Night Nursing: Precepting & Perception

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Before I write this post, I want to say I am not a traditional student. I am 43 years old and switching careers. I just started as a Nurse Student Tech, and I had a rough time at first, but getting into a "smooth groove" (for lack of a better phrase) to organize my time and work.

Forgive me for my ignorance in advance, but I just got news for my placement in precepting. It is at a hospital I really enjoyed being at for 2 of my clinical rotations. The staff is really willing to teach you and allows you to spread your wings to learn.

The problem, however, is they only had night shift open. I saw a post about this on here from 2002, and I was shocked that during a poll 70% of the people believed night nurses work hard.

I understand we take what we can get when precepting. But here is my view - and please, remember I am just starting a new career and am not familiar with night shift nursing. However, I do not have a good perception of night nursing, and vowed that I would do something like work at a doctor's office before working night shift, and it is because I see night nurses never do assessments, never pass medications, never do discharges and never are involved in patient education. I had a patient complain to me once how rude night shift nurses were on my floor.

When I heard I am precepting on night shift this semester, I got frustrated, because the only experience I have with night nursing is what I mention above. My perception is they really do not do much. I am not disrespecting night nurses, I just don't know what it is they do because of this limited exposure I have with night shift. There have been several times I come on shift and people that I have gotten squeaky clean, at 7 am in the morning, smell so bad that the devil himself would run away.

The only positive experience I have had with night shift nurses was when I was pulled to Emergency. I usually show up 30 minutes before work, and when I went to Emergency, they were on top of everything.

Again, I don't mean to disrespect night shift nurses. I know that there are thousands more out there than my little corner of the world. My frustration, however, is twofold: I don't want to be labeled as a nurse that does not do anything just because I might be on night shift, and I want experience at my precepting site...not just watch or "check in" on sleeping patients once every hour. Precepting is supposed to give us experience as a nurse, and I fear I will not get that - because, as I have observed in my little corner, night nurses do not do assessments or pass medications or even clean up patients. How are we to get experience if we are on a shift where there is really nothing to do?

I know this is a large post and sorry about that. I am someone who tries to be proactive, so...after all that I have said, here is my question: How can I make the most of this placement to do well? I was hoping for day shift because I see how active the nurses are with assessments, passing medications, new admits, discharge and patient education. I really want this to be a positive experience, but how can that be when there is a perception that there is really nothing to do?

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I am curious, what kind of floor are you on for your rotation? I work several places at my hospital but the night shift nurses work just as hard as we do on dayshift. I did some nights randomly and I did everything on those shifts that I do during the day, with the exception of discharges (unless I was in the ER, of course) but the shifts were not easier by any means.

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Specializes in Education.

The night shift nurses where I currently work do all of the below:

Head to toe assessments

Med passes

Assist patients with ADLs

Assess any acute changes in their patients and make the choice as to call a rapid response, use standing orders, or wake up the physician (or resident, if there is one for the patient)

Initiate and run codes either at a BCLS level or ACLS level until the code team physician gets there

Do admissions

Do some discharges with all the associated teachings

Review and adapt care plans and teachings for patients

Clean. Everything.

So...basically, yes, there is a lot more downtime than during the day, but there is also less staff than during the day. Night shift nurses, at least at my facility, have to be incredibly on top of their game - there are some that cannot hack it because they also have to be a lot more self-starting and self-directing.

And yes, I'm a night shift nurse. I'm one of those who will only move to days if my health requires it - I'm too independent and used to making do on my own to know what to do with myself during day shift.

Sorry that you were given a placement at night. That can be very, very tough for students to get used to. But good luck!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I worked nights for several years, and I can assure you, we do full assessments every shift, focused assessments more than once per shift, admissions, gave meds, hung IV meds, started IVs, and patient education. As the previous poster stated, the ONLY thing we did not do on night shift that day shift did was discharges (and yes, even once in a great while, we did those).

Again, I don't mean to disrespect night shift nurses.

Too late.

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

I don't know where you got that impression! It's completely incorrect! Night nurses so assessments, they pass meds. Dressings need changed in the night sometimes. Patients need auctioned all hours if the day. I could go on & on. Admissions happen over night, requiring a complete detailed assessment. Every interaction you have is an opportunity to do some education. A bonus of night nursing is you're able to get your work done without therapies or doctors constantly interrupting things. Give it a try. You'll be surprised how much you do learn.

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

You have "hit a foul ball", related to what you think night shift does...patient's physiology does not just go in limbo because the sun went down.....night shift does what day shift does, with less support....

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Specializes in Trauma, Orthopedics.

I think it's hysterical that you "admit" that you don't know what we do....but then go ahead and assume we don't do anything. Actually, we do everything without being spoon-fed from 800 staff members on the floor, thank you very much. It's easy to tell who the consistent night shifters are in an emergency situation where I am, because the night shifters are intervening immediately without waiting for 50 doctors to show up.

You literally have no clue.

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I have worked day shift only during 24 yrs of nursing. But your comments are hurtful and so wrong regarding night shift nurses. Doing 12 hr shifts, they come in at 7, and have plenty to do! And they do it! I have seen nights that got more admissions and transfers than day shift, without the support staff available on days. There are lazy or incompetent nurses on both shifts. Sorry, but your remarks have insulted a large group of hardworking nurses.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I remember in a unit meeting when our less than loved manager made the comment that "Patients are asleep at night" I guess as a way to justify our crappy staffing.

Even the nurses who've never worked a night in their careers about fell out of their chairs - those of us on the floor know each shift had obstacles and worked hard regardless of shift.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each shift. Although I was crazy busy on nights, I felt like we had good teamwork with each other and several other staff members like RT. We had considerably far fewer resources than days but we learned to make it work. (Wound and ostomy nurses didn't work nights in my hospital so I got some good experiences from dealing with those issues on my own (and help from colleagues also working nights).

Day shift has mgmt to deal with and coordinating pts going off floor for tests, procedures, and treatments. They do (a lot) more discharges and have more traffic in general to deal with.

Yeah, OP, I gotta agree you stepped in it for sure.

Good luck getting that "stuff" off your shoe!

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Specializes in Urology, HH, med/Surg.

People that slack on doing assessments- or anything else- on whatever shift they're on.

So, 'how do you make the most of your assignment'? You do your job to the best of your ability. And you do it even if there are people around you that cut corners.

Your post is a bit offensive to those that work nights since you admit you've not only not worked a single night shift, you've never been there to observe at night.

I sincerely hope you check that attitude before you show up for your first shift & alienate your new co-workers right off the bat. As someone mentioned- there isn't as much staff at night and you'll need the help of those that are there.

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Specializes in RN-BC, CURN.

I am a night nurse and I am super offended! Look,if we do not do anything at night, respectfully decline and wait for a day shift preceptor to pop open. Good luck to you in your future nursing career.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I saw a post about this on here from 2002, and I was shocked that during a poll 70% of the people believed night nurses work hard.

Seriously? :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

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