days vs. evenings vs. nights

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how would you describe the dynamic between the nurses in each shift?

on my unit it seems as though evenings gets along with both days and nights but the staff on nights and days clash heads.

it also seems as though nights and evenings are nicer than the staff on the day shift.

how about you?

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Pretty much what you said! I loved working nights, much more cohesiveness without the cliques.

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I LOVE night shift. When I started working a year ago I was on an evening/night rotation in the ER. I hated evening shift and the #1 reason is because there are bosses there during the day and I'm totally against the things they do. They're really awful. The dynamics between the staff itself is fantastic on nights. We often have "themed nights," for example Italian night where everyone brings in an italian dish and we eat around 1-2am. We have so much fun and we are all pretty chill and relazed and help out each other where the day staff in my observations tend to be more cliques and not so helpful. I love night shift and really have no interest in going back to day or evening shift at the place I'm at now. I suppose other places could be different, but night shift is the best in the ED!!

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Specializes in Tele m/s, new to ED.

Cliques! Opposite weekends have alternate personalities: one weekned has the lifers on days, and the A-Team at night. The opposite weekend has the misfits on days, and the Freak Show at night. When ever a swap takes place, sparks fly! being the new guy in ED, I was a misfit, now I've been bumped (much to my dismay) to the Freak Show. I Love the ED, but the Cliques are wearing me out, and I hate overnights!

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When I worked as a tech, there was a *definite* difference in the nurses/techs between shifts.

days-The popular ones, lol. They always were really nice, but did have cliques.

evenings-Very laid back

nights-We were more of the outcasts, lol. A little stranger, but in a good way. Not as many cliques, but a lot more gossip, it seemed.

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Our Day Charge Nurse is depressed, lets a lot of things slide, has been there too long to remember how it was to be new, therefore does not quite know how to communicate things to new staff in a comprehensive manner. This individual is nice enough, just depressed and sloppy. The Day Med Nurse is bossy, impatient, curses a lot, brooks no queries/clarifications - is an ok nurse but has the above-named faults. Also, she sort of makes her own rules, if you know what I mean, regarding orders, I think. I think she might have covered up a med error - not sure. I mentioned what I thought to the Sup and left it alone after that. There is 1 day aide who is very unfriendly, perhaps due to personal troubles. The others are average to very friendly. They work together well.

The Eve people are mellow enough, although they don't always leave the place straightened up. Sigh.

The Night staff are ok. The aides have worked together for a long time and have each others' backs. Three of them do not like the 4th one but they do work together well. The nurse is quiet, friendly, efficient, very, very shy, a good nurse but not a particularly good leader. What can I say? She shows up, on time, does the work, is easy-going and pleasant, gets along with the patients and other staff, so what the heck? What's not to like?

The boss is ok. Not great but sufficient and friendly enough.

I have found that the best policy is to keep my personal feelings and thoughts private and just be sociable enough to fit in. I help whoever needs help, I try to never ask for help but help is given when I am forced to do so.

Such is life in the world of not having been born a baroness. ;) :lol2:

:o :balloons:

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Specializes in med/surg, physician's office, mrdd, ltc.

Days - Attitude with a capital A, mostly the med techs & Cna's, Nurses just very harried trying to get everyone and everything organized.

Evenings - Pretty laid back, let's alot of things slide but friendly.

Nights - Works together as a team, has each others backs and picks up the slack.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Days -- a little of both. Some are great, others are Nazis. Day weekenders tend to be a little more laidback.

Evenings -- nice, but a little strange

Nights -- we are all cracked. I think you have to be to enjoy nights.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

things are pretty much the same where i work....the night shift gets along with the evening shift, but we always bump heads with the morning shift...they are loud, rude and obnoxious! this is no lie, it's like they are angry about having to come to work or something....this is not how all of them act, but the majority of them do....and they always try and find something to blame on the night shift....the evening shift seems to be neutral.

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Specializes in midwifery, NICU.

With twelve hour shifts, we are mostly rotational days/nights, although some long term staff do all nights.

On days, I find I get loads done, feel more energetic, and really get into all the social issues and complex discharges, ( eg, babies going home oxygen dependant, babies going for fostering etc.)

on nights, the energy is not the same, until a call comes in for a 23 weeker delivering NOW! Then the team work is great.

All in all, I do like the whole team thing on nights, you are a wee group thrown together in the wee small hours..waiting for drama.

BUT...given a preference...days every time! I love the interaction with the parents of the babies, with the therapists who come in, with the docs, with the pharmacists...well....I guess with any old person who visits the unit!:lol2:

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i have just came from anotehr coast and ended up in a new coast where they say nursing is better...i was working at nights before now i switched to day and believe me man! its just too much drama!

im going back to nights because i think its my "normal" self...with more normal people whose not trying to get noticed by the boss each and everytime and there is more team work..a lot more rest and down time. during the day nurses tend to get burned out easier but live a normal life whereas nights we are really in a diffrent world. but without night RN's, who would take care of the sick patients? days or nights you chose...just remember that you are there not only to work and get paid but to be an advocate to your patients... CHEERS!

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What it is like at my workplace.

Days- nurses with midlevel senority, many "super-excellent-professional" nurses.

Pm's- many new grads, some lifers. Let more stuff slide, more laid back, some more anxious though.

Nocs-long term, older nurses, few mid level seniority nurses. Some noc nurses at my workplace are horrible at their job, scary, "I can't believe they haven't killed anyone yet" nurses. A few excellent nurses that like the slow pace of nocs.

I work days now but have worked all three shifts at the same place so this is my opinion from working the shift, not just reporting off/giving report.

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