Lack of Experinced Nurses on Night Shift

[megatronRN]

Hi All!

I'm curious if anyone else has insight into this issue... I began working in a level III NICU five months ago. I'm enjoying my role and learning a great deal. Most of the experienced nurses are very helpful and great teachers, however, the unit is experiencing a great deal of turnover at this time due to retirements and FTE changes. Seniority and seniority ONLY determines which nurses get to move to day shift. More new nurses are being hired (all for night shift positions) and I worry this will only exacerbate the issue.

I'm concerned about working in such a high acuity setting with no one that has 5+ years of experience on our shift (this has happened with staffing in the past). Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation? Our unit manager has been made aware of the issue, but thus far has made no changes.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Unfortunately, it's always been that way and unlikely to change, especially in traditionally low-turnover units like L/D and NICU. Usually, seniority determines who has first "dibs" at their choice of shift. And most senior nurses who have a lot of time in, want day shift, so they move there when it opens up. And at least, in L/D way too many nurses had in excess of 15 or more year's seniority and were firmly ensconced on day shift. The way I got to days was to go from 0.9 to 0.6 FTE and take PRN shifts. It took me several years to even get to that point.

As you said, The vast majority of experience in years was definitely on day shift and it was tough for us on NOC cause we had a lot of newer nurses who were very inexperienced there. I was in charge many nights, after less than a year there; that was scary to me. Having so many inexperienced nurses meant I had to have eyes in the back of my head and do a lot of teaching most shifts.

I am unsure the solution, as at least, where I worked, there was a decent night shift differential but 90% or so would move to days at the first chance. We had a couple of senior nurses (excess of 20 years' experience) who liked NOC and stayed there. But the rest (including me) could not wait until a day position opened up.

I just was not myself on NOC, hardly could sleep and it made me sick after working it for so many years. I got tired of trying to keep up with my family and be there for my kids, and getting the short end of the stick, sleep-wise.

I digress....

You are not likely to see this change unless a REALLY significant differential is paid, AND management/administration RESPECTS NOC nurses' need to sleep and does NOT mandate meetings and training at times when they are supposed to be sleeping. ON the other hand, if a lot of people are leaving, that leaves an opening for you to move to days if you choose, sooner than I ever did.

I wish you luck.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

This was a problem for me not too long ago - and yes, it is very frustrating. There comes a time, for patient safety, where management has to say 1) we can't move anyone else from nights and 2) we can only hire experience on nights. Whether they do that or not, is a different story completely.

Shoulda woulda coulda.

[SmilingBluEyes]

This was a problem for me not too long ago - and yes, it is very frustrating. There comes a time, for patient safety, where management has to say 1) we can't move anyone else from nights and 2) we can only hire experience on nights. Whether they do that or not, is a different story completely.

Shoulda woulda coulda.

That will never fly in a union shop where seniority is EVERYTHING. And even in a non-union place, you mandate senior nurses have to stay on nights, when new people just slide into day positions, you are going to be in the exact same predicament. They will leave those units and go where they can get what they want after having seniority.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

That will never fly in a union shop where seniority is EVERYTHING. And even in a non-union place, you mandate senior nurses have to stay on nights, when new people just slide into day positions, you are going to be in the exact same predicament. They will leave those units and go where they can get what they want after having seniority.

I'm not in a Union state. No idea how things work there. Even if you use the seniority card and let nightshift fill those dayshift positions, why wouldn't there be a "well let's hire some experience to fill those slots?" And not mandate that they stay on nights FOREVER, just until new EXPERIENCED hires are trained to fill their spots.

We do, however, routinely hire new grads into dayshift positions.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

That would never fly where I work either, they would go to HR and file a complaint. Even though we aren't Union everything goes by seniority.

I've been rotated to nights and been the senior person. I see a lot of girls who don't know something but make NO effort to look up policy and procedure. You might not have the whole instinct thing yet, but if you are unsure of something look it up. If NO ONE knows call the manager or assistant manager. Our management team is very open to that, including our CNS. We are lucky in that aspect. They know they can text or call some of us too. You have to give them resources to use.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I am just saying, I have worked in both union and non-union states, and seniority was everything wherever I went. Most nurses who work NOC want on days, in my experience. And they will snatch up that dayshift position as soon as it becomes available. It's a rare experienced nurse who wants to or agrees to be hired for NOC unless it involved a move and they are waiting for a dayshift position to open up. That was what happened to me. I was on dayshift in one state and when we moved for military reasons, to another, my seniority was zip and on NOC I went. And on NOC I stayed for a long time til days opened up.

If you want to recruit experienced nurses or keep those you have on NOC, you are gonna have to treat them better and pay them more.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

I find that interesting! We have lots of career noc nurses (myself included) that have no desire to move to days, and we hire those same NOC blooded nurses. LOL!!! We lose a few to dayshift, but our turnover issues seem to be to other units than other shifts. I will pick up the occasional dayshift here and there, but I don't think I would want to move there permanently.

It is scary when you are the only "experienced" nurse (and I'm on 4 years deep!) on a shift. Kids crump at night. :/

ETA: We do have a pretty good shift differential. That helps, perhaps.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

My hospital has very good night shift differentials, and most meetings and education that is available on days- and all mandatory meetings and education- is also available at night. We have no issues with retaining experienced staff at night. A lot of people are just used to that schedule and don't want to deal with management and the chaos of dayshift.