How often are you forced to work nights?

[yerbluez]

Hello all,

I'm not a nurse, but have an interest in the profession as the liberal arts education has not appealed to me so much. Everything about nursing sounds good, and it does sound flexible, but I keep reading about night shifts and see a lot of jobs advertising night shifts only. I am not the type of person to stay awake all night and then have to sleep through the days. I wouldn't want this mainly because I feel the schedule would have a bad effect on my social life. I just can't sleep in the middle of they day.

So my question is, if you're starting out as a nurse.. is it often that you're forced to take up a schedule that you really don't like? What have your experiences been? It's supposed to be a flexible career... I like the 12 hour shift idea, but I would only want to do days.

thanks,

Sean

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Nursing is a 24/7 profession. Usually new grads do end up on night shift if you choose to work in the hospital.

I am a little concerned that you are concerned about the impact your work schedule will have on your social life - even working 12 hour days, you are tired when you get off.

Perhaps you need to do a little more research?

[widi96]

Our hospital usually only advertises night positions for new grads, but in the last year, four of the seven new grads got the day position they wanted before they were even off orientation (three month orientation, the first two of which are on days). The other three individuals did not want day positions, so everyone who wanted one, got it, even though they initially accepted a night position. It all depends on the area though - yeah, you may have to do a couple of months on nights, but I wouldn't think it would take you too long, if any time at all, to get away from nights.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I purposely choose to work night shifts. There's too much going on during day shift such as abusive family members, snippy doctors, insensitive management, and new orders to take off. I like the peace and quietude that accompanies the late hours.

[NurseCard, ADN]

I have a friend who started at my hospital when I did. She thought she was going to have to start on night shift, like me, and was dreading it with all of her heart. She swore she would not ever be able to tolerate it.

Later on she told me "I should have went to nights". Nights tend to be quieter, slower, not as many people, doctors, higher-ups running around and getting in your face... Day shift, where I work, tends to be full of nurses and techs who refuse to work as a team. On night shift, we are all about teamwork.

I love nights and cannot seem myself ever working days, not in the hospital setting anyway.

[lpnflorida]

I have not worked nights for about 27 years, however this past spring I did ask my supervisior about it.. why you might ask, $6.00 differential for working 7p-7a somehow made it much more appealing. As luck would have it, no openings at this time...lol,,, saved from myself:zzzzz

[*ac*]

I work 4 night shifts per 4 week schedule. They aren't usually together. I don't mind the shift itself, but hate the flipping back and forth. The longer you're there, the better it gets, though, so I'm trying to grin and bear it.

[MB37]

In my area, there are day shift positions available to new grads if you're flexible about what type of floor/unit you'll work on. Jobs are advertised as either "day" or "night" only, so you know going in. I'm going into ICU, so I'll take whatever shift is available (and I prefer nights). If you're open to any med/surg floor, I know for a fact that my hospital has several day shift positions available. There are other, smaller hospitals in the area that put all new grads on nights. Go to a few hospital websites in your city and look at open RN positions (especially the "GN" and "RN 1" listings). That should give you a better idea of what shifts are out there. Good luck!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I'm a new grad. When I'm off orientation, I'll be doing 7a-7p one weekend, 11a-11p the other. The every-weekends thing was at my request. I'm tickled!! :)

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

Lots of new grads do start out on nights...but I trained on days, and WOW..not everyone works together. Patients going to tests, procedcures, surgery, fresh post-ops, lot of doctors in the first 5 hours of a 12 hour shift. Docs writing orders they don't ask you about..and you see them 8 hours later, or when your computer tells you you have medications due that you're going..."uh, when did they start taking that?"....It is what it is.

But on nights, you HAVE to be a team. There are not enough people there to have people not work together.

Best example. ON days, a emergency(pt. fall, I need help) call light went off....I'm the only one who went to go check it..(out of 12 people at the station!!!), a security code was called (one person from every floor is supposed to go) I went to go to it, and the staff goes "you're going to the code? we usually don't.."

Nights? Emergency light, and all 6 RNs go in there or are on the way when the light goes off....the CNAs move beds and tables out of the way if we need it. Security codes/fire alarms? Someone always goes. So, please consider that aspect when you apply.

[epg_pei]

I work nights as often as possible. I love nights! Shift diffs, no hustle or bustle, and generally settled patients (psych).

[rjflyn, ASN, RN]

Im going to say in my current facility it probably easier to get a day shift than it is a night shift. The shift diff is part of it, but as other have said, its the BS that goes with the other shifts that drives people to the night shift.

Rj