CNA's: What's your favorite shift?

sugarkisses · May 18, 2009

I got hired just last week and will start working on wednesday my shift is 10-6 AM .I choses this shift bec. I dont have money to pay for babysitter. I have 2 kids. especially now that school is almost over. that is why i choses to work at night.

I know its thought and im worried since i wont be with my husband at night. but its just temporary. we can make it.!

Jillian01520 · May 19, 2009

I start my CNA class in 2 weeks and I am hoping to get a 3-11 after that. I have 2 kids (1 baby and a 5 y/o) my husband forks for a school and is out at about 1pm so that would be perfect for us, I can can have some time with my son in the morning then put him on the bus, do some cleaning, have time with my baby, see my husband when he gets home and go to work. My husband can then get my son off the bus and do dinner and bed. Plus we won't have to pay for daycare which is a PLUS!

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · May 19, 2009

3-11 is the best in my case you make more on that shift plus less of a hassle then 7-3 and 11-7 is great but if your facility gets a pressure sore problem it always comes back on 3rd shift.

I just accepted a job at an assisted living facility for dementia & alzheimers residents & I asked to work the 3-11 shift. When I was doing clinicals at a nursing home, the other GNA's recommended to start out on this shift since it isn't as demanding as 7-3. :wink2:

Bunkee85 · Sep 17, 2009

First of all what's up? In my opinion to your question is the 3-11 shift. For me personally because I am not a morning person AT ALL! Plus I don't have to worry about the "BIG DAWGS" all up in your eyes. I have worked all the shifts in nursing. Yeah 7-3 do fly by fairly quick, and 11-7 is a burden to the body because of the sleep schedule. I mean if you are single, no kids, don't like getting up early, and don't like doing fast paced work then second shift is right for you!

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Sep 17, 2009

I don't know what you're talking about. I have worked both 7-3 and 3-11 and 3-11 is plenty fast paced.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

It all depends, I've worked all three shifts and I've worked them all for a good periods of time. 11-7 can be very fast paced, as 7-3 and 3-11. It all depends on the patients. 7-3 you have all management there which makes it more difficult. 3-11 gets part of the management, but they have to deal with family members til usually 8-9pm when visiting hours are over. You have emergencies during the 11-7 shift. Do you honestly believe that the patients are asleep during that time? LOL, in most cases noooooooo. I've worked night shift on the maternity ward and I can tell you I remember there were 3 back to back c-sections, 2 vag deliveries, and we had so many walk ins it wasn't even funny. Doctors were on the floor all night long. I've worked in critical care when we had 3 transfers from ER, and you had family there wanting in the unit when they weren't allowed until we had them stable. I've worked the cancer floor before where all the patients were awake and the call lights were ringing off the hook. In ER we had patients coming in one right after another we had to sit patients in the front lobby and the nursing supervisor had to be called to help us with those patients. This is all during night shift, so IMO, ANY shift can be busy, not just day shift. If you live in the big city, it's going to always be like that.

ebphillips · Sep 17, 2009

I work 3p-11p Thursdays and double shifts (3-11p and 11p-7a back to back). And I have to say I like them equally. Well, maybe noc a little more because of how laid back it tends to be (unless I have a certain set of residents... then it's hell!)... 2nd shift at my facility is not SO bad. It's dinner, showers and bed... the vast majority of our residents are in bed by 7p- and I can count on one hand the residents that tend to live on their call buttons... so it's pretty ok.

However, I do have to say I cannot wait to be a LPN. This work is important, and the closest level of care to residents, but it's SO hard.

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2009

First of all what's up? In my opinion to your question is the 3-11 shift. For me personally because I am not a morning person AT ALL! Plus I don't have to worry about the "BIG DAWGS" all up in your eyes. I have worked all the shifts in nursing. Yeah 7-3 do fly by fairly quick, and 11-7 is a burden to the body because of the sleep schedule. I mean if you are single, no kids, don't like getting up early, and don't like doing fast paced work then second shift is right for you!

:up: :up: 2nd shift isn't a walk in the park either, but since I've worked both 7-3 & 3-11, I must say that 3-11 is less challenging. I recommend all new CNA's to start on 3-11, just to get accustomed to things.

ShaneIA · Sep 20, 2009

I used to work 2nd shift (evenings) and I liked it, then I switched to 3rd (nights) and I like it even more. I try to work both shifts when the offer is presented to me, but then again, I have no kids, and nothing to really do at home.

Islandgurlie · Sep 20, 2009

well after reading all of this I want to work 2nd shift 3-11 Im not sure what it is over here.

Originally I wanted to do 11-7am but its sounds boring :yawn: , maybe I can play the piano for those that are up. nope and then wake everyone else . Hopefully i will get friday to sunday so I dont have to worry about childcare and getting the kids off the bus etc.

You know there should be a CNA day in america :cool:

nocshift21 · Nov 20, 2009

Every facility is different. Showers can be given at any shift according to their schedules.At some facilities, AM shifts are required to do all the "get ups. My community requires that the NOC shift get up at least 6 residents that are primary,and IF you have time there are at least 6 more secondary get ups! These are usually your fall risk residents that have alarms and try to get up on their own. We are usually short, and if that's the case , it's 1 CNA to 24 residents during the NOC shift. Trying to find a co-worker to assist you with the Hoya lift is somewhat difficult. That means that the resident IS dressed , but not in the w/c. It's a mad rush from 4:00 am to the end of your shift, when you are short. It's soooo sad to wake these residents at 4 and get them out of bed and to be kept in their w/c for up to 4 1/2 hours for breakfast! No night is ever the same, especially when you have a resident with a "code brown". That will surely slow you down tremendously. It goes on & on .... As for the one that said NOC shift is so laid back, you must have a dream job. Any place that you are applying for you need to find the job description for that particular shift and always remember that it can always change. Last of all, you have to love what you are doing....not the short-cuts. The residents rely on us for their needs even if they have aphasia you can still see it their eyes. They need us... Good luck!

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Nov 21, 2009

7-3 has no down time, but there's more staff so you have less people to do care on. Plus 3rd shift always has a couple people washed when you get in, so all you have to do is get them up and do their teeth. So the whole day is paced pretty evenly, whereas on 3-11 you're very busy, then bored, then extremely busy, then bored again. I was talking to a trainee today who plans on going to second shift and when I mentioned that you have twice as many people on your assignment she turned white as a sheet. lol.