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Discussion

I just can't decide....

I am a new grad. Just passed my NCLEX in Oct. I am in my fourth week of orientation. My position is actually on nights. I had to orient for 4 weeks on days first though, then I orient another 3 weeks on nights. Here's my dilemma. My manager keeps trying to get me to stay on days. There are a lot of problems going on on night shift right now on my floor. Most of the staff are having some sort of personal problems that they seem to bring to work with them and there is a lot of negativity. The day nurses have been very supportive of me even when I ask the stupidest questions and believe me I have asked some stupid ones that even I look at myself and say ummm HELLO...LOL....anyways...I am supposed to start nights next week. I am scared now and can not decide what to do. I hate getting up at 0530...and I loose between $2-5.00 an hour depending on the day in shift differentials. I am scared though that perhaps I will not get the support I need on nights. I do not feel I am ready to be thrown on my own and I am afraid this is what might happen. I have a hard enough time handling the 6 pts I am up to on days. There have been a couple nights where I did not get out until 2030. I'm sorry this is such a long post and if I seem like I am whining. I am just looking for some feedback from some more experienced nurses or even some new grads who may have been in a similiar position.

TIA

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At our (small community) hospital, day shift and night shift differ greatly! Tasking is prevalant on days, and triaging/critical thinking/or just hourly rounds overtakes the routine). I learned alot more about "nursing" on nocs as a new RN, and alot more about hospital politics on days.

At our (small community) hospital, day shift and night shift differ greatly! Tasking is prevalant on days, and triaging/critical thinking/or just hourly rounds overtakes the routine). I learned alot more about "nursing" on nocs as a new RN, and alot more about hospital politics on days.

I totally agree with everything in the above post. As a new grad I worked nights on a telemetry floor, and there was more time to learn the rationale for a lot of things, and even read the charts. During the day, sometimes its just too busy to learn and its more time management, manager management, and just getting done what you need to get done. You just have to do what you think is right for you.:)

I agree with what the others have said already. If you go to nights you don't have to let yourself get involved with the other nurses problems, just focus on learning all you can about your pts/their diagnosis and learning the policy n procedures of your facility and keep to yourself. If it doesn't work out, you can always go back to days. I've always preferred nights myself. I HATE getting up with the birds..LOL Of course, this is a decision only you can make tho. I'd mention your concerns to the NM and be sure she sets you up with a good preceptor on nights if you go there. And mention too that you don't want to give up the extra 2-5 an hr. Good luck whatever you decide.

  • Author

Thanks for all your responses. The reasons yall gave are the main reasons I wanted nights to begin with especially the getting up with the birds...I hate it...anyways...I have talked with my NM about all these things. She extended my orientation on days 3 more weeks and actually she had been trying to get me to stay on days as it was. Now she is really pushing. Now she has my preceptor and the other day nurses trying to recruit me. Kinda funny actually. I am so torn.

(sorry it took so long to get back to everyone too but I have the hardest time trying to find posts again....)

  • Experts

i think you better stay on the day shift and trust your manager. i've been a manager and i think she is trying to help you. my sense is that your manager is trying to give you the best opportunity she can to help to grow into your new role as an rn.

when i was a manager i was especially protective of new grads. you all are in a separate class and need special nurturing. i can't tell you how nice it is to read that you have a manager who is looking out for you.

forget about the differential you are losing. with the taxes on it, it's only a difference of about $100 a paycheck, or thereabout, right? so, don't go to the movies and eat spaghetti for a few more weeks. once you are trained up and have experience you'll be eligible to pick up all the overtime and extra shifts you want. once management and supervision know you'll work extra time or other shifts for the extra dough you'll get calls all the time--believe me! then, you won't be looking for differentials, you'll be looking for the overtime!

working days isn't all that bad. i've always been a night owl and over the years have worked a lot of night shift jobs. but, i've also worked days as well. you just have to adjust your time. we are nurses. we're used to change. you can do this. let this manager train you, since she's obviously ready to do that. i wouldn't pass up the opportunity. you will learn more on the day shift than on nights. there will be plenty of time to work on a night shift later.

life doesn't always work out the way we plan for it to.

i book marked my public profile page. all i do is click on the book mark. once on my public profile page, i can get a list of all the replies i recently made, which are links back to previous threads i started or answered. try it. another way you can find your posts that have had responses is to click on the "user cp" at the top left menu bar. that will bring up threads that you are subscribed to. however, that only works if you haven't gone onto the thread and read the posts. once you do that the link to a thread is removed from the user cp until someone else posts a reply to it.

  • Author

Thank you daytonite. I have decided to talk to my nurse manager on Monday and if the offer still stands I have decided to stay on days. I was upset at first when she changed my orientation from nights to days originally, but now I see that she was doing what was best for me and I am thankful to her for that. She does not have a position on days but is willing to make one for me. That means a lot to me and speaks volumes to me as to what kind of manager she really is. I have worked at the hospital for over a year but just started working for her on her floor in August.

(as a side note Daytonite::::I always love to read the advice you give to everyone and want you to know that I have a lot of respect for you and the way you support everyone and help everyone out. Just in case people forget to thank you I wanted to make sure you knew you are truely appreciated by at least one person)

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