggle before he gets up in the morning.
Mine snores, so the whole sleeping alone is rather appealing after 38 years of marriage..... :)

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Jun 28, 2013

You're mean Mary Jean! And wrong. :)

They work on days and eve's. :wideyed:

Do-over, ASN, RN · Jun 28, 2013

Tried dayshift, now I can't wait to get back to nights.

I am glad I did it, but it just isn't for me.

I used to take to heart some people's attitudes that night-shift just babysits until the real nurses get there (emphasis SOME). Now I know, that if there is any truth to this, it may be the opposite. On dayshift I spend too much time chasing my tail - who has time for any actual patient care, education, etc?

So looking forward to going back to nights where, once in awhile, I will have time to spend with my patients and families, and will have the flexibility to work as a team with my co-workers.

benegesserit · Jun 28, 2013

If I could have the nighttime quietness during a daytime schedule, life would be good.

I work weekends. It's not as quiet as nights, but much moreso than weekdays.

Agree with what everybody has said so far. I am reluctant to trust the day walkers. I suspect many of them work days so as to be able to brown nose and smooze management for their own gain.

I work days because I have three kids at home. When I was on nights, I was getting 4 hours of interrupted sleep if I was lucky.

I do miss the social aspects of nights. We don't have a night shift (or weekend) differential so I don't miss that. (However, I'll disagree on the lack of drama. The biggest drama I've seen was with the night shift CNAs).

We're talking about building a house. If so, I'm designing in a night-shift sleep room (easily blacked-out, audibly isolated, where no one has any need to enter while someone is sleeping (eg. clothing isn't stored in the bedroom).

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Jun 29, 2013

I work weekends. It's not as quiet as nights, but much moreso than weekdays.
I work days because I have three kids at home. When I was on nights, I was getting 4 hours of interrupted sleep if I was lucky.
I do miss the social aspects of nights. We don't have a night shift (or weekend) differential so I don't miss that. (However, I'll disagree on the lack of drama. The biggest drama I've seen was with the night shift CNAs).
We're talking about building a house. If so, I'm designing in a night-shift sleep room (easily blacked-out, audibly isolated, where no one has any need to enter while someone is sleeping (eg. clothing isn't stored in the bedroom).

I always think if I ever sell my current home it will be to a night shift nurse. The master bedroom is painted a dark blue, only one window with black curtains (two layers of them- plus blinds), attached bath so you can remain in the cave when nature calls, and it backs up to the subdivision pond so no traffic noise. Heaven!