Days or PMs Best?

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I'm a new grad and am negotiating a position on a cardiac surveillance unit. Is it better to start on days or pms.

Days would be a lot busier, which is scary, but the nurses are more experienced so they would be great to learn from. The 3-11pm shift would be slower, but the nurses are less experienced. Are the nursing tasks very different between these shifts?

This is my first job and I don't want to get in over my head, but I also want to learn as much as possible.

Thanks for any advice!

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Specializes in telemetry.

I am a new grad on a telemetry floor. Right now I am orienting on days, then I will switch over to night/noc. In school I did 135 hours on a tele floor on evening shift 3-11, and currently I am on twelve hr 7am-7:30pm. I will tell you that days do not seem as busy as the evenings. It always seems that all hell breaks loose between the hours of 3-7:30. Patients are coming back from procedures around that time and you have post op vitals and assessments to do. (most of the time on multiple patients). Seems that I am always staying after to chart. Then it tends to get busy again around bedtime. The standard 8hr day shift seems very doable to me.

Can anyone tell me what it will be like when I switch over to nights/noc?

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I will tell you that days do not seem as busy as the evenings. It always seems that all hell breaks loose between the hours of 3-7:30. Patients are coming back from procedures around that time and you have post op vitals and assessments to do. (most of the time on multiple patients). Seems that I am always staying after to chart. Then it tends to get busy again around bedtime. The standard 8hr day shift seems very doable to me.

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Kristi,

Thanks so much for the feedback! I had it backwards, I thought days would be busier and nights slower. Good luck to you in your new position.:balloons:

pancake

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Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.

Hi Pancake,

First off, congrats on your new position should you choose to accept it. I work on a similar unit...peds cardiology/telemetry. At my facility, it is VERY busy during the day and early evening (3p-7p), and less so at night.

I tell new grads that if they want to LEARN...days is the best place to do that. That way they can get experience with children in a variety of situations, develop effective time management techniques, seek the help and advice of our attending cardiologists, et cetera.

Nights is a place where experience is necessary. At my facility (a teaching facility) we always have access to residents but as a nurse you MUST recognize your patient's condition and act appropriately and quickly. That comes with experience. You also don't have the support at night that you do during the day. No attendings behind every desk or around every corner.

Best of luck in your new position!!!

vamedic4

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Thanks everyone for the advice!

I ended up taking the days, 3 12's.

pancake

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