Just hired as a New Grad on Med/Surg Unit for Night Shift...Any benefits to nights?

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I graduated from nursing school in May 2010 and was just hired onto a Medical-Surgical unit at our local hospital as a night nurse (7p-7a). I have never worked nights!! :eek: All of my clinicals and internships through school were during the day! Are there any benefits to working night? I of course am terrified being a new grad :uhoh3:

So fill me in fellow night shift workers ;)

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I trained on days & now work nights. Nights are WAY better. During the day I could never finish a single thought without being constantly interupted by Dr's, PT, OT, Case Managers, Secretary (although I miss her on nights), patient visitors & family, going off for tests & transporters etc etc etc and it was like I could never finish anything I started. At nights there is far less chaos and the phone in your pocket is not constantly ringing. I find I can finish a thought, get more things done in my own order. You also have time to look things up & read over parts of the chart tht on days was a huge hassle to track down the chart and try to find something without someone taking it from me.

I have also found the night staff to be much friendlier, more cohesive and more of a team.Way more laid back. They are all supportive & helpful and we have a lot of fun together. Days everyone was just so stressed and pulled in so many directions it was a much more cliquey enviroment.

I hate that I miss my family and I feel tired all the time, but the night shift is so much better than days was for me!

Oh and night diff!!! You get paid more! Congrats on the job!!!!!! What state aer you in?

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I trained on days & now work nights. Nights are WAY better. During the day I could never finish a single thought without being constantly interupted by Dr's, PT, OT, Case Managers, Secretary (although I miss her on nights), patient visitors & family, going off for tests & transporters etc etc etc and it was like I could never finish anything I started. At nights there is far less chaos and the phone in your pocket is not constantly ringing. I find I can finish a thought, get more things done in my own order. You also have time to look things up & read over parts of the chart tht on days was a huge hassle to track down the chart and try to find something without someone taking it from me.

I have also found the night staff to be much friendlier, more cohesive and more of a team.Way more laid back. They are all supportive & helpful and we have a lot of fun together. Days everyone was just so stressed and pulled in so many directions it was a much more cliquey enviroment.

I hate that I miss my family and I feel tired all the time, but the night shift is so much better than days was for me!

Oh and night diff!!! You get paid more! Congrats on the job!!!!!! What state aer you in?

Yes I have noticed the extra dollars will be quite nice ;) I am glad it is more laid back. Your post has actually made me look forward to starting out as a night nurse. I hated when I did days in school because things were so crazy, hectic, I could barely think straight and absorb what I was trying to learn.

Seems like I will have more time to actually learn stuff at night!

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And I am in NC :)

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Specializes in Hospice.

Night shift is a great place to learn. i also graduated in may and have been working about 5 1/2 months. The pace is much slower, and I love the people I work with. I also agree without having to deal with the other displines. I get really irritated in the day when i have to stay late to finish up, drs, chaplains , social workers come in and steal my computer.....it really irritates me.

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Specializes in Adolescent & Adult Psychiatry.

I see the night shift as a fabulous incubation period for new grad RNs (I know that sounds awakward and disturbing, but work with me!). It gives us the time to process each task that we do and this is not to say that night shift is easy and requires little work; it requires just as much as day shift but the only difference is that you wont be bombarded by the other tiddlywinks that go on during the day. Once you get accustomed to the routine and what is expected of you, you can stop your incubation period, burst out onto day shift and hit the ground running towards the MDs, RTs, OTs, and any other acronym that's charging at you at 150mph! However, if you fall in love with night shift, which many people do, then you can plant your roots right where you are. No need to stress yourself out and hopefully, you'll find a way to pace yourself.

Good Luck and I wish you all the best! ^_^

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Night shift is a great place to learn. i also graduated in may and have been working about 5 1/2 months. The pace is much slower, and I love the people I work with. I also agree without having to deal with the other displines. I get really irritated in the day when i have to stay late to finish up, drs, chaplains , social workers come in and steal my computer.....it really irritates me.

haha oh that sounds like it would irritate me too!!

I see the night shift as a fabulous incubation period for new grad RNs (I know that sounds awakward and disturbing, but work with me!). It gives us the time to process each task that we do and this is not to say that night shift is easy and requires little work; it requires just as much as day shift but the only difference is that you wont be bombarded by the other tiddlywinks that go on during the day. Once you get accustomed to the routine and what is expected of you, you can stop your incubation period, burst out onto day shift and hit the ground running towards the MDs, RTs, OTs, and any other acronym that's charging at you at 150mph! However, if you fall in love with night shift, which many people do, then you can plant your roots right where you are. No need to stress yourself out and hopefully, you'll find a way to pace yourself.

Good Luck and I wish you all the best! ^_^

haha I understand :) I am excited to begin getting my hands dirty in the profession I worked so hard to achieve. Maybe I will fall in love with working nights...who knows :D I guess I need to keep an open mind and remember to always try my best!

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Specializes in ER.

I graduated in May, and have been working nights for about 4 months now. I LOVE it. I picked it, because I'm a night owl naturally and I always hated waking up at 5 in the morning for clinicals.

And yes, alot of dayshift and others think we don't do anything during the night, but it can be just as busy and chaotic. I work in a country hospital, so things are really different probably in comparison... but resources are a bit more limited at night (I'm lucky to get 1 CNA on my 28 bed floor, secretary leaves at 11, pharmacy closes at 7pm). But because there's less people, you do have time to plan your night (well, kind of, haha). I love my coworkers and I can't imagine working during the days with it being so busy!

Only downsides: weird sleeping schedule (I do usually change back to a normal-ish sleep schedule during my off days since I work my 3 in a row), and grumpy doctors when you call them in the middle of the night.

Plus side: less chaos, better pay

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I graduated in May, and have been working nights for about 4 months now. I LOVE it. I picked it, because I'm a night owl naturally and I always hated waking up at 5 in the morning for clinicals.

And yes, alot of dayshift and others think we don't do anything during the night, but it can be just as busy and chaotic. I work in a country hospital, so things are really different probably in comparison... but resources are a bit more limited at night (I'm lucky to get 1 CNA on my 28 bed floor, secretary leaves at 11, pharmacy closes at 7pm). But because there's less people, you do have time to plan your night (well, kind of, haha). I love my coworkers and I can't imagine working during the days with it being so busy!

Only downsides: weird sleeping schedule (I do usually change back to a normal-ish sleep schedule during my off days since I work my 3 in a row), and grumpy doctors when you call them in the middle of the night.

Plus side: less chaos, better pay

wow sounds good to me :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg and ANCC RN-BC.

Let me give you some advice, being a new grad myself working nights and on a busy med/surg floor. I think it's great. I haven't really fallen into a sleeping routine, but it will come with time. I feel that it can be slower paced than the day shift. Most of the time your pt's are sleeping and you don't have to worry about them really. Also, I felt that I can really take my time and learn new things. Also get my charting done early. Plus you get shift differentials when you work nights. That always is good to make a bigger pay check!

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Let me give you some advice, being a new grad myself working nights and on a busy med/surg floor. I think it's great. I haven't really fallen into a sleeping routine, but it will come with time. I feel that it can be slower paced than the day shift. Most of the time your pt's are sleeping and you don't have to worry about them really. Also, I felt that I can really take my time and learn new things. Also get my charting done early. Plus you get shift differentials when you work nights. That always is good to make a bigger pay check!

wow Thank you for this...it is helping put my mind at ease. I know things will come with repetition. :) And I will become comfortable with the slower pace faster.

Will let you know how it goes ;)

and yes the pay difference is quite nice!

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Specializes in PCU.

I had never worked nights before my nursing job. I did work days as a CNA/nurse assistant (both long-term care and hospital) and during clinicals. Some things I like: less drama, more teamwork.

We are busy, it's just a different kind of busy. Time passes more quickly for me. I listened to my preceptor (a night nurse with literally decades of experience on the unit) and tried her tips to adjust my sleep schedule -- still getting used to it, but on the whole I really appreciate nights. And of course I'm grateful to be employed and for the shift diff.

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