I don't want night shifts

rn/writer, RN · Feb 7, 2012

You can hate night shift all you want, but in a tight job market, you may not have a lot of choice. Depending on the turnover on a particular unit, you might have to wait several years before a position opens up on days or PMs.

If you're just doing pre-reqs now and you are totally adamant about not working nights, you might want to rethink your career choice. It could be that you will be a fluke and will be able to totally avoid nights, but that would be more of an exception than the rule. Unless, of course, you find employment in a doctor's office or as a school nurse or working in some other area that doesn't generally have a night shift.

Then again, you can decide that, while nights is not your preferred shift, it is something you're willing to do in the short term while you build some seniority. I promise, you don't have to like it.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Feb 7, 2012

I didn't want to work night shifts either. Or Day/Night, which is what I was offered. But it was the only job offer I got, and it was where I REALLY wanted to work.

So I toughed it out for a couple months. It was hell.

A few months into it a Day/Eve position opened up and I got it. It was worth it.

leenak · Feb 7, 2012

To me, the experience is more important than the shift. If I was offered a job that I really wanted to do and it was nights vs a job that wasn't as interesting but days, I'd take the night shift.

ChrissyRN74 · Feb 7, 2012

Like the above posters said you might not have a choice in the matter. Hospitals do not close shop at 5:00 on Friday evenings like other places. While I was in nursing school we even had to do evening and weekend shifts for clinical. We were not given a choice in the matter what so ever.

oldmare · Feb 7, 2012

I agree with the above posters--you kind of have to take what you can get--but I totally understand your aversion to nights, having worked nights in another career. Even on the weekends you have two not very good choices: you try to switch sleep cycles to see your family/friends and you're a cranky waste, or you stick to your regular sleep cycle and sleep the day away.

Also, and this is just me, but I hate being the only one awake in a dark house at night when I'm not working. It's not like I live somewhere that I'd go clubbing or have the interest in hitting an afterhours bar. I find it kind of depressing to be doing laundry or watching TV at 3 am, waiting to go to sleep. However if I were single with no family, maybe I'd find some very interesting clubs to hit at 2 am.

Kmmo320 · Feb 7, 2012

I am thinking of starting the CNA course, and working as a CNA while I take my nursing Pre-reqs. I am hoping if I do this I can work 3rd shift. I have kids and daycare is an issue, so working 3rd shift would solve that problem. But it would also create another. How do I go to school in the day while working 3rd shift. My kids are a little older, so I could sleep if they were home, they are just in that in between stage where they are too young to be left at home alone, but not so young that they need to be watched at all times.

My husband says it is impossible, but i really dont know what else to do.

Phillip1988 · Feb 7, 2012

I will work night shifts. I work mostly nights at my current job. I need the job so I'll do whatever but I would prefer days.

rocketberger · Feb 7, 2012

doesn't matter as long as i love what i do, i will work whatever time they want me to :)

silverbat · Feb 7, 2012

I was a full time LPN student and worked full time. I worked 8 hours fri night 10p-6a after going to class all day, sat 6p to 6a, sunday 10p-6a, the went to school MOnday at 8 am. School tues 8-4, worked 6p-10p, school weds and thurs 8-4, then worked 6-10p. I drove 45 minutes to my job and 1 hour to school. I drove about 20 hours a week, worked 40, school 40 hours. YES, 80 hours in one week. THEN I slept and studied. Ok, well, I studied.... I would say that I was lucky to get 2-4 hours of sleep at any given time. I can't say that my driving was the safest, all I can say, is thank God for guardian angels who watch over sleeping drivers/nursing students!!!! I had a husband who did most of the housework and cooking, and a 13 and 12 yr old who helped him. It was the hardest year of my life, but well worth it!! After the first semester, I changed jobs and worked 32 hours a week, so that helped. Took a pay cut, but I didn't have to drive so far, so it kinda evened out. I still went to school/clinicals m-thurs. Thurs I would have clinicals, then work 11-p-7a. fri, sat i would work 11p-7a (no school on friday) Then on Sunday would work 11p-7a, then drive to school 8-4, be home by 530. off mon eve, tues, eve and weds evenings, so it was some better.

Would I do it again? Probably. IF that was the only way to reach my goal to be a nurse, and it was, so, yes!!

I worked nights for 15 years!! GO NIGHTS!!! been on days for 6 years.. still hate days!!! LOL

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 7, 2012

I know this may be impossible but I'm going to try to avoid night shifts. I hate working nights. I don't care if they pay me more. Am I the only one that feels this way?

You are certainly allowed to hate nights!

But as others have said, avoiding night shifts is going to limit your employment options, especially as a new grad. If you want to work in acute care, you will have a very difficult time landing something: many facilities have waiting lists that are months or even years' long for day shift...and they're not going to risk ticking off current employees by bringing in a new grad and giving them a plum day shift spot.

It could happen that you are in the right place at the right time and manage to land a day shift as a new grad...but that's the rare exception and not the norm, so don't plan on it happening.

If you're willing to work in doctor's offices, schools or clinics, you will have better luck at securing all day shifts. The downside to that is that pay there is often less and should you decide to try to get into acute care later it will be more difficult...plus a lot of outpatient places are not very new-grad friendly. But some nurses don't ever want to do acute care and that's OK too.

You need to decide what is most important to you.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2012

If you want to work in a hospital, working nights is pretty much a given. In my institution, almost EVERYONE (with the exception of a handful of select people who've been there > 10 years and those who work permanent nights by choice) is required to rotate. I prefer nights at my current job. Less BS.