Night shift or day shift ?

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What would you say is the harder shift? Would it be night or day shift? I just wanted feedback on both and your opinions. I am referring to cna jobs in hospital or nursing home Thanks!

I'm a night nurse through and through. It works well if you have kids.

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I agree with most of the comments except - NO! patients do NOT sleep at night! They go insane. They elope, get sundowners, feel pain more acutely, and are often more violent at night. Night shift is a great way to learn CPR, since many codes happen at night. To Starletta - yes, there is day and night, 0700-1900 and 1900-0700 typically. So you have to be able to stay awake and alert all night, especially if you're sitting. Do not take a night shift in acute care thinking you'll be sitting on the hospital floor chatting with the other nurse aides. Hospitals have admissions, transfers, surgeries, imaging and emergencies at all hours of the night. There are nights I never sit, and nights I do end up relaxing a little.

I only work 12-hour nights now, mostly because day shift is too hard on my body and, like many have commented, the nurse managers are so annoying it's just a relief to spend the night without them. You can focus more on patient care and not HCAHPS crap.

You absolutely must find a way to take care of your body if you work nights - to get sleep, not feed your body and soul on the endless supply of junk food that is always plentiful in nurse lounges, and work out a way to still have daylight hours available. I just make sure I get plenty of sleep on the days I don't work, and then do without on the nights I do. The extra money is for the havoc that night shifts wreak on your life and health.

And as others commented, CNAs make so little money that for me, the night/weekend diff is absolutely essential. I cannot work days, the money isn't enough. All this being said, I wouldn't be able to work at the level of competence that I do if I hadn't started out on the day shift, but I would never go back.

Great insight and the things you mentioned I wouldn't have thought of since its new to me. Thanks for sharing all of that info!

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I'm a night nurse through and through. It works well if you have kids.

Thanks I don't have kids but good to know for the future.

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