Never Thought I'd Say This - Switching to DAYS!

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.

Whacky.

We work all 12s 7-7s. I've been doing nights since I started in June, and I like nights quite a bit. It really jives more with my personality. In the meantime, however, my family time has suffered a lot. My kiddo (2 yo) is really missing me, and my marriage (already really strained) is suffering as well, since my hubby and I work opposite schedules.

I get this call from my boss today ... asking if I could have a little flexibility and get the weekend off in exchange for picking-up Mon and Tues days. Eh, big deal. So I take it. Then she tells me we have a position open on days so if I were interested... I tell her I'll think on it and get back to her. Well, I thought about it ... ran it by my sister (who is like, my second filter of the world after my own eyeballs :lol2:), and decided I should jump on it.

SO I DID!

I should be starting days in six weeks or so. My manager took the opportunity to enlist me in some "flexibility" in the upcoming weeks :rolleyes:, but I figure I can handle 6 weeks of flexible scheduling (and ONLY 6 weeks of it) as it will help me get oriented to the shift.

Weird. So, I'm coming back to you diurnal type people soon. I think this will be really good for my family, though. The kid really misses me and my DH and I really need to work on our marriage. A lot. :lol2:

Wish me luck - I'm a little nervous!!!

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Good luck to you, hope it all works out for you. I understand your rationale, I worked nocs the entire time my kids were small, it was rough. Now, after all these years, I don't know if I could survive days!!!! I would have jumped at the chance back then.

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Best of luck! Your family should come first. Also, I think the benefit is that you will actually get 4 days off during the week. I like nights, but I have found that the first day off is pretty much a wash. I'm so tired that I'm not able to stay up throughout the day and then go to sleep at night like everyone else. You'll actually have 4 full days off.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.
Best of luck! Your family should come first. Also, I think the benefit is that you will actually get 4 days off during the week. I like nights, but I have found that the first day off is pretty much a wash. I'm so tired that I'm not able to stay up throughout the day and then go to sleep at night like everyone else. You'll actually have 4 full days off.

OOH! I hadn't thought of that aspect ... just that I will really enjoy that when I get off I can do stuff. Go out for a drink with the gals ... do a little laundry ... hang-out with the fam. But yeah - it really bothers me to "only" have 2 days off in between noc runs, because of the reason you mentioned. YAY!

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

I am now working days/pms after 8 months on nights. I am really enjoying getting back to a regular schedule. My husband and I are able to have breakfast together on the weekends and I'm not as tired all the time.

That being said, I was not prepared for the relentless pace of days. It's so busy that I'm running all the time and I feel lucky if I have a chance to go to the bathroom, eat, etc. I am finding that I have to step it up a few notches and really prioritize my time, which is difficult for someone like me who is so detail-oriented to begin with and wants to do everything (and do it perfectly). There have been a few times so far that I've not caught a mistake, missed a detail, etc. Nothing big, but I find that I'm really being hard on myself and sometimes have a hard time sleeping after work. I am hoping that I will adjust to the pace and continue to improve in my nursing practice- after all I am still considered a new grad!

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.
I am now working days/pms after 8 months on nights. I am really enjoying getting back to a regular schedule. My husband and I are able to have breakfast together on the weekends and I'm not as tired all the time.

That being said, I was not prepared for the relentless pace of days. It's so busy that I'm running all the time and I feel lucky if I have a chance to go to the bathroom, eat, etc. I am finding that I have to step it up a few notches and really prioritize my time, which is difficult for someone like me who is so detail-oriented to begin with and wants to do everything (and do it perfectly). There have been a few times so far that I've not caught a mistake, missed a detail, etc. Nothing big, but I find that I'm really being hard on myself and sometimes have a hard time sleeping after work. I am hoping that I will adjust to the pace and continue to improve in my nursing practice- after all I am still considered a new grad!

I am pretty concerned about the pace - though I did pretty well when I oriented on days during my preceptorship. I am concerned that there are some things I'll miss, just because I'm not used to days and the routine is different. At the same time, I plan on talking to some day nurses and my unit manager before I really get started on days, so that at least I have some idea of what I need to look out for in terms of my change in routine.

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Critical Care/ ED.

I, too, am going to days THIS WEEK after YEARS of nights. I'm also switching to a new unit as well, so I've got lots of changes coming up. PLUS I've been doing ED for a year and this is a stepdown unit. I wonder about the pace as well and how I'm going to handle it. But days will work for my life a lot better than nights right now. That's one thing I love about nursing, the flexibility!

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A few months ago I switched to days from nights. I'm really more of a night shift gal. I'm definitely NOT a morning person! And I like the autonomy and comraderie of nights, not to mention the lack of big wigs on the floors! And during the day I feel more like a dispatcher than a nurse a lot of the time. But I like having a life better than all that. And even though my husband works nights, it was totally off from my night schedule, so I actually see him more NOW that I work days.

I do still fill in for the occasional night shift. And I have to repeatedly tell myself that I like working days when I do it! But it's really worked out better for me on days.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I never thought I switch to days either and I worked nights for 13 years. I was more than a little nervous about. A coworker even told me "we didn't think you'd make it on days".

Never say I never. I said I'd never work days, never get off 12-hour shifts, and never be a charge nurse again.

I'm the day shift charge nurse working 5 8-hour shifts a week, and loving it. :)

Good luck!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I switched to days a little over a month ago, and I'm really liking it. The pace is faster, but it makes the day go by quick. I also like the fact that I am getting much more sleep and am on a normal schedule again. Good luck with the switch.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Never thought I would go to days either, compromised, working 1200 to 2400

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Welcome to "normal life" ....after nearly 10 years on night shift, I am so dang glad to be on days!!!!! No looking back here.

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