do new RNs always get the night shift??

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2004

If your lucky you get to start off on nights, you learn more there.

Sadie04 · Jul 20, 2004

I think it depends on the unit and how many nurses there are working straight nights. On my unit everyone rotates day/night or day/eve with the exception being those working straight nights or straight eves. No one works straight days except the HN and AHN, even staff nurses that have been there for 30 years. It's not that bad, just something you accept as part of being a nurse. You do what you have to do.

TexasPoodleMix · Jul 20, 2004

I would like to work a few nites a week , mostly bc I am a night person and DH would be home at nite with our neurotic poodle ! :) To the OP, I am sure you will find something that fits your schedule if you really want days.

Ortho_RN · Jul 20, 2004

Nah, not everywhere makes you do nights... But that is where most of the openings tend to be, and I know alot of new grads go the night shift route, due to more money.. I did, and it didn't take me long to realize that i hated it.. :)

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jul 20, 2004

I would say most new grads do go to nights but not all. It really depends on the floor you hire on to. Where I work right now I have seen a few (I would say

I happen to be a night person, always have been but I've seen it really wear on people. Some just can't do it. Don't close your mind to it though, you may be surprised. And those night shift differentials are not a bad thing! But don't hire on without having things clear with your manager about your goals (I want the option of going to days within a year). And don't do rotating shifts. I admit I've never done it but I've never heard of anyone doing well with those.

reyna · Jul 20, 2004

not in our hosp...they usually start the new grad in the day shift...where our supervisors said "all things happen"...family, docs, labs, chaos...i started nocs because i'm a night person (even with a 2 year old boy), but i did about a week of AM orientation. hope you find a shift that will suit you perfectly. good luck!

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 20, 2004

It varies from hospital to hospital and from unit to unit. However, like a lot of things in life, the "reward" of getting to always work the favorite shift usually goes to those nurses with seniority on the job. It is one of the few ways that a manager can reward those nurses who have worked there a long time. As a new person, you will be on the bottom of the seniority list and will have to take your turns with the unpopular shifts just like everybody else.

I'm curious (and I mean no offense, really) ... did you not consider the possibility of having to work at least some nights ... and weekends ... and holidays ... when you chose to become a nurse? If you work on an inpatient unit, it's pretty obvious that the patients don't go home every evening. All you can ask is that your employer have a reasonable system for the staff to "take turns" with the shifts that are less popular to work.

There are jobs where the patients are there only on weekdays, but they usually pay less and the employers usually have the luxury of hiring only nurses with experience. But for most new grads, working your fair share of the unpopular shifts is simply part of the profession.

llg

mariedoreen · Jul 20, 2004

And don't do rotating shifts. I admit I've never done it but I've never heard of anyone doing well with those.

Depends on the rotation... Do you mean rotating shifts every few days? My husband rotates every three months and loves it. After three months of swing he's tired of not being home with his family in the evening and is happy to switch off, after three months of graveyard he's so exhausted he looks like he's ready to go to one, and after three months of days he's so sick of management he's talking about getting a new job. Rotating shifts is the only thing that saves him!

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 20, 2004

The hospitals I've seen that have rotating shifts rotate every two weeks. That is cruel and unusual in my opinion

CindyJRN · Jul 20, 2004

Amyrae, I think it is reflective of "newly hired nurses", not just necessarily new graduates. Have you been inquiring about orientation and/or internships? At my hospital, new grads have a mandatory 6 weeks of orientation on the day shift, then 2 weeks on the night shift. Our hospital transfers from within first, so yes, most likely a new grad goes to nights. Because we have a low turnover, some nurses wait a while to go to the day shift (we only have 12 hr shifts!) I was lucky, and only spent 6 months on the night shift. I learned so much working the night shift so I don't regret it! Yes, it was tough sleep and family wise, but we all survived. You might even find you are one of those people who love the night shift! Some of my coworkers have absolutely no desire to work the day shift. :coollook:

CindyJRN · Jul 20, 2004

The hospitals I've seen that have rotating shifts rotate every two weeks. That is cruel and unusual in my opinion

I can't imagine doing this, even if it meant doing 8 hour shifts! It is exhausting enough doing the 3 12's in a row every other Fri/Sat/Sun, and I usually spend Mondays "recovering"!!! How do you have a life? I know the local paper mill works like Mariedoreen's husband rotating out, but in a hospital I would feel disoriented.