So I finally got my dream evening shift job and no matter what, I'm staying put (I told them I could also work nights in a pinch). Looking back at my interviews and all the applications I put in, only to be told that if I could just work days I could be hired at top dollar.
So I'm wondering...I know evening shifts and night shifts often get a differential, but besides that, why are so many RN's coming to the later shifts? I know to answer that question myself...I love evenings because it is fast paced but not enough that it is super stressful. Day shifts have 2 meals to get through and showers/baths too, plus all the faxes go on day shift and they get a lot of orders on days.
So, what about the rest of you...which is your favorite shift and why?
I've worked every shift, only one I just can't do is nights--I get physically sick from lack of sleep, the job itself is ok. I work days now for one reason...KIDS. If it was just me and hubby, I'd be back on evenings getting the shift diff.
I would perfer to work just the 7a -7p shift but unfortunately no one has a straight any thing in our unit. Craziness!!! The nights just leaves me feeling ill and all messed up in the head.
I've worked 7p-7a most of my career. On this shift you still get a good amount of interaction with your patients and thier families but you have a lot more control over what you get done and when. On day shift one service will order D5W at 75cc/hr, by the time you change the MAR and hang it a consulting service will order D5NS with 20K at 50cc/hr- you have to call them back to confirm it as a change rather than an additional IV, then the attending service rounds and bawls you out for hanging a different IV than what they ordered, after a conference with the nurse manager you finally get to hang NS at KVO for an hour until the patient is allowed PO when you cap the IV to hep well. This kind of wheel spinning makes me crazy. I can do more care with less interuptions from 7p-11p than day shift can get done in 12hrs because I can focus on the task at hand and set priorities based on my assessment of my patients needs.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Hard to say, but I think evenings, by far was the best for me when I was a CNA. Less administrators. The places I worked, as a psych tech and in psych ER, visiting hours was limited to on hour on the psych units and no visitors for psych ER. As a nurse working the floors, I am sure that evenings can be a pain with family members roaming around the unit interfering. I work in a clinic and don't feel like giving up my weekends and holidays, but I try to work the later hours because it is quieter. Mon, Wed and Fri I work 10-6:30, Tues and Thurs (shhhh...I am at work now) from 12 to 8:30pm. Much quieter by 4 because most of the doctors are leaving and not as much to do. In fact, I am either hanging out here in Allnurses or reading a good book until a patient needs my services.
I'm strictly night shift. I've worked all shifts int he past, but the night shift is the one I love. I find days to be very task-oriented, it's chaos and there are way too many people running around. Evening shift doesn't work for me cause of my kids plus way too many family members hanging around. I like the night shift, I feel there is more critical thinking involved and more teamwork on nights than on the other shifts. Every once in a while, I do like to sign up for an extra shift on days, just cause I do enjoy the different focus of nursing care.
I've worked 2p-10p shift for 3 years in LTC & I'm finally going to 3rd shift where I don't have the DON giving me a "honey-do" list anymore . Don't get me wrong, where I work the administation isn't circling like vultures, but I needed a change.
FroggyMama
59 Posts
I've worked every shift, only one I just can't do is nights--I get physically sick from lack of sleep, the job itself is ok. I work days now for one reason...KIDS. If it was just me and hubby, I'd be back on evenings getting the shift diff.