Day Shift vs. Night Shift

CIWA · May 18, 2006

I have worked 20years as an RN on the night shift and I just love it. The main thing is that Administration is not there. The CNA and I are the only staff in the building(I work in a small rehab unit which is in a building that isn't connected to the main hospital). Things are quite hectic during the day and I don't think I could handle that. When I first started working, my husband was working the pm shift, and me nights....When I cam home in the am, he got up with the kids....when he went in to work, I got up with the kids. Things were like this until my youngest started school. Now, he is home with the kids at night and when I come home in the am, the kids have already gotten on the bus...I go to bed and they wake me when they come home...it works out just fine. I would never work PM shift because I think I would miss alot of my kids school activities(anyway, at our facility because no one wants the change shifts or work for anyone else). Either way I enjoy night shift!!

RNtugladimurnurse2b · May 19, 2006

Night shift also pays more don't forget that!

vamedic4, EMT-P · May 19, 2006

I'm with CIWA...I've worked nights for 12 years now and I love it...and one big reason is because administration is NOT THERE!! And then there's the pay difference..which is TOTALLY justified, because you're rearranging your life to work at night. Most people have no idea how hard it can be.

Have a great day!

vamedic4

MomNRN, BSN, RN · May 19, 2006

I work evenings and love it! We have had a day shift come open and my kids didn't want me to take it. That would mean being gone during the day over the summer. The nice thing about my shift is either my husband or I are always home with the kids.

Ditto for the no administration lurking about perk!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 19, 2006

I have an overwhelming preference for night shifts and weekend doubles because I do not like being bothered by nurse managers, administrators, physical therapists, doctors, receptionists, and other people who all tend to drop by during day shifts.

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · May 19, 2006

I think the perfect shift when the kids are in school is the night shift. You can sleep while they are gone, and still spend all afternoon with them. But for moms with young infants, morning shift is great, because that's when daycares are open. But if I would not have any children, I would love the

3-11 shift. I could stay up late and wake up late.

athena55, BSN, RN · May 19, 2006

Just adding my three cents: I have worked all three eight hour shifts, then switched to 12 hour shifts. I am a Night Shift worker, through and through! Less supervisors around, you get (if your hosipital is not crazy huge) to know most of the night workers. I had three boys two years apart, all the while working 12 hour nights. Yeah, it was a bit crazed and I was sleep deprived for a while, sigh...But I am still working nights!

I find, though, the busiest shift to be 3-11, evenings. I know some of you may disagree, but on evenings you have:visitors, evening meal, pm care, pre-ops, post-ops, admits from the ED....

athena

burn out · May 20, 2006

I hope you have a choice. For a long time when I started I didn't have a choice but to work nights.

Dragonnurse · May 20, 2006

night shifts are not tedious like the day ones but the sleepier u get u will tend to do mistakes.... and there wont be much helpin night services for immediate complications.... so better is day as it keeps u fit and trim, less risk, and more happier...

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 20, 2006

Everyone is different. Working 7p to 7a, is only three days, so there's four nights you will be home. Are you going to be albe to sleep during the day with your baby? Is your baby going to be in daycare or school? Are you going to have to have your sleep interrupted to pick them up from school at 2pm and then have to stay up and go to work at 7p? It can be very hard on mom working nights, but again it's only 3 nights and you can find a schedule that works for you.

I worked 13 years of night shift and loved it, but eventually tired of it and went to days. My days off were spent in a fog and a serious of naps, and not even getting good sleep.

I used to say the same thing about "there's no administrators or managers on nights" and you know what? They don't bother me a bit. I still do my job and it's no big deal having them around because I rarely see them. On the other hand it's nice having a social worker, a speech therapist, OT and PT, etc. around as a resource. It is indeed a bit busier, but the time flies, and there isn't that time at 3 or 4 AM when I'm getting a dreadful wave of fatigue and fighting to stay awake no matter how much coffee I drink. One bad thing was that when JACHO came around, I had to be interviewed, something that never happened when I worked nights. Hated it.

I'm still not much of a morning person and my body protests sometimes, but I feel more human on day shift and hope to stay on day shift from now on.

There is no "one shift" fits all in nursing. Good luck.

allnurses Guide · May 20, 2006

Everyone is different. Working 7p to 7a, is only three days, so there's four nights you will be home. Are you going to be albe to sleep during the day with your baby? Is your baby going to be in daycare or school? Are you going to have to have your sleep interrupted to pick them up from school at 2pm and then have to stay up and go to work at 7p? It can be very hard on mom working nights, but again it's only 3 nights and you can find a schedule that works for you.
I worked 13 years of night shift and loved it, but eventually tired of it and went to days.
I used to say the same thing about "there's no administrators or managers on nights" and you know what? They don't bother me a bit. I still do my job and it's no big deal having them around because I rarely see them. On the other hand it's nice having a social worker, a speech therapist, OT and PT, etc. around as a resource. It is indeed a bit busier, but the time flies, and there isn't that time at 3 or 4 AM when I'm getting a dreadful wave of fatigue and fighting to stay awake no matter how much coffee I drink.
I'm still not much of a morning person and my body protests sometimes, but I feel more human on day shift and hope to stay on day shift from now on.
There is no "one shift" fits all in nursing. Good luck.

I agree with this. I worked pm's when I first had my baby (3 p.m to 3 a.m.) and it was hard. I work part-time however . . and decided to go back to days (3 a.m. - 3 p.m.) I went back to work when he was 4 months old and my dh would drive him out to his parent's ranch and put him in bed with them - he always went right back to sleep. The only problem we had was getting him to take a bottle - he rarely did. My husband or inlaws would bring him in to work and I would nurse him here.

I stayed home with my older kids - (23, 21 and 16) and when we got preggers with this one I told my dh that I would NOT work full-time or put our son in daycare. We are very lucky to have his parents here. The only reason I continue working is for health insurance - my husband is a private contractor and has no health insurance.

I am home when my 16 year old gets home from school. I like that. But it does put a huge crimp in my life when I have to go to bed at 7 p.m. I either miss her school events or get by on just a little bit of sleep. I go to her events . .. just this week there was a concert at school and she sang in the choir and played trumpet in the band.

Tweety is right - you have to work it out in a way that is best for your individual family. As for me, I'm a stay-at-home mom wannabe and am just waiting for that darn lottery money.

Good luck.

steph

p.s. I also agree with Tweety about day shift and bigwigs . . . I like being the ER nurse when our lab is fully staffed and xray is here . . . it is hard in the middle of the night to have to rely on calling someone in. And our administrators are great so I don't mind being around them either.