CNA's: What's your favorite shift?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Hello CNA's!

I will be getting certified as a nursing assistant this summer, and was just wondering: What shift do you work? 7-3, 3-11, or 11-7? Does your schedule differ or do you always stick with one shift everyday? I would really like to work 7-3, but I heard it's hard for new CNA's because it can get pretty stressful during 1st shift. My friend has been a CNA for 2 years now and she works the 2nd shift, and loves it. For those of you who work the 2nd shift, do you still find time for your significant other/friends/and family even though you get out 11 pm every shift?

P.S. - I'll be working full time when I first start, since I won't be going back to school until Fall '08. Any info about your shift would be appreciated, sorry for so many questions. :lol2:

I work 11-7am right now. i hate it. Once dec hits i'll never work this shift again. i prefer 7-3. its early but oh well..i much rather have that shift over any.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

If you are an active person, you would like the 7-3 shift. From the min you clock in, you are on your feet until break. I loved it. I was being paid to work out,, lol. I lost 17 lbs in 4 months, 5 years ago.

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Specializes in long term care.

third shift is the best. No Administrator, family or noise to distract you from care. Perfect if you want to go in and get the job done unhindered. Also higher pay because of the shift diff.

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Specializes in ER, CCU.

I've Worked All 3, Days Sucked To High Heaven, You've Got Showers, Two Meals And All Admin Up Your Butt, 2nd Is Better But Ruins Your Whole Day. 3rd I Would Say Is The Best. You Only Run Hard For 1 Hr Thats 6am-7, Getting Up, Getting Ready For Breakfast, The Rest Of The Night Is Just Incontinent Care, Usually Only 2-3 Rounds.

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Specializes in Psychiatric nursing.

I love my 3-11pm shift. Its the most understaffed shift in my facility, but the administrators leave at 4, only one meal to feed, and you don't need to get up with the birds.

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Specializes in LTC & Correctional Nursing.

I am a new STNA in my facility there is no way I would work 1st shift. I like to avoid that higher ups and all the drama that goes along with that. Right now I am working 2nds and I really like that shift. Only one meal then most everyone is really to go to the bathroom and then to bed. When I finish my LPN I am going to try to stay on as an LPN there and work 7p to 7am. For what I have been told there is little to no drama on that shift.;)

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I've Worked All 3, Days Sucked To High Heaven, You've Got Showers, Two Meals And All Admin Up Your Butt, 2nd Is Better But Ruins Your Whole Day. 3rd I Would Say Is The Best. You Only Run Hard For 1 Hr Thats 6am-7, Getting Up, Getting Ready For Breakfast, The Rest Of The Night Is Just Incontinent Care, Usually Only 2-3 Rounds.

i work 11-7am, just started june 11 as a new cna. we have rounds at 12-2-4 and then at 430 we have to get up our dialysis patients and have them out the door /with breakfast done to leave by 5am. we then have about 5 patients each, to bed bathe, dress, do their rooms etc before 7am. it is a very stressful time, and almost kills me every morning. sometimes we have to stay over 15-30 min is norm. we have to rush so much, that we dont really get to spend quality time with patient, we are speed dressing/bathing them. LTC sucks as far as ratio for patient care. the patients suffer and i see many cna's burnt out/terrible attitudes, bitchee and shouldnt even be there.

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Specializes in Still a medic at heart but ICU, M/S, SVU.

Wow...this is a late post...but to the last poster...you get 5 patients up a piece, washed and dressed? Does 7-3 do anything? I hate when floors do that. They like to cram so much crap in between 5a-7a because the 7-3 shift thinks that 11-7 does nothing. Bah.

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Yeah, that's crazy. I've worked nights AND days.

When I worked nights, we each got 2 people up before we left, however we had to get those 2 people up in 30 minutes and even that isn't really enough time.

When I worked days, the night shift passed out breakfast and helped feed while we were getting report and checking on everyone, but didn't actually get anyone up.

Now I work nights again, but at our facility, at least in the unit I work on, we let people get up naturally, so sometimes I help people get up if they wake up and are ready on my shift, and sometimes I don't. It's more patient centered and is awesome, both for us AND the patients.

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Specializes in CNA: LTC.

I'm very pleased to see that most prefer the NOC shift. When I was offered a position in LTC, my first choice was NOC since it would obviously be slower paced, and the shift differential didn't hurt either!

Mike

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I work 7pm-7am friday-sunday and I love it, mainly because even at my age I know many people who go out and do stupid things on the weekend that I can't do because I'm working. The only other shift I would be willing to work is a 3-11. Working mornings does not interest me at all.

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Specializes in LTC.

This is my first nursing home job, and I work 3-11. We have less staff and have to deal with sundowning residents,but there's less to do since most people are in bed by the end of the shift and there's only one meal. At every other job I've had I liked working 1st shift better, since I'm a morning person and I like to get work out of the way, but so far I'm liking 3-11 just fine here.

I could never work nights. It must be horribly boring, and all our night shifters seem to dislike the residents... probably why they work nights in the 1st place.

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