Do all new nurses get night shift?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 20, 2009

Nursing is a 24/7 job. SOMEBODY has to work the nights. Unfortunately. Did they not tell you that in nursing school? I've been working as a nurse for 15 years and my schedule is 50:50 days and nights, 12 hour shifts and I have no say in that. But I knew even before I went to nursing school that I would have to work nights, I would have to work weekends and I would have to work Christmas. It's part of the package. I'm continually amazed at the number of new nurses who somehow missed that part of it. Yeah, working nights is hard. But somebody HAS to do it.

sunny1230 · Aug 20, 2009

it sounds dumb, but no...no one told me. my advisors always made it seem like we could choose the kind of job, and therefore the hours, that we wanted.

what about the school thing, though? how do they expect nurses in continuing ed. to do a decent job in school with crazy work hours?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 20, 2009

Somehow that doesn't surprise me. But many of the type of job that allows for nothing but 8-4 M-F are not available to new grads. They usually require some experience and that is often only obtainable at the bedside. They're also typically hotly contested so you'd be applying for positions that people with the same education but a lot of experience are also going to want, so right away you're at the bottom of the pile. Sadly, people don't only get sick during daylight hours and they're often sickest at night.

I work with people who are going to school and working at least half-time. Some of them make trades with their shifts, some of them do most of their studying on their night shifts during breaks or in quiet periods. One girl did 60% of full time as a transport nurse (and those are NEVER predictable, sometimes going hours into the next shift) working rotating days and nights, worked on her Master's and grew a fetus.

Jjo19 · Aug 20, 2009

Sadly, nursing is 24 hour care. The up side is that there are MANY different scheduling options. If you do get night shifts, maybe you will work in a facility that offers 3-12 hour shifts as full time and then you will still be home 4 nights a week. Staffing will usually schedule what you need for classroom, but you will have to fit in studying but you would have to do that with any schedule. Once you get accustomed to your schedule, you will find that you CAN fit it all in.

elkpark · Aug 20, 2009

From what we've been hearing here about new grads' job-hunting experiences since the economy tanked, you may be lucky to get any job at all! Hospital nursing is a 24/7 proposition, as others noted, and, as a new grad and new hire, you are the lowest person on the totem pole. There are plenty of folks already there who also put in the time and effort to get through nursing school and have years of experience, and, when you're in their position someday, I guarantee you you'll feel like you should have preference/seniority over new grads for the better shifts.

Best wishes!

Trauma Columnist · Aug 20, 2009

Sorry for the bad news but many of experienced nurses are having trouble finding jobs with this awful economy.

As to going to school: I worked full time nights while going to school full time days and we had two kids at home. It can be done.

I'm sorry you've never heard this before.

NewRNdreams · Aug 20, 2009

Hey there congrats for almost being finished with nursing school. Iam a new nurse passed boards JULY 2009 :nurse:

Well I was just like you didnt want to work nights. I'am a day person..

I also plan on getting my BSN and MSN by age 27 I'm 23 now.

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO WORK WEEKENDS????? :confused:

When I went to my interview I was expecting nights but NM offered me a weekender option where I would have to come in EVERY Friday, Saturaday, Sunday 7AM-7PM I'll have every night off and will have MON TUES WED THUR OFF EVERYWEEK of the year. I figure I will miss out on some weedings and family gatherings, etc but whats the chances of me working that weekend anyway;for, if I were to chose nights at my hospital every nurse is required to work every other weekend Anyway!!! I can ask for a SAT in advance if I'm notified earlier enough. I feel this is great for me I'm Single with NO children. Its just me and my career to focus on Mon- Thursday.

Now if I was a wife and a mother I may feel alittle different about weekends. For I believe family time cant be given back and I think no career should come before a family.( husbands and kids usually off on weekends). With just a husband though( I collected from your post you may could work weekends)....

SO just ask if they have a weekend position if your interested because many people hate working weekends..

I have friends that got 7am-7pm week with every other weekend but they were in unfavorable specialities that I didnt want to work. I wanted NICU :heartbeat It has low turnover rate so I knew I would have to compromise and in a year I'll put in a LETTER to request a day position job during the week if one comes avaiable and I'm applicable.

Remember that somethings are not at all what they seem and even if you have to work nights you may like it. If not you just have to build up seniority and put a letter in for a shift change if necessary.

Remember happiness comes from within so you have that power..

NC Girl BSN · Aug 20, 2009

I work on a Neuro floor and most new grads go to nights because that is where the positions are. There are a few that go to days. It just depends on where the needs are at that time.

sunny1230 · Aug 20, 2009

I don't mind working weekends or holidays. Christmas and New Years would suck...but oh well. It's just the night thing. I've never pulled an all-nighter in my life. Not even with tons of caffeine. I honestly don't know if I could do it. I can't imagine going for days without seeing my husband because our schedules are completely opposite :crying2:

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 20, 2009

I don't mind working weekends or holidays. Christmas and New Years would suck...but oh well. It's just the night thing. I've never pulled an all-nighter in my life. Not even with tons of caffeine. I honestly don't know if I could do it. I can't imagine going for days without seeing my husband because our schedules are completely opposite

Thousands of us do it all the time. But wait just a second. If you work 8 hour nights, you are home in the evenings until it's time to leave for work. If you work 12 hour nights, you generally only work 3 per week and have 4 off. That's hardly never. As for Christmas and New Year's, the first year I was in the job I have now, I worked 9 - 12 hour shifts in 12 days, rotating days and nights over the holidays, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and the day after New Year. It was the first year that my daughters didn't live at home and when they came home for the holidays the only times they saw me for the whole visit I was in pyjamas.

shoegalRN, RN · Aug 21, 2009

it sounds dumb, but no...no one told me. my advisors always made it seem like we could choose the kind of job, and therefore the hours, that we wanted.
what about the school thing, though? how do they expect nurses in continuing ed. to do a decent job in school with crazy work hours?

I am a new RN and I actually PREFER nights. I am a night owl and besides, while nights have its own type of "busy", I can atleast learn. Nights is not as hectic as days (as I have worked both), but I can atleast spend some down time to actually read up on some procedures and learn. Sometimes you don't have that type of down time during days.

And I will tell you, it's not as easy for new grads to just walk out of nursing school and EXPECT to get "snatched up" for a job working whatever hours YOU prefer to work. There is NOT a nursing shortage, and it's a employer's market right now. Long gone are the days of "sign on bonuses". Landing your first RN job is now based on WHO you know, and not WHAT you know.

Hopefully, the economy will turn around by the time you graduate. If not, I will strongly suggest rethinking about working nights/weekends/holidays.