shift wars, GRR

Nurses General Nursing

Published

This is a Vent, nothing I can do to fix it, so I'm letting steam off here so I don't say something that might land me hot water. Grrr.

You know how it is in a lot of places, each shift thinks that they are the hardest done by. Often, nights is the poor stepchild of the shifts, stuff gets left for them to do because "we have more time." There's also the misconception that there isn't a lot of work to do.

Add to that some nurses who are very judgemental and feel that you should do things their way, even if they aren't there. Then, add to the mix, the "*I* wouldn't have done it *that* way" when you give report.

Next time, I'm just going to say, "listen, YOU were not there. *I* was. I made a nursing judgement well within the parameters of my job. I chose to follow the course I chose because it was the CORRECT one to do at the time given the circumstances that presented. I don't give a flying fig if the patient never acts that way on days or evenings, HE DOES ON NIGHTS."

Ok, I think I feel better now.

The whole post probably doesn't make much sense, but it was surprisingly cathartic. ;)

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Having worked nights for many years, I absolutely understand, and I have said exactly the same thing to day shifters on more than one occasion.

I wish they'd understand that we might have a little downtime between 4 and 5 a.m. because the labs aren't back yet, and the LOL postop fresh hip hasn't decided that, despite the hip and the Foley, she needs to get up OOB to go to the bathroom, while at the same time LOM in the last room down the hall decides he needs a stat neb treatment and cannot breathe.

They don't get that we do not have the staff to handle multiple crises quickly, and they never will.

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I absolutely understand also. I think my response would be to shrug and say "Okay, but I did!" No insubordination if the person has seniority, no flippant attitude, nothing you could get "talked to" about.

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I absolutely understand also. I think my response would be to shrug and say "Okay, but I did!" No insubordination if the person has seniority, no flippant attitude, nothing you could get "talked to" about.

We're lucky here. I've never heard of write ups and stuff until I started reading this board. It's just not an issue we have. Obviously, if we do something really wrong, our superiors will act and, if it's bad enough, there will be a letter of discipline, but they are few and far between. This isn't just one place, I've worked in acute care hospitals and rehabs. I was a nursing supervisor for a while, as well as an instructor, so I've seen pretty well all ends of the spectrum.

In the situation I'm in now, the vast majority of us started in the residence when it opened four years ago and there is no seniority. The nurses who started last year are at the same level as those of us who started when it opened.

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I work nights and feel that day shift does probably work a little harder with the addition of baths, meals, continuous order changes, ect, but they do generally have more staff as well. I chose nights because being fresh out of school, I felt it may be a little slower in able for me to learn. There are a few nurses both days and nights that continually complain about the other shift but I think that is normal in any occupation. The only phrase I really hate to here day shift say is that nights have more time because pts sleep all night. I have to laugh at times because This must only happen on my nights off because it is rare when I am working.

Respect every shift because the shoes you complain about to day may be the ones you walk in in the future!!!!

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all shifts have the pluses and minuses...days go faster, patients frequently go bad in the early morning hours when the staff is at its lowest

if this is a one time thing [i WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT] ignore it, if they have a point listen to it..if they are on an ego trip you may have to give them a strong hint that you don't like it

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all shifts have the pluses and minuses...days go faster, patients frequently go bad in the early morning hours when the staff is at its lowest

if this is a one time thing [i WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT] ignore it, if they have a point listen to it..if they are on an ego trip you may have to give them a strong hint that you don't like it

No, it's definitely not a one time thing, unfortunately.

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Specializes in Hospital, med-surg, hospice.

Would'nt it be nice if we would just grow up and respect each other?? :uhoh3:

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Only thing I'd add to your vent (and I feel your pain!) is the concept of 24-hour nursing being applied EQUALLY. Meaning that when I hear that days didn't have time, so it got left to eves, who didn't have time, so it got left to nights....and NO ONE understands that NIGHTS didn't have time, either! So if it DOESN'T get done on nights, you get skewered. We can NEVER and I mean NEVER leave something undone from nights: we have to stay to get it done. Or, if you happen to leave something undone for the next shift anyway, you get holy hell the next time you're in.

There's no clue that if THEY can't get it all done in their shift, sometimes, neither can WE. Argh.

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Only thing I'd add to your vent (and I feel your pain!) is the concept of 24-hour nursing being applied EQUALLY. Meaning that when I hear that days didn't have time, so it got left to eves, who didn't have time, so it got left to nights....and NO ONE understands that NIGHTS didn't have time, either! So if it DOESN'T get done on nights, you get skewered. We can NEVER and I mean NEVER leave something undone from nights: we have to stay to get it done. Or, if you happen to leave something undone for the next shift anyway, you get holy hell the next time you're in.

There's no clue that if THEY can't get it all done in their shift, sometimes, neither can WE. Argh.

Along the same vein, days dumps on evenings and then evenings has to stay late to get it done, can't leave it for nights since night shift is actually the start of another day (at midnight).

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Specializes in Rehab.

EXACTLY!!! I work afternoons. We get well over 50% of admissions (which is a lot... each nurse usually has at least one per shift), but have lower staffing than day shift. We have two large medpasses like days. We have a relatively equal number of txs to do. But, if day shift doesn't get something done, then they pass it off to us. However, afternoons can't pass things off to nocs because they will blow a gasket. I don't get it.

Oh well, I suppose the OT will pay off eventually. :uhoh3:

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I worked nights for years and still do nights prn. On days, people will tell me "nights have it so easy. All these pts are sleeping." Yeah, they close ER and OR so the pts can sleep. People's IV's beep, people get sundowner's and climb out of bed, and guess what???? People use the br in the middle of the night! Betcha didn't know that.

I've worked every shift. IMO, day shift is the easiest shift for me. LOTS more help. Nights get a skeleton crew and evenings are busy with vitals, accuchecks, backrubs, teeth brushing, assessments, etc. It never fails, when I work med surg there are the same times where people get call light happy: breakfast, lunch, dinner, 2000, midnight- 0100 and 0600 when you're getting ready to leave. I can get my stuff done on time when I work days, but if I do evenings or nights I know I'll be staying an extra 2 hours.

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