Embracing Night Shift

[BSNbeauty]

Before having a child you couldn't pay me to do nights. I have done nights in the past and always despised them. Well, now I'm a new mommy and in order to avoid child care I went to nights part time. So instead if whimpering and complaining I've decided to embrace nights , since this is my new normal. Here are the pros I'm ever so grateful for:

- Not having to place my baby in daycare. Yes, I rarely get sleep but I have a peace of mind

-Shift diff . Enough said

-No visitors after 830pm

-No managers, or any other persons that typically pluck my nerves in day shift

-Working two 12 hour nights really isn't that bad. I spread my out.

-It goes by pretty fast most of the time

-Weekends are split. Which means I don't have to work sat and sunday like I did on days. I can work fri and sat but split up( friday one week and Saturday another week).

The list goes on. Its honestly not that bad.

[ClaraRedheart, BSN, RN]

Not that bad?!!! It's nursing heaven!!!

Except for the fact that if something goes wrong we have to wake up a cranky doctor who is:

%90 grateful that you alerted him that his patient needs help and will issue orders stat

%10 irate that you bothered him because he has surgery in 2 hours on another patient

I'm actually going to days from nights. It's a HUGE paycut, but it's worth it for my husband and daughter, who have a hard time functioning without me at home in the PM. If I were single, I would work nights forever. They're great :) The paycut worries me way LESS than the dayshift stress that I feel that might come down upon my head like Thor's hammer. I guess stress happens. We deal with it. That's what nurses do :)

[CopperEmerald]

I like there being no traffic on my way to and from work.

I also like doing my grocery shopping after work and having the store be almost empty.

Do you ever pass people on your way home in the morning (ESPECIALLY on Mondays!) and think to yourself something like "haha, all those people rushing to get to work on a Monday morning...I'm going home to bed".

I do..maybe I'm just mean

[CopperEmerald]

I'm the odd one..I don't ever have to fight to stay awake during the shift or the ride home..but man oh man! driving INTO work is a rough one for me.

I never have trouble driving home.

In fact, after a rough night there is nothing more soul soothing than turning up the radio, putting the top down, and feeling the wind around me.

[MatrixRn]

So many perks for working the night shift. It really is the best shift.

No traffic going to or from work

Good team work.

More pay $$$

Have the house to yourself during the day.

Less customer service crud.

Quiet, noise wise.

Do not have to wait long to get doc orders....they are on the line and willing to give what you want.

On a good night, time to think and reflect on what is really going on with the patient.

[edwindelahiggins]

I'm honestly worried that I'm liking nights TOO much. I've been an RN coming on 2 years now, all nights.

I've always been a person who has had some night time insomnia. During nursing school there were times when i'd toss and turn all night before clinicals. Now, I'm generally able to sleep pretty well during the day. I find most nights to be VERY laid back. I'm usually done with charting, assessments and meds by 2300. And to think that we get PAID MORE. I just started dating a girl who works a 9-5 so we'll see how this works out. But count me in the 'nights are awesome' camp.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I'm honestly worried that I'm liking nights TOO much. I've been an RN coming on 2 years now, all nights.

I've always been a person who has had some night time insomnia. During nursing school there were times when i'd toss and turn all night before clinicals. Now, I'm generally able to sleep pretty well during the day. I find most nights to be VERY laid back. I'm usually done with charting, assessments and meds by 2300. And to think that we get PAID MORE. I just started dating a girl who works a 9-5 so we'll see how this works out. But count me in the 'nights are awesome' camp.

I'm confused. Nights are generally 2300-0700 (give or take). How are you done with everything at 2300 which should be the start of the night shift? What shift do you work?

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

I'm confused. Nights are generally 2300-0700 (give or take). How are you done with everything at 2300 which should be the start of the night shift? What shift do you work?

I'm thinking probably 7 pm-7 am. A lot of facilities do 12 hour shifts.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I'm thinking probably 7 pm-7 am. A lot of facilities do 12 hour shifts.

I had thought of a 7-7 shift but even then, you can't possibly be done with everything that has to be done in a 12 hr shift in 4 hours.

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

That confuses me, too, CT Pixie. I've worked a lot of 12s & pretty much ran the whole night.

[kward6]

I feel that nights allow for more time to learn different skills. LOTS OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

[MatrixRn]

Nights are good....and so are weekends. The census is generally lower because people are discharged on Friday....and those who stay are pretty stable. The docs generally try to cover all the bases and write sufficient orders so they don't have to be called over the weekend.

The family comes in and visits in the evening and keeps them busy. That takes the load off and the patient usually sleeps better that night.

AND there is the double diff...one for NOC and the other for the Weekend.

[Nibbles1]

I love nights! #TeamNightWalker