Day vs Night. 8 vs 12

I worked 8 hour nights for years and I liked it because I was able to get a steady sleeping pattern established. If I didn't sleep well during the day, there was always the evening time to take a nap. But I loved having the evenings free to do things with my friends and family that were daytime people. The downside was that it was five days a week vs. 3 days a week.

Working 12 hour nights was a bit hard because it seemed on my days off I took a series of naps and never really felt rested. The upside was the 4 days off a week.

After 13 years of nights I switched to 12-hour day shift and felt a fog lift that I didn't realize was there and began to feel better. I've recently took an 8-hour day shift job Mon-Fri and love having evenings free and every weekend off. Downside is working 5 days in a row which can be rough, having to go to bed early to get up at 5:15 AM, and no shift differential (big paycut when I lost $4.00/hour differential).

You're going to find that there is no ideal shift and everyone's different in what they like and what works into their personal lifestyle. There are advantages and disadvantages to shift work.

I worked 8 hour nights for years and I liked it because I was able to get a steady sleeping pattern established. If I didn't sleep well during the day, there was always the evening time to take a nap. But I loved having the evenings free to do things with my friends and family that were daytime people. The downside was that it was five days a week vs. 3 days a week.

Working 12 hour nights was a bit hard because it seemed on my days off I took a series of naps and never really felt rested.

My experience was very similar to Tweety's.

I was a mom with young children when I worked 8-hour nights. I was usually at home before they left for school, and slept all day. When they got home in the evening I was up and able to be with them until bedtime. Of course I had their dad to be there when I worked and to take them to school.

I don't like 12 hour shifts, period. Work-sleep-work-sleep isn't my ideal pattern. The extra days off were not ever worth it to me.

My typical sched is 12 hours at night, and i LOVE it. it allows to me to work just 3 days a week. I do two shifts back to back then the 3rd night is usually on the weekend (my choice).

Here is my ideal sched. Sat 7p-7a. -this way I can go to my sons Football games on Friday night, and another childs soccer games on Saturday morning. I have pretty much my weekend free. I come home Sunday and go to bed about 8am, I then get up by noon and have most of my day. I go to bed Sunday night at either 8 or 9pm, get up Monday and feel refreshed. I then dont go back to work till Tuesday at 7pm, home in time to take the kids to school on Weds then I am in bed by 8am. Sleep till almost 4, get up shower, make dinner, help with homework and back to work by 7pm on Weds, get home Thrusday take the kids to school etc etc and sometimes go back to bed, usually I clean. Then I do go to bed early on Thursday cause I am so tired, in bed by 8pm and wake up Friday refreshed.

This sched allows me to have most of Saturday and Sunday free, All of Monday free, Tuesday day free. Dont count on me for anything on Weds. Most of Thursday free (if I dont nap) all of Friday free, then back to Saturday which I have free all day till 7pm

On the rare occasion that I work 8 hours, it almost feels like a half day. I always feel rushed on the 8 hour days, because there is just so much to do and document.

That is the awesome thing about hospital nursing, the flexible schedules.

If i want to go on my kids field trips, I can. If a child has a dentist appointment, I dont need to take time off work to take them. If a kid is home sick, I am home during the day.

and they pay better on nights and weekends...win/win!!!

If you could have the ideal week would you choose to work Day or night? 8 hours shifts or 12 hour shifts?

How difficult/draining would it be to work 8 hour nights?

I've got it pretty easy right now because I have no kids to take care of.. my ideal schedule would be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 7p-7a. That way I'm off Friday-Monday. I almost always schedule my days off in a row because that is the only way I can enjoy my time off. I also only work 12s because I live one hour away from the hospital I work at, so a 5 day work week would be absolute torture! I perfer nights just because I enjoy the doctor free environment, and the team work (and people!) who work at night on my unit are just SOO much better!

I worked 8 hour nights pre nursing and it was rough on my husband, not so much me. He felt like he had to do everything, I was never home and I was never at home asleep with him. I didn't mind because I got in a pretty good routine of sleeping during the day. We also never worked more than 3 days in a row before a day off - which helped. When I went to evenings it was even worse because I was NEVER home when he was home because at the time he held the M-F 8-4 job. At least when I worked 8 hour night shift I had the evening time with him and my son.

I now work nights again but I work every Mon, Tues, Wed night - 12 hour shifts and I love it. I stay up late Sunday night, sleep most of Monday while my son is in school up when he gets home, eat dinner and off to work by 7. I have a eat, sleep, work pattern for 3 days but then I sleep a partial day Thursday, back in bed by Thurs night and I have my Fri, Sat, Sun free to spend with my family

I really like 12 hour shifts. I love having four days off in a row. Part of the appeal of bedside nursing is that I don't have to go to work five days a week :). I've got kids and by the time I came home late in the afternoon and spent time with them, cooked dinner, got them to bed, it would be time to go to bed myself.

For me 5 8-hour nights would be the worst schedule, but I know several people who love them. They can fit a good sleep in during the day/evening and have the other several hours off to do things. Some moms sleep during the schoolday and don't leave for work until their kids are asleep; that works for them.

Probably an ideal shift would be 3 12-hour day shifts in a row--MTW. But, those are very hard to come by where I work and I do like the other noc RNs, so working nights is good for now :). Then there is that pesky alarm going off at 0530--at least working nights, I don't have to deal with that .

my typical sched is 12 hours at night, and i love it. it allows to me to work just 3 days a week. i do two shifts back to back then the 3rd night is usually on the weekend (my choice).

here is my ideal sched. sat 7p-7a. -this way i can go to my sons football games on friday night, and another childs soccer games on saturday morning. i have pretty much my weekend free. i come home sunday and go to bed about 8am, i then get up by noon and have most of my day. i go to bed sunday night at either 8 or 9pm, get up monday and feel refreshed. i then dont go back to work till tuesday at 7pm, home in time to take the kids to school on weds then i am in bed by 8am. sleep till almost 4, get up shower, make dinner, help with homework and back to work by 7pm on weds, get home thrusday take the kids to school etc etc and sometimes go back to bed, usually i clean. then i do go to bed early on thursday cause i am so tired, in bed by 8pm and wake up friday refreshed.

this sched allows me to have most of saturday and sunday free, all of monday free, tuesday day free. dont count on me for anything on weds. most of thursday free (if i dont nap) all of friday free, then back to saturday which i have free all day till 7pm

on the rare occasion that i work 8 hours, it almost feels like a half day. i always feel rushed on the 8 hour days, because there is just so much to do and document.

that is the awesome thing about hospital nursing, the flexible schedules.

if i want to go on my kids field trips, i can. if a child has a dentist appointment, i dont need to take time off work to take them. if a kid is home sick, i am home during the day.

and they pay better on nights and weekends...win/win!!!

thanks sooooo much for this play by play!! i've been asking about how to deal with the midnight shift and this is perfect. the hospital that i will be working at is self scheduling, so hopefully i can land this exact schedule. it sounds perfect for my family and school until i get into the program, which will be in about a year. so, thanks again! this was awesome!