8 hr Night Shifts

[NICUnurse21]

Hi Everyone!

I just received a job offer on my dream unit straight out of school! The unit is awesome, it's at an outstanding, nationally recognized facility, a teaching hospital with a great orientation program, and the nurses were SO sweet to me. Only one problem... the position they want to hire me for is 8 hour night shifts. As in working 5 nights/week. I'm honestly looking on here for some uplifting support because all I have read are the cons of shifts like this. Any positive notes on working 8 hour nights? I have a fiance, no kids, no pets. Maybe that's a plus...? (I'm trying to be positive...)

[~Shrek~]

I've worked 8 hour nights, I pretty much slept all day then worked. I don't like it. The pro is that you get to sleep more hours in the day and the workload is more manageable, but the con is that you will be exhausted all the time.

[Swellz]

The best thing I can say is that an 8 hour night shift goes very quickly. No one likes to be woken up at midnight for an assessment, so usually I'll tell my tech I'll grab the VS just so we only wake them up once. I'd hate to work 5 nights/week though. Doesn't leave much time to adapt to a normal schedule on your days off. I'm glad the job sounds ideal other than the schedule, but don't underestimate how a challenging schedule can affect how much you like your job.

[~Shrek~]

don't underestimate how a challenging schedule can affect how much you like your job.

Sad but true.

[L♡vER]

Take it! Get your experience. You will have good, first hand insight on the 8 hour shift deal and maybe some seniority to switch if it's not compatible with your lifestyle.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

What I want to know is where are all those posters preaching about the evils of 12 hour shifts? You'd think they'd want to jump on this thread and add their two cents about how wonderful eight hour shifts can be.

[FlyingScot, RN]

I've worked various shifts throughout my career. I have been working 8's for the last two years (albeit on day shift). I have never felt more human as I do now. Maybe it's my age but the longer shifts were killing me and all I did on my days off was drag myself out of bed to cram in everything I needed to do, the entire time feeling exhausted and miserable. And the kicker was just when I started to feel better it was time to go back to work.

[~Shrek~]

What I want to know is where are all those posters preaching about the evils of 12 hour shifts? You'd think they'd want to jump on this thread and add their two cents about how wonderful eight hour shifts can be.

8 hour shifts are only good if they are on days or evenings. I have only met one person in my entire life who preferred 8 hour nights. The vast majority of people would rather stay up the entire night on three 12 hour shifts rather than on five 8's.

I prefer 12 hour shifts, too, and 8 hour shifts are 100% fine on days/ evenings but I would never work 8 hour nights again unless I financially needed to.