Do all new nurses get night shift?

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I will be graduating soon and lately I've heard more and more stories of entry-level nurses getting nothing but night shift. It bums me out because I absolutely DON'T want to do night shift if at all possible, and it feels like after going through nursing school I should have some say in what kinds of shifts I work! My husband and I are trying to start a family, so obviously night shift would be bad for that reason. Also, I'm going to be in school for my MSN while I work as an RN, so I want to be able to study!

Can someone offer experience and/or advice in this area? I soooo don't want night shift to be my only option.

I envy you...I've never been a night owl...in fact, I am usually on the verge of passing out by 10 pm. Like I said before, no problem with weekends and stuff. It's the nights that worry me. \

Why does everyone still talk about a nursing shortage if it doesn't exist? I sure wish I had known this before.

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I envy you...I've never been a night owl...in fact, I am usually on the verge of passing out by 10 pm. Like I said before, no problem with weekends and stuff. It's the nights that worry me. \

Why does everyone still talk about a nursing shortage if it doesn't exist? I sure wish I had known this before.

I think the nursing shortage still existed as late as last year, but things have taken a change due to the economy. There is a nursing shortage for EXPERIENCED nurses, but now, some experienced nurses are having a hard time getting jobs and some are getting laid off. My friend is a RN, and she works part time for a hospital that closed several floors (including the one she worked on) and they are floating RN's to different units. She get canceled left and right due to low census. She is even signed up for an agency and is finding a hard time getting work.

Myself, I graduated in May 2009, passed NCLEX July 2009, and just landed my first RN job on August 3, 2009, after interviewing 4 times and applying for over 50 positions. And I started applying in Febuary 2009 BEFORE I even graduated.

Hospitals would rather work the nurses they have to death before they hire more new grads because it costs so much to train a new grad. It's cheaper to just pay overtime to the experienced nurses.

I don't know when you graduate, but hopefully, in a couple of years, this situation will turn around, consider the economy picks back up.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Well, I don't see anyone giving you the great part about night shift... Yes, as a new grad unless you really luck out you will be night shift after orientation. However, night shift has some great benefits - in no particular order:

1. Shift diff

2. Avoid administration :-) LOL

3. Night shift has a different attitude than day shift. See #2

4. Night shift tends to be more independent - nobody else wants to be up either...

5. Night shift nurses are much sweeter... :-)

6. You can sleep during the day...

7. Interesting things happen at 3am

Best of luck. You will find your place, and your time...

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Well, I don't see anyone giving you the great part about night shift... Yes, as a new grad unless you really luck out you will be night shift after orientation. However, night shift has some great benefits - in no particular order:

1. Shift diff

2. Avoid administration :-) LOL

3. Night shift has a different attitude than day shift. See #2

4. Night shift tends to be more independent - nobody else wants to be up either...

5. Night shift nurses are much sweeter... :-)

6. You can sleep during the day...

7. Interesting things happen at 3am

Best of luck. You will find your place, and your time...

Also like to add:

8. No family members

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I agree with all the comments about the positive aspects of working nocs. I prefer nights, myself, not because I enjoy staying up all night so much, but because I prefer not having to put up with all the crap that goes on on days. I also enjoy not having all the administrative people underfoot all shift. Noc shift people tend to be (in my personal experience) a more pleasant and mellow group to work with than day shift people (again, perhaps because of the watchful eye of the administrative folks on days -- a higher stress level for everyone).

And, of course, the OP is free to decline a job offer of nocs if she feels v. strongly about it, and hold out for something she likes more. However, these days, that may be a very long wait ...

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I am interested in this thread as well! Anyone thought they would hate night shift but ended up liking it?

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Specializes in Psych, Pediatrics, GI, Diabetes.

Okay, I may be in the minority here, but my first job as an RN was, in fact, a day shift...and I'm quite happy with it because it's from 9a-9p, and I hate waking up at dawn, so this helps!!!...so, yeah, the majority of slots are night shifts, but if you look hard enough and know the right people, you can in fact, get a day shift...

These days, I'd just go with whatever shift you get, but I'm just saying that getting a day shift is not the impossible... :)

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I was hired as a new grad to a hospital that EVERYONE is required to work rotating shifts. That takes care of the senior nurses taking all the day shifts because they have been there longer. Some staff works 8 hour day/evening or day/night rotations. Others work 12 hour day/night rotations. I do 12 hour day/night rotations and prefer the night shifts.

If you don't want to work nights, don't accept a job that requires you work nights. But like other posters have mentioned, you might be waiting a long time. I also find it hard to believe that someone in nursing school wasn't aware that working nights is part of being a nurse.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Oncology.

I am a new grad, and I currently have a day shift job, 7a-7p. It is on a med/surg floor, and while med/surg is definitely not my first love, I took the job because 1) I precepted there, and after 12 days I knew the "flow" of the floor pretty well, at least knew enough that I thought I wouldn't mind working on it; 2) I didn't get a lot of clinical experience in nursing school, except what they scheduled us for, and I had never even set foot in a hospital in a medical-staff capacity before nursing school; 3) Most importantly, I liked the unit manager and she offered me a day position. I am extremely family-oriented; I was almost heartbroken at the thought of coming home from work just as my husband was leaving for work. I would have taken a night shift, if that was the only shift available, but I was very fortunate to have the option of taking a day shift; my manager said that she was surprised because most of the new graduates want night shift, presumably because its typically quieter and calmer.

Do you HAVE to "settle" for night shift? No. Is it probably going to be difficult to get a day shift as a new graduate? That depends on the city you [want to] work in, the hospital you [want to] work at, and the floor you [want to] work on. New graduates getting day shift is rare, but not unheard of. Many current night nurses balk at the idea of going to day shift, just as many day shift nurses balk at going to night shift; I sincerely believe that each shift has its own set of personality types that fit in best at that shift, so if your timing is right, you may be able to take the place of a out-going (leaving the hospital/floor) day shift nurse, and that floor may need a replacement nurse and you can slide yourself right in there.

There are thousands and thousands of possibilities and opportunities in the field, and shifts are no different. You just have to look hard enough and maybe be willing to sacrifice something else you REALLYREALLY want in exchange for a day shift right now.. If you REALLYREALLY want to work in ER, and you REALLYREALLY want to work days, chances are you're probably going to have to compromise on whichever one is less important to you. Either keep ER and work a night shift, or go to med/surg or L&D and get a day shift.

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I am really hoping to work nights and/or weekends when I graduate! I haven't even gotten in to nursing school yet :) But, being able to work nights and weekends is one of the many things that attracted me to nursing in the first place.

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I now work 8-5 days BUT I did once work nights for over 2 years. I did it while pregnant and while my baby was little (my husband got to wake up with him at night hehe and it saved us on daycare!). Anyway, nights was better for learning IMO. The nurses I worked with were more laid back and there was typically more time to breathe. Because of this, nurses would take me in their rooms with "unusual" situations or problems to show me what to do ect.. I would sleep after I got home until about 2pm, get up and nap again before work. I was NOT a night owl when I first started but the bright lights made me think it was daylight.

Another pro was learning equipment in the pt rooms. Most of the time they were tired and half asleep so they didn't see you messing up the IV tubing or spilling stuff on yourself. There was no family to watch and make you uncomfortable. My favorite things included less noise, less staff and no administration on your back. No one said it would be easy but ANY experience will help you land your dream job one day so take whatever you can.

On another note, I knew hospitals were staffed 24/7 but I never thought about it until after I graduated. Working nights, I had to work Thanksgiving night (yuck I was so tired), Christmas day night (ok because the holiday was basically over by then) and new years eve (which totally sucked to call my husband and wish him a happy new year in between hanging IV's and watching the count down from a pts room). However, I paid my dues and now have the job I want. Look at the pros while you can.

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As everyone has said....not every new nurse has to go to the night shift, but many do. You may get lucky and not have to. It just depends what the situation is when you get out.

I passed by boards in February of this year and started in March. Most of my classmates, if they have jobs :( are also on the night shift.

I'm not saying you are going to love it, i certainly don't. But I have found that I am able to manage. I'm not a night person either but you'll figure out what works for you. I've discovered that I'm existing pretty well on not even as close to as much sleep as I used to get. I don't even know how my body is doing it. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I've been sleeping 5-6 hours during the day when I am working 3 in a row. I used to be upset if I didn't get at least 8!

You also figure out what is important to you. Sometimes I sleep less because it's really more important to me to see a friend for dinner or get a workout in. It's all about sacrifices. I'm not saying you are going to love it. But you can make it work. And remember, it's most likely temporary. Many new grads get a day position within a year or two.

Good luck!

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