I can't believe I actually *like* night shift!

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm a new grad (May 2015) and started my first RN job in July. During orientation, I was exclusively on day shift. I was so worried about switching over to night shift. I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I really like the night shift.

I was worried I'd be bored because the patients would be asleep. Nope! I bust my butt from start of shift to end. I feel I'm actually busier on night shift than I was on days. It's a rare night that all of my patients sleep at the same time. And even then, I invariably get a new admission from the ER. The only draw back to night shift is that we get short-staffed a lot (especially on weekends) and we have higher patient ratios.

If I need to have an appointment, I can just schedule it in the morning, so I don't have to take time off. I really like it. My kids are older and all of them can drive now, so I don't have to worry about schlepping them to sporting or school events. :)

Night shift rocks :D

That's amazing!! I'm hoping to get into nursing school for Spring. I'm a total night owl, but I wonder, on your days off do you still keep your schedule? Do you find it best to go to sleep as soon as you get off or wait until later and wake up shortly before work? I think I might really like night shift too. I function best between 8pm and 2 am😳

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I'm not a night person, but I found that I liked night shifts a great deal. The best thing, to me, was that I actually had time to do all my nursing tasks--such as chart audits, charting, etc.

On day shift, and pm shift, I literally ran around the whole shift and never got a chance to do "optional" tasks.

Regarding kids and night shift, I can't speak to that: I only worked nights on call, a max of 3-4 days per week. I only worked nocs when my kids were at their fathers or able to watch themselves (ages 12/16/4). I think full time nocs would be harder.

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Lol that's me the laid back night owl!i think I know what shift I want some day😉

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Specializes in ER - trauma/cardiac/burns. IV start spec.

I worked nights in the ER for over 9 years and would never have worked days. Too may suits to my liking and too many egos to deal with. I did get called in a couple of times for part of evenings and I hated working those 4 hours. I worked nights with 4 children. When I started they were 2, 4, 6, and 11. My spouse worked evenings with the PD. I got the kids to bed and then went to work. Came home and took them to school or daycare, slept until time to pick them up, homework, dinner and bed again. As they got older it got easier. When my oldest began to drive I was able to get a little more sleep. No I would never have worked days. If I could go back I would go back to nights.

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.
That's amazing!! I'm hoping to get into nursing school for Spring. I'm a total night owl, but I wonder, on your days off do you still keep your schedule? Do you find it best to go to sleep as soon as you get off or wait until later and wake up shortly before work? I think I might really like night shift too. I function best between 8pm and 2 am������

If I have to work the next day, I tend to stay up until 1000 or 1100, then go to bed. I'll wake up around 5.

If I am going to be off for more than a day, I will try to go to sleep as soon as I get home and then wake up earlier in the afternoon. When I do that, I find that I can go back to sleep at night time and have more wake time during the day.

I just basically sleep when I'm tired and wake up when my body (or my dogs...LOL) decide to wake me up on my days off.

My kids are older (23 & 16), so they can both drive. I find that having a night shift schedule enables me to be able to watch my son's after-school sporting events more often, which I like.

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I love nights and wouldn't work days for night pay. I love the teamwork, the autonomy and the lack of extraneous people. I actually sleep better working nights and don't have too much trouble going back to "normal" when I am off. My only problem is when I am off for a stretch, I feel like i should be sleeping all day.

I picked up a day shift a few weeks ago, and I didn't like it, not one little bit. I kept saying "the light...it burnsssss us".

BAHAHAHAHA!! I like this x1000!!

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Specializes in Detox and Psyc nursing.

I work nights - have done so for years. My regular shift (we do 12's) is Thursday, Fri, Sat. I have two boys ages are 6 and 7. Sunday morning I get off work from my 'work week'. I will do one of two things: If I have plans like a football game or event to attend, I will just stay up all day for as long as possible - like 8 or 9 pm then sleep like the dawn of the dead for 12 hr or so and wake up refreshed Monday morning 8 am-ish ready to spend a few quality days with the family. If I have no plans, I will stay up a few hours on Sunday maybe noon or so, take a 4 hour 'nap' and then go to bed at night with the family and wake up Monday again round 8 am ish. Either way, I will be on 'dayshift' for Monday and Tuesday. I will stay up Monday until midnight, then Tuesday stay up till 3 am, Wednesday stay up till 6 am ish and then be all ready to go Thursday back to work again all night. It works for me.

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Specializes in ED, Med-Surg, Psych, Oncology, Hospice.

I'm a night shift worker of 30 years. Biggest drawback (no matter where one works) is the conception that we don't work. Next, EVERYTHING is night shifts'fault and then there are the mandatory meetings that are always scheduled to accommodate the outgoing day shift and incoming afternoon shift. We are expected to get up in the middle of the day (or stay up) attend the meeting AND be back for a night shift. I say let management come in at 3 am then they go home and come in on their shift. LOL THAT'S not gonna happen!

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Specializes in ED RN, PEDS RN, IV NURSE.

I love it toooooo

My current issue is that my schedule isn't set yet and I'm still trying discern how to get my sleep schedule situated.

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Specializes in CVICU.

I too am a new grad and oriented on days, but was hired for nights. I've been on nights for about a month now, and I love it. I work in an ICU and we actually are almost never tripled, so if even one patient sleeps during the night, the night's pretty easy going. Of course, it's the CVICU so someone can go into v-fib at a moment's notice then it's all hands on deck. I'm doing classes for my BSN online and between 1-5am I can usually do a good chunk of homework between ventilator, bipap, and cardiac monitor alarms :p

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I'm a new grad (May 2015) and started my first RN job in July. During orientation, I was exclusively on day shift. I was so worried about switching over to night shift. I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I really like the night shift.

I was worried I'd be bored because the patients would be asleep. Nope! I bust my butt from start of shift to end. I feel I'm actually busier on night shift than I was on days. It's a rare night that all of my patients sleep at the same time. And even then, I invariably get a new admission from the ER. The only draw back to night shift is that we get short-staffed a lot (especially on weekends) and we have higher patient ratios.

If I need to have an appointment, I can just schedule it in the morning, so I don't have to take time off. I really like it. My kids are older and all of them can drive now, so I don't have to worry about schlepping them to sporting or school events. :)

Night shift rocks :D

Do you work 5 nites straight or have some days off in between? I worked 5 nites straight and had weekends off. I couldn't handle it after 4 months since it's hard for me to sleep during the day lol. Then again I'm doing home health right now so it's a big difference. It's boring and it's just you while the pt and everyone else in the household is asleep and dark.

I know it would be more exciting to work nite shift at an actual facility but still think it would be hard for me to sleep during the day. I'm glad this is working for you since night shift does have it's perks =)

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.
Do you work 5 nites straight or have some days off in between? I worked 5 nites straight and had weekends off. I couldn't handle it after 4 months since it's hard for me to sleep during the day lol. Then again I'm doing home health right now so it's a big difference. It's boring and it's just you while the pt and everyone else in the household is asleep and dark.

I know it would be more exciting to work nite shift at an actual facility but still think it would be hard for me to sleep during the day. I'm glad this is working for you since night shift does have it's perks =)

I work three 12.5 hour shifts per week and have 4 days off. While the shifts are 12.5 hours on the schedule, it's rare that I actually get to leave right on time, so by the time all the incidental OT adds up, I still get 40 hours each week. It's a rare night that all my patients are asleep. I've yet to have an uneventful night. But, I'm in a hospital, so there's always something to do.

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