Does Preferring to Work Night Shift mean you're lazy?

[Soliloquy, MSN, APRN, NP]

I prefer to work night shift. I prefer a little bit more seclusion to the hustle and bustle of the day shift experience. If I HAVE to work days, I would prefer for it to be weekends. I just can't take all the doctors, hospital rounds, discharge rounds, meetings, all of that. It's exhausting for me and it takes a toll on my health. I've been told that it just means you're lazy and don't want to do the work. But in the grand scheme, my life doesn't revolve around my job and there are other things I want to do and explore with my life.

I initially loved nursing, but after all that I've experienced while working on this particular unit, I've started to suffer continuous headaches and fatigue from work. This isn't good for me. I love night shift because I have some time to recuperate. I still get the headaches but the fatigue is less. I would really prefer to work solely nights.

[Krzysztof]

If the night shift works well for you, why care if anyone here thinks it's lazy? Do what's best for you and don't be concerned. Just my humble advice.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

To answer your title question as bluntly as possible, that's bullcrap.

[RNperdiem, RN]

The more nights you work, the less some other nurse who prefers days but technically is rotating shifts has to work at night. The same goes for weekends. We love you for this.

[brownbook]

I am the same as you. Sometimes I felt, knew, I couldn't handle the business of a day or evening shift. Phones, visitors, doctors making rounds, getting patients to other departments for exams or treatments, more procedures being done, etc.

But as you know nights is no guarantee of not being busy and if any nurses prefers the "easy" night shift they can apply just as you and I did.

I assume the majority of nurses would prefer to work days, more "normal" hours?

I wonder if nurses whose personality is more "introvert" (that would be me) than "extrovert" prefer nights?

[eeffoc_emmig]

I prefer nights and I'm far from lazy! I also prefer to stay as far away as possible from day shift drama and craziness.

[Mn nurse 22]

It is the best way to stay out of most of the politics.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

Night shifters are not lazy at all! Besides the feat of staying alert when your body naturally is programmed to sleep, it's also the time to catch up on things the day shifters were not able to finish. We admit a lot more sick kids at night because the urgent cares are closed. We operate with less doctors present in the hospital. And at least on our unit, the nurses have a lot of day prep work like changing out suction tubing, IV tubing, hanging TPN/lipids, changing out tube feeding bags, and restocking the rooms. Night shifters also probably have a little more time to sit and read the patient's chart and pass on useful info that day shift may not have time to read about themselves. I often am able to delve deep into the patient's history and give a much better report to ensure better care or a better understanding of the patient's condition.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I would challenge the person calling you lazy to spend a couple weeks working nights. And if they do it, be gracious when you accept their apology! :)

[anon456, BSN, RN]

Also, I work nights so I can be home when my kids get home from school. I might be sleeping but I'm there in case they need me. And I can be there to ask how their day is and start dinner. During school holidays it's nice to not have to worry about camps and daycare. My kids are old enough to technically be alone for the day, but I don't feel comfortable with it. I hear the day shifters bemoan the fact that they miss their kids' after school activities and have to find daycare for school breaks. I wanted to be a mom first, nurse second, and working nights is hard on my body, but easy on my priorities.

[jr2915sn]

Do what makes YOU happy! It doesn't matter what others say. If working nights make you happy, keep you healthy, and limit your stress then that's all that matters!

I'm a day nurse and I commend you for working night shift! I despise working nights! And most of those people talking crap and saying you're lazy are completely full of themselves and in reality wished they could handle working nights.

I mean, I get night has a slower pace BUT having to be up all night and deal with all that can and may possibly go wrong at any time of the night is exhausting. I personally prefer the hustle and bustle of the day shift to be able to sleep at night.

Enjoy your pleasures and live life to please yourself, never anyone else! And this is just my honest and humble opinion. :)

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

I'm hoping for a night job not because I'm lazy, an introvert, or hate people, but because I'm a night owl who DETESTS getting up in the morning. I would rather stay up all night until 5am than wake up at 5am, no matter how early I went to bed the night before!

I've always been a night owl -- it's just the way my body has been, going back to my teens or even earlier. I can do all-nighters without yawning (as long as I can sleep the next day to recover).

Different strokes for different folks!