Day Shift Drama

Some units are just ridiculously dramatic. Others work really well together with minimal issues. I've been on both types of units. A lot of it has to do with the climate of the command/management and the maturity of the individuals on the units. This isn't unique to nursing, either, just as a side note.

Nights was the coveted shift when I worked in the hospital because days were so bad.

I think it varies depending on the particular unit. I worked night shift in one unit that was extremely catty with some very dramatic nurses. Backstabbing, lies, losing jobs over jealousy over friendships, etc.. I've seen it all!

It depends where you work. At the job I just left (at a detention center) there was drama between of the nurses/med aides/techs & medical records. I don't really know 100% what happened because it all started on my day off. But what I gather is those angry at medical records comes from the thought that medical records doesn't do anything. Yes, it is always a mess back there but I'm wasn't about to sit & watch them to see if they work. Plus there was other staff that were just hostile. I'm glad I left.

Nothing to do with the particular shift. It's the random mix of personalities.

Management can help the situation, compound it , or most likely ignore it. It can be impossible to manage an "attitudinal problem".

On our floor, day shift seem to love to pass on things to us night shift nurses, example (PICC line dressing needs to be changed "I was so busy today, will you do this for me." Or "this patient needs IV, I was just really busy) I understand they're busy, they also get more help. They get at least 3 aides, we get only one, they have the PT, admission and discharge nurses, etc. and they always think that because we are night shift, we are not busy. And if we pass on things to them during shift change, there's a huge fuss about it. That's just our unit though, I'm sure it's not the same on other floors.

Overall, (other than what I mentioned above) there's not much drama and everyone are very nice. So I guess it just depends on the unit.

Maybe it's just the unit I work on, but there seems to be a lot of drama and personality conflict on day shift. I work nights and it seems there is less of he said she said type stuff--we just do our jobs and help each other out if we are able. Now don't get me wrong, nights on my floor has gossipers, too, but it doesn't seem as bad. I would eventually like to go to day shift, maybe on a different unit, but not if the unit is anything like mine. So is this what other units are like on days or maybe it's just my unit?

Days has way more of this than any other shift where I work. Sometimes assignments are modified to accommodate these personality conflicts, which means the new RNs generally get loaded up with heavy assignments so the, um, 'very experienced' ones don't throw a hissy fit.

I have no idea why this type of behavior is coddled. This is part of the reason I will never work charge on my current floor because I wouldn't play ball. "Hell, I don't want to work with Nurse X either, but you have to take your turn like the rest of us."

Day shift would be a DREAM for me. I'm a 22 year old single mom who is in school once again. But I absolutely refuse to take a day shift position where I work for that very reason. Our day shift group is clicky, rude, and horrible. They don't "play by the rules." (IE, I thought a resident had a UTI, faxed doctor for UA order and the "top dog" during day shift faxed back because it wasn't her idea that resident was on Lasix (hence the urinary frequency.) Doctor said to still get one and she filed it with "disregard" up top." And they start unnecessary drama with all other shifts. I was recently framed, yes FRAMED and it was proven for a medication error. They hid the pill bottle from me so I would get in trouble. But my boss shelters and somewhat encourages this behavior.

I think this "shift wars" exist in every hospital. My unit has it, I just don't care anymore. Some of the nurses bother me sometimes because they roll their eyes although I told them, it was a rough day with 1 discharge, 1 transfer and a code. They don't care. They just want that linen bag changed even though there is only two dirty gowns in it.