day/night rotations

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I am going through orientation for a new job and we have 2 week day/night rotations. 2 weeks each. OY. I seem to have trouble recovering after nights. I am useless for 2 days. Does it get any easier? I work 3-12s, and not too many 3-in-a-row, although I think that was easier to get over.

I can't get a feeling if I could work nights or not b/c of the short time we do it. I don't mind the work, it is certainly less hectic than during the day, but I worry it could get too boring. I guess I keep going and see what the options are after I get off orientation.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Well I don't think it will get much easier since you are switching every 2 weeks. You may learn how to cope better with the lack of sleep in time. Best of luck.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I'm a little confused. Is the rotation JUST during orientation- or is it a permanent thing. I am a nurse researcher who looks at night shift issues in healthcare- and I can tell you that shift rotation, on a permanent basis, is B.A.D.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

In starting a rotation position and I have no clue what it consists if. I'm scared to death. It takes a while for me to recover from nights too.

[Fiona59]

I'm a little confused. Is the rotation JUST during orientation- or is it a permanent thing. I am a nurse researcher who looks at night shift issues in healthcare- and I can tell you that shift rotation, on a permanent basis, is B.A.D.

Then you had better send your info north of the 49th. Canadian nurses work rotating shifts. D/E, D/N, and one unit has D/N/E in four positions.

We all survive.

[edimo]

Then you had better send your info north of the 49th. Canadian nurses work rotating shifts. D/E, D/N, and one unit has D/N/E in four positions.

We all survive.

So true lol...at my hospital, inpatient nurses are required to work a set amount of nights and days per 6 week schedule. There are very few people who do straight D's or straight N's

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Shift rotation is very rare here. I do not know any hospitals who use that type of schedule any longer.

There is a lot of research in the non-healthcare world about it's dangers AND on which PATTERN of rotation (backwards or forward, fast or slow) is less harmful and disruptive to the circadian rhythm.

I'm curious about those of you in Canada - what is the differential pay for night shift like? It's 17% in my hospital, and 95% of the nurses who work nights do so by choice.

[CodeteamB]

Then you had better send your info north of the 49th. Canadian nurses work rotating shifts. D/E, D/N, and one unit has D/N/E in four positions.

We all survive.

She may have been specifically referring to the 2wks days/ 2 was nights rotation, which btw many people work (and love) here as well. Say what you like about it, it's better than the fireman's rotation that most of us work.

[CodeteamB]

Shift rotation is very rare here. I do not know any hospitals who use that type of schedule any longer.

There is a lot of research in the non-healthcare world about it's dangers AND on which PATTERN of rotation (backwards or forward, fast or slow) is less harmful and disruptive to the circadian rhythm.

I'm curious about those of you in Canada - what is the differential pay for night shift like? It's 17% in my hospital, and 95% of the nurses who work nights do so by choice.

Really? You don't rotate at all? I don't think I would like that, I like rotating through, variety being the spice and all.

For me, night shift diff is about 13%. It's a flat rate so the more you make hourly the less it is percentage wise. You definitely can't be put on permanent nights unless you agree/ request it. I don't know anyone at my current job who works permanent nights.

[edimo]

I'm curious about those of you in Canada - what is the differential pay for night shift like? It's 17% in my hospital, and 95% of the nurses who work nights do so by choice.

I don't know percentage wise; where I'm at the shifts premiums are $1.95/hr evenings, $2.35/hr nights and $2.50 for weekends...probably why I don't mind working nights weekends since that's $4.85/hr lol

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Shift rotation is very rare here. I do not know any hospitals who use that type of schedule any longer.

There is a lot of research in the non-healthcare world about it's dangers AND on which PATTERN of rotation (backwards or forward, fast or slow) is less harmful and disruptive to the circadian rhythm.

I'm curious about those of you in Canada - what is the differential pay for night shift like? It's 17% in my hospital, and 95% of the nurses who work nights do so by choice.

Where is "here"? In my area, rotating shifts are extremely common. I was a rotater for almost 5 years. The hospital technically had a policy that you had to have 48 hours off in between switching from nights to days but it was never enforced and our manager expected people to work Sunday night and be back on Tuesday morning all the time.

I think that it does get easier in that you get used to it... when I had to work night weekends, it was Friday, Saturday, Sunday 7P-7A. By the time I got home on Saturday mornings, I'd have been awake for close to 24 hours. I would go to bed around 8am and sleep until 12 or 1. After the first night, I could rarely sleep later than that. Then I would work Saturday night, come home Sunday morning and sleep until 4ish. On Monday, I would come home and try to be up by noon but often times would end up sleeping until 4 or 5. I could still go to bed by 11-12 and sleep through the night.

Now, I will also say- I stopped doing shift work just about a year ago and I realized just how bad it was when I stopped doing it. Now I work normal hours and sleep in my bed every night. I have not seen 3am in a year and I don't care to know that hour in the way that I knew it working in the hospital ever again.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I work at a Magnet hospital in Indianapolis, IN.