Daylight thinks we do nothing on night shift

[ErinRad]

So basically I'm looking for other nurses that work steady nights in the OR that can offer some encouragment. I have been on steady nights in the operating room for close to three years now and recently I have heard from my coworkers and even from managment that the nurses on daylight are complaining that the night shift doesn't do anything. It just really hurts that the daylight feels that the night shift doesn't contribute anything worth while to the unit. They say things like "they just sit around and socialize" or "they're so lazy." I mean, who do they think sets up all the rooms for the next day and irons out any issues with the next days elective schedule? Did I forget to mention we are a level 1 trauma center and the night shift nurses have to be ready for anything?! I just want to know that other nurses feel the same way and deal with similar attitudes from the daylight OR crew. Thanks!

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I just have to add one thought:

When I worked nights in the OR, my main goal was to set up the room with as much detail as I could-including having a tourniquet already set to the surgeon's preference, having the stockinette and correct size cuff along with a basin at the ready for the circulator to fill with pre-scrub and alcohol. I put the surgeon's pager/ID number along with the bovie #/bovie pad serial # on a slip of paper next to the circulator's computer. I wanted the circulator and the scrub to be able to walk into the room and just open the case without worrying about anything else.

Since I was on my way out the door by the time day shift got changed and went into their rooms, I wasn't able to get any feedback from them as to how well/how poorly the room was prepared for them. That's not to say that they couldn't have told me the next day, or I couldn't have taken the time to ask them if the set up was correct...we just didn't communicate often face to face if there wasn't a case already in progress.

During days, if I set up someone's case for them with the same attention to detail that I used when I worked nights, I would get immediate feedback when they walked into the room, be it good or bad.

Sometimes when we knock ourselves out to make sure everything is perfectly set up and we don't hear anything, it's kind of like working in a vacuum; you don't know if your work is appreciated, if it needs fine tuning or if you are aware of any changes not listed on the preference card. SOME feedback is better than nothing. That's frustrating.

[Kathy643]

I've worked both shifts.. They're just different. One isn't better than the other.. The day shift might be more "steady" of a pace.. but as you said night shifts do a lot of work that might go unappreciated... I started on nights, and I got SO much experience through that. My resume now says I can do any kind of surgery because of my work on nights.. On days, I'm on a team, which if I didn't have my night background, I would only be able to work jobs with that one team's experience...You just continue to be a good worker, and let your actions speak for itself :)

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I loved when day always said "oh the pts dont do anything but sleep at night." I would just sit there, blink at them then move along.