Midnights vs Day shift

Nurses General Nursing

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Anybody who's ever worked/is working midnights: Is it just me, or do the darlings of the day shift breeze in and immediately act as if they're the boss. Some of us work nights because we genuinely like that shift, others use it as a place to"hide out" so they won't have to deal with so many bosses. Whatever the reason, somewhere along the line midnights got a bum rap. Where I work, anyway, we do paperwork in addition to patient care. Part of the paperwork consists of checking the work done/not done by day shift and evenings and correcting any errors. Yet so many people think we just sit up all night, drinking coffee, reading the Avon book, addressing bills to be paid, etc. I'd like to hear from anyone who is in a similar situation.

I work nights (obviously) at a trauma hospital. Although I rather enjoy nights, I enjoy the people that I work with, I don't enjoy how we are treated. By that I mean the following: calling the drs in the middle of the night, they are downright cranky. I hate the feeling I get when I know that they are going to give me attitude, I get my hackles raised and I have to be real careful saying something that I'll regret. (as if they didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they started med school) then there is the staff meetings, not one is held during our shift, so we either have to stay later who knows how long totally exhausted, or come in early, come in the middle of the day, which is when we sleep or come in on our day off. The other although not as important but still makes me a bit sad is that all of the staff parties, from holiday parties to "bosses day" to anything else you can think of is held when it is convenient for all of day shift to come. 3-11 gets slighted here too. Although sometimes it is conceivable to go to a party and then go to work on less sleep, what fun is that, I did that once, it sucked. The dr's don't seem to know anyones name from night shift, the patients barely remember us, the families have never met us, so while day/eve gets recognition for the great job the did with so and so, nights is never mentioned, even though we may have been the ones to report a lab that was missed all day, put up the "right" iv fluid, ah, don't get me started... and now did anyone else see the news? Breast cancer rates for night shift workers? We knew it took years off the end of our lives but come on now. Makes rotating shifts look really good. Here is the nice thing about nights, provided that I can stay up or get up, I do have all day to get stuff done. I don't think that I'll last much longer on nights but it has been a learning experience.

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Specializes in NICU.

Our day and night crews get along where I work. But sometimes I feel like SOME (not all, not even MOST) of them act like the unit is their's and night shift just comes in every night to rearrange things and screw things up.

There's one nurse that comes in and right away starts to push the rolling chairs and computer terminals into different positions, muttering how she "hates it when things are all out of place." It's a NICU, and it's one big area and by no means tight on area to spread out, so it really doesn't block the walkway for things to not be specifically placed or lined up. She really acts like we mess up "their" unit while they're gone. It's certainly not wrong for her to want things moved when she gets there, but she just acts like we screw things up. It's nothing outright or confrontational, more like a mindset or attitude.

Of course, far be it for me to deliberately push all the chairs around when I know she's coming in, I would NEVER do such a thing...

You gotta have your fun where you can at work, you know?

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I work 7p-7a now because we have young children. There is less time to pay for babysitters. And we do have some (not all) day shift nurses who don't appreciate the amount of work night does do.

Dr.'s are cranky if you call them at 5a.m. with a K+ of 3.6. However, some of these nurses don't understand why all labs aren't called, all patients bathed, etc... by 7a.m. For some reason when things aren't done at 7p.m. it becomes "a 24 hr. business, just leave it for the next nurse to do". However, if things aren't done at 7a.m. this rule isn't in effect. (once again this applies with some nurses only).

I just do the best I can and if patients are happy with their care (they usually are ) then I'm satisfied with the work I did.

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Well, like I said, there are SOME day nurses where I work most of the time who feel like the night shift sits and "knits" all night....

We don't KNIT, we EAT!!!!!

And NOTHING else gets done on my shift.......

Excuse me,

1. Your weekly charting is done for the week on Monday, because I DID it already.

2. The good Catheter Fairy DID NOT change all the caths for you.

3. The Oxygen Tubing Fairy DID NOT change all the tubing for you.

4. The Med Cart Stocker Fairy DID NOT stock the cart, nor did the Juice Fairy fill up the fridge.

5. ALL of the Accucheck machines are in good working order NOT because the Accucheck Fairy was here.

6. The Wheelchair Washer Fairy DID NOT show up for work tonight, I washed them all.....

7. Most of these lovely patients will be alert and comfortable and cooperative because the NIGHT NURSE FAIRY took REALLY good care of your lovely patients.

Shall I go on????

I sit on my @$$ all night, right......:(

Marla

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we have to rotate shifts because our manager doesnt want us to have the us against them attitude.

thats a good thing i guess.

ive asked for mostly nights so that i can take more time learning what im doing at my own speed. ive been lucky cos i get them.

our daylight has that control thing too but its ok cos like its been said....they need that to survive.

and yes some of them think they are the bosses but so do some of the night nurses. but you know what?

as far as im concerned they can ALL be the bosses.

they can ALL be queen nurse for the shift. just so they leave me alone i dont care much about their power trips. enjoy.

AND IM SO TIRED OF BEING OFFWORK AND MY NECK IS NOT HEALING FAST ENUFF. I MISS MY JOB AND I WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK!!!!

WAH!!!

~~~~end of pity party.

thanks for coming.

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I like my nights, but would not mind the change and switch to days once in awhile.

That way I could also see how day shift runs, what to expect/little details that are diff from nights.

It would also give me a break from the "this isn't normal syndrome" which does spill over to my days off since I never get my 3-in-a-row.

Our day/night shifts seem so polarized at times and I wish we rotated so everyone could be in each others' shoes so to speak.

:rolleyes:

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I worked 3-11 for 4 years, but because my husband was taking a job with lots of travel I had to go to days so I could put the kids in Daycare. Luckily there was a dayshift position open. I was petrified that I would really get bowled over on Days - some day shift nurses do have that attitude. But I love having 1 less patient and billions more people to help - I almost always get out on time. I like hearing what the doctor's have to say.

I am petrified at the thought of working nights and instead of having 3-4 patients having 6-8. Too much charting and if one goes bad I would be so freaked- out- overwelmed. I used to work an office job 11-7, so I know how pleasant people can be on the phone at 2AM. I thank you nurses who work swing shifts and work nights.:D

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I also work 7p-7a at a trauma center. I have found that the day shift and night shift are absolutely two different breeds. Each has their own set of problems related to their shift. Days busiest times are from 1400 to 1900, nights is from 1900 to 0100. Therefore am's have time to eat breakfast and lunch, we eat only supper. We have doctors and vistors 24/7 , so that is not even an issue. Nights plan their own parties, days theirs since we cannot come in during our sleep times. Nights seem to work better as a team, even day shift has stated that. Mandatory meetings are a problem, although we try to have two, one days, and one nights.

There are some things that should NOT be messed with on each shift. Don't mess with day's breakfast, and don't mess with nights coffee pot!!! The other night we came in and found that our coffee pot had BEEN MOVED!!!!! And moved to a veerrrry inconvenient area. Not only that, but they had BOLTED the coffee pot down. I am a manager, so I knew this had not been officially authorized by the higher ups, but by the day managers. Soooo, we unbolted it and moved it back to its original location (afterall, nights bought the pot in the first place). We got a good laugh out of it. Day shift never said a word. LOL ;)

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