How often are you forced to work nights?

Nurses General Nursing

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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

Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.

I'm never forced to work anything I don't want or acquiesce to. Im just to comfy with my life

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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.

What's a social life??? It's been awhile since I started school but I faintly remember the concept but I can't quite remember... :chuckle

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I'm definitely not going to try to convince you to work nights, or tell you how great they can be. That's my business, and one you don't seem open to. But that's ok, I really don't think you're asking if nights is all bad, etc. You're asking if it's possible to avoid them altogether.

The answer is yes, sometimes, and no, sometimes. As a new grad, your options will be whatever the facility you're applying to has for you. You might get all days. You might get evenings, or nights. It's utterly impossible to tell you you WON'T work ANY one particular shift at this point. How can we know?

The best hours and schedule are for those with enough experience to be allowed to choose them. You can work in places that allow you the kind of schedule you most prefer AFTER you have put in time and earned the right to be there. That's typically not as a new grad, but as an experienced nurse.

I, too, am concerned that your concern over your job impacting your social life is a little off base at this time. 12 hour days are frequently longer than that (get there early enough to get report, stay late enough to give report and deal with loose ends, chart....13 hours is not unusual). Do you think you'll be going out to party afterward? And then get up and repeat those hours the next day?

You can work around any schedule. You get used to sleeping whenever you're tired. You can date when working 12 hour nights just like 12 hour days: instead of going out at the end of your day off, you're getting some sleep and then waking up to get ready to go out. No big deal.

Your worry at this time isn't what hours you are going to be "forced" to work. It's whether you are thinking about a career you have little interest in, but are considering because it might be the right amount of money for the least amount of inconvenience. Not the best reasons, IMO.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.
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

You're attitude toward nursing is exactly the reason Nursing is having the problems they do.

Too many people come into this profession & only want the cushy jobs & shifts. Well, nursing is a job that is 24/7. Yes, we have lives outside of the hospital, however, we all have to bend. Sometimes we have to do what we don't want to do, so that we can get certain days or times off.

I'm so tired of you young people who come into nursing to make lots of money. Where are the new grads who come into this job to help people and not worry about there Fri. nite date. Sure, I want a social life as welll as the next person, however, there is balance.

Gosh, be more concerned about what I can do for my patient rather then weather I can go clubbing on Friday evening. Just remember, maybe our patient's would also like to be out there on the dance floor!!

By the way, who said anything about Nursing being flexible???????

Not at my Hospital!!

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I've seen plenty of day shift jobs for new grads. But they are generally in the most desperate to staff areas of the hospital. My experience has shown that areas like mother/baby, L&D and my specialty NICU have virtually no day shift jobs for new grads. In my unit it takes an average of 2 years to get to day shift. There is literally a 30 name waiting list in my unit.

As for working something out with your social life. Remember that even day shifters have to deal with the challenges of every other weekend shifts and holiday shifts. Just so you are aware and can take those things into consideration. And yes, there are nursing jobs that don't require nights, weekends or holidays, but they are not generally open to new grads.

I make no judgements on people for their motivations for getting into nursing. As long as you are aware of general expectations before you waste those years in nursing school.

I personally have not found people who went into nursing for the "right" reasons to be more or less whiny about the unusual schedule requirements of nursing. I've also seen people who went into nursing for the "wrong" reasons turn out to be wonderful, caring, talented nurses.

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Seriously, folks, this fellow is going to have to get into a nursing program and complete it before he is a nurse. So unless he has already initiated that process, chances are good that he has 3+ years before he's on the floor. Three years is a long time, a lot of growth and maturity occurs in that time period. I'm guessing if this fellow decides to go into nursing, his ideas on work and social life will change. There is nothing wrong with having some balance and enjoying an active social life outside of work.

I would imagine that if the OP has any sense, he will quickly figure out how to balance this. I also imagine that if he can make it through nursing school, he will be a fine nurse. Not all of us go into this profession because we want to be angels of mercy. And not all of us went into this profession knowing what we were getting into. Doesn't mean that the role doesn't grow on us, change us, and make us into great nurses.

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Well thanks for everyone's replies. From all these responses it sounds like it can be a flexible job if you yourself are flexible. I am an open-minded person. However, even with the benefits that night shifts that some of you have vouched for, I feel I'd be drained. My attitude toward nursing is not what you claim nursemary, I'm not another young kid just trying to get a "convenient" job. I realize the work that nurses do and have a great respect for a the caring work you do for complete strangers.There's no other job like it, and I think that's why I'm some what drawn to it. So I'm learning a bit more everyday, and definitely don't plan to jump into it without care.

Thanks.

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By the way, who said anything about Nursing being flexible???????

This is the line being touted by many nursing recruitment campaigns.

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Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

Day shift jobs in a hospital are prime positions for most people. You have to be willing to pay your dues like the rest of us have and work yourself into a day shift position.

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Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.
This is the line being touted by many nursing recruitment campaigns.

I find life in nursing as being a totally flexible profession, at least I have found it so for myself.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I went right to eve shift (3-11:30) straight out of NS. I love it. It mirrors my natural circadian rhythm, and I have time to accomplish things at home before I go to work, while I still have energy. I've considered nights because of the shift differential. It's a significant amount of money. I would hate to work days, as I am NOT a morning person. I worked days as a CNA, and it was torture.

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For the sake of irony working night shifts is one of the things most appealing to me about nursing. As previous posters have said, I find it to be more relaxing....working 7pm-7am your patients are going to spend a great deal of time sleeping and you don't have doctors and family members stressing you out. You seriously could not pay me enough to work daytime in healthcare. I work the least desired shift 7p-7a fridays-Sunday and I love it. As for not having a "social life" - I say good. It keeps me out of trouble.

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