Day Shift vs Night Shift

Rounds. While the doctors are always available, during day shift, formal rounds with residents, the attending doctor, pharmacist, RT and nurse take place early in the day. A day shift nurse needs a list of issues to be addressed and what you want for your patients.

This is usually a busy part of the day where you juggle assessments, first round of meds, rounds by doctors, incoming visitors, charting, and that page of orders that appears after rounds.

You say you are just now making the switch. Have you already acclimated to days?

When I switched from full-time nights to full-time days, I found myself truly struggling to stay awake and alert. By 2pm, I was clumsy ... sometimes even groggy! I had to go somewhere to wash my face in cold water, to force myself awake.

And the regular day shift people just didn't get it. They would say, "You wouldn't be tired if you just went to bed on time." But I was trying to sleep during my "day" (11p to 7a) and then trying to stay up all "night" (7a to 3p)!

It took a month or two for me to really make the full switch.

Discharges are almost always on days/PMs, so you will need to learn that protocol, plus discharge teaching.

Days: discharges, scheduled procedures, OT/PT/lactation consults, MD rounds

Nights: daily weights/measurements; baths; change lines/hang new fluids; lab draws (we do our own); daily calculations of calorie counts, feeding rates, etc.

I feel like days have to deal with more people, while nights are assigned more tasks. We are open 24/7 to visitors, and often have parents present 'round the clock, so both shifts are pretty equal as far as dealing with family, but I'm in a NICU setting.