L&D night shifts?

FLOBRN · Oct 30, 2009

Not sure about "harder to fill". Our night shift is very tight. we have not had a vacancy in ages. AND we are not just older nurses either as is commonly believed. We are a team and you never have to ask for help, it just shows up. I love where I work.

ShiphrahPuah · Oct 30, 2009

I work L&D/Postpartum (LDRP) on day shift, and it seems we NEVER have openings at night. I'd consider switching from days to nights if I had the chance, but when we get the rare opening, it's for days. There are pros and cons to each shift, but some pros for night shift are 1) shift differential = higher pay 2) less visitors, less doctors, less administration around at night 3) you are not going to be assisting with circumcisions (which isn't a big deal, but it can add a lot of busyness to a day when you have a full load of postpartum couplets) at night. Of course you can have deliveries around the clock, so it can get busy at any time. However, you won't have scheduled C-sections at night. A lot of med-surg floors will give you a higher patient-to-nurse ratio on night shift, but in my hospital in OB, you can only take 2 active labor patients max, day or night, so you do NOT get that higher patient ratio at night. Actually, during the day, we can have two labor patients and also have to take triage patients, non-stress tests, etc. in addition to the labor patients, and some days that gets VERY busy (since a majority of our patient population is public aid, we somehow have the clinics sending a LOT of patients our way because they are overloaded, so some times it seems we are an L&D unit AND a clinic -- not the case in many hospitals).

It depends on what is most important to you -- do you REALLY want to be in L&D no matter what or is working days a higher priority for you? There is no right or wrong answer, only you can decide which are the most important pieces to you when looking for a job.

Good luck! I hope you find a job that suits you well.

SoundofMusic · Oct 30, 2009

Thanks so much for the info, Shiprah. I just wondered if I actually were to sign on for L&D on a nightshift, if I'd learn as much, or be precepted right, etc.

I guess it might not matter.

Not sure if I truly want to give up my day shift job yet. We'll see.

Thanks.

Barkow · Oct 30, 2009

Many L&D units will orient new people on day shift before moving them to nights so that you would be exposed to more guaranteed inductions, c-sections, etc.

adpiRN · Oct 30, 2009

Yeah, that's how my orientation is. I was oriented on day shift for 2 months and move to nights on Sunday (eek!) where I'll have preceptors and support people helping me out.

I've heard the night shift vibe on my unit is great. More mellow, relaxed, nurses really help each other out, no scheduled sections or OBs in your face to up the pit.

But I'll have to see for myself. I just hope I can get used to the sleep schedule!

That's interesting though that some units have more openings on day shift than night shift. On my unit the newbies seem to automatically go to nights after orientation and stay there until someone on day shift leaves and a spot opens up. I hear it takes 6 months to a year. But some nurses like nights better and choose to stick with nights for their whole careers.

HappyNurse2005, RN · Nov 1, 2009

we do not have scheduled sections at night, but that doesn't mean that the scheduled section wont come in laboring and get cut then.

we have not many scheduled inductions coming in-sometimes a cervidil starting at 1800 to be given Pit in morning (last one of those was 8cm before her 12 hours of cervidil was up). though, ppl come into triage, and the doc may decide tehy need to be induced. or sick patients on antepartum need to be induced. or the morning inductions are still pregnant at 7pm.

people go into labor day and night. its not much different on nights, but there are less administrative people-like my manager!, social workers, dietician, etc. Still plenty of doctors around. Less nurses scheduled. and patients dont sleep at night on labor and delivery!!! (Well, we hope the antepartum pt's do, but not always!!)

i left a dayshift job for nights on labor and delivery. i never regretted it.