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Discussion

Does working dayshift potentially jeopardize license?

I have a co-worker who believes that nurses who work dayshift put their licenses in jeopardy. He says that dayshift is generally chaotic and that this can be dangerous. He now works nights because he thought his license was in jeopardy. What are your thoughts? By the way, not that anything unusual happens on our unit, just an average dayshift unit I guess: patients going to/from procedures; families; doctors; lots of orders coming in; patients being discharged, etc. What are your thoughts? Can all of the happenings on days jeopardize your license?

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Understaffing can potentially cause errors. If someone can't take the pressure of days, then they should either not work days at all or not work that type of unit.

Some people say that working nights is more dangerous because they are not nearly as alert due to the fact they can't sleep at night.

Ultimately what jeopardizes your license is your own actions, or lack of them.

I have never really thought of it that way, but I guess if you are easily distracted and find the hectic routine of dayshift too much for you to handle that night shift would be better. Serious mistakes can happen just as easily on any shift though, I personally wouldn't say that one shift puts your license at more of a risk than any another.

Just my :twocents:

In my first rotation in the hospital medical floor (all my previous rotations were LTC) I found it very hectic on dayshift. It was chaos. If a nurse is easily distracted and is not good at concentrating I could see the potential of many errors that could jeapordize a licsence. However, its the individual that makes the error and the hectic unit of dayshift is not to blame.

I must add that I felt night shift was a much better learning environment because it was much slower.

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Working day shift in med/surg drove me crazy........way too much auditory and visual stimuli what with call lights and phones ringing all the time, people crowding the halls, new orders coming in at frequent intervals, admissions and discharges, couldn't find charts half the time, etc. etc. On the other hand, there's far less administrative support and usually fewer staff on night shift, and that too can be an issue.

That said, I don't think any single shift endangers a nurse's license any more than the others; it depends on the actions (or inactions) of the individual nurse, although overstimulation and fatigue may make it more difficult to stay focused and the individual's own circadian rhythms definitely factor in to which shift is most suitable for her/him.

Just my two cents' worth........:)

I guess it depends on the unit and the nurse. I've always founds nights scarier because of less backup from docs, less staff in general, higher patient ratios and sleep deprivation, but that may be because I work in a unit where days aren't really busier.

Although day shift is busier & there's more staff around, more depts, etc. I never felt it was 'unsafe'. I loved the chaos & the busy-ness. I had a much easier time than trying to stay awake on nights & the shifts went by much faster. Days are still my preference, but I remember when I worked 3-11 we all used to say that it was much easier- more mellow w/out all the administrative types around! I'd say it depends on what your personality type is- & whether or not you work best under pressure & can concentrate w/alot going on around you.

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