Night Shift Lovers Anyone?

USA987, MSN, RN, NP · May 15, 2003

Can't help you on that one yet. I am going to be starting the 7p-730a shift in July.

Hope you get some good responses!!

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · May 15, 2003

This is a good question. I'm graduating soon and I'm also thinking about working nights. I am a total night owl and really grumpy in the morning, but many people I have talked to think it's not a good idea. One of my profs said that mostly older people work nights who have kids so they don't have to pay for day care. She said that if I want to be with other young people and actually have a life that I should work days. I'm also getting married soon and I've been told that working nights is rough on a new marriage. Any thoughts?

marilynmom, LPN, NP · May 15, 2003

Well I used to work nights all the time and I loved it. I was married and my husband worked days too and it didn't cause any problems (and we were fairly new at being married too). I dont see how working night would save money with daycare cause you still have to sleep and find someone to watch your kids ya know?

The only thing I hated about working nights is by the time I got up for the "day" it was about 5pm and banks and everything were closed and at night not a whole lot is open and if I needed to get certain things done it was a PITA. But I worked nights for years and that would be my only complaint. I still love nights and am a night owl but now that I have kids that wouldn't work out cause when would I sleep? LOL

Oh and when I transitioned from a daytime worker to a night time worker it took about a week to get used to it. Some people though, like my dad, could never adjust to working nights, but then again he is not a night owl like the rest of my family is.

I know the few times I was in the hospital having my babies the night nurses were not old at all...lol...they were same age as me (20's and 30's) some had kids and some did not. To me it seems the work might be a bit easier (depending on where you work though) and you normally get paid more and there is not so much work with docs, etc The one nurse I know who worked nights said she did it cause she got paid more and you have more independence at nights (she worked L&D) and didnt have to deal with the docs as much.

Hope that helps some. I personally would hate to work the dayshift...I would rather worked in the middle of the day or nights.

Marilyn

Rena RN 2003, RN · May 15, 2003

Originally posted by EmeraldNYL
This is a good question. I'm graduating soon and I'm also thinking about working nights. I am a total night owl and really grumpy in the morning, but many people I have talked to think it's not a good idea. One of my profs said that mostly older people work nights who have kids so they don't have to pay for day care. She said that if I want to be with other young people and actually have a life that I should work days. I'm also getting married soon and I've been told that working nights is rough on a new marriage. Any thoughts?

i had to laugh. :chuckle only older people on nights? how old is older? :chuckle

i work nights because i'm a night time person anyway. how i know this is that when bedtime comes at our house, i would just as soon stay up. everyone here is in bed 4-6 hours before i am. it was that way before i worked nights. it was that way when i worked days for that matter. i just like the night time.

if you know you aren't a good day time person then don't listen to professors that spout things like "older."

and what's up with not having a life if you work nights? BAHAHAHA!!!! does your prof think you are going to work 10 days a week? :roll

i work 2-3 twelves a week. that still leaves me 4-5 days off each week. it's what you make of that time off that counts.

zambezi, BSN, RN · May 15, 2003

It really nice that all of you get a choice...well, i guess there is always a choice but for me, but the job that I wanted was only offered as a night position (most jobs for newer rns are only nights in my area)....i have been at it about a year now and acutally it is not too bad...i don't particularly consider myself a night person but i have no trouble staying up all night...or sleeping during the day...i do have trouble sleeping at night now on my days off...but i am finding out what works for me...my husband and i were married three months ago and it has worked ok for us (but we have lived together for two years...)however, currently we do not have any days off together which really stinks...at long last next month i get a schedule change so we have every other weekend off together...there are all different ages of rns on my floor, i am the youngest at 24 and the oldest is probably late fifties, some have kids, some do not...good luck...

Gator,SN · May 15, 2003

I really can't say that I like night shift, but I do seem to do very well on Evenings...(3-11) that is what I hope to work all the time once my kids are grown.

Gator

1savvydiva · May 15, 2003

i am a student, but i work in the er. the nurses here that work nights are all young. i think it's a more relaxed atmosphere as well, like some of the others said...less 'politics'. the last few days that i have been out of school, i have been staying over and leaving around 10:30am...i would not be able to stand day shift. i was just talking to my ns about an hour ago, and she pretty much summed it up: "fewer doctors, less family, more money! :p"

H ynnoD · May 15, 2003

I'm going to school during the day and working nights from 3.30 pm to 12.00am.I find that working nights is alot less stressful everybody is more relaxed because all the big bosses have went home for the night.I'll work nights or days when I become an RN,but I have been told by some of my friends who are RN's that the night shift is much better.

cna on her way · May 15, 2003

I work nights and love it. And I do have kids who are in prek and 2nd grade, so theres no daycare bills and I sleep from like 8:00am to 1:30pm. Its not always easy but its worth it.

Liddle Noodnik · May 15, 2003

I have ALWAYS preferred nights! I am very susceptible to stress and days just wig me out! LOL! I often will stay up very late on my nites off, it is just my natural rhythm. I like to write, and often I write well into the morning. Before this dang computer I used to read like that too! (now it is the computer I am "reading" all nite).

Anyway, I like nites cuz USUALLY I can pace myself over the course of the shift, I don't have to run like mad til about 5 am. I can prepare my paperwork kind of at leisure, and usually I just have to deal with one patient at a time. If families are there it is because their loved one is dying, and I really like helping them thru that.

I also find that night people are more of the same temperament. We laugh, help each other, and are just a lot calmer than those type A day people, haha!

MandyInMS · May 15, 2003

I worked days @ local hospital for about 4 years/nights now for 8+ years..I prefer nights myself (not a morning person..grumpy..lol) although I do think it was helpful for me to have worked days as well to see things from both sides, and to know the ins and outs of the day shift staff .Guess the only way you know what's right for you is to try both...good luck :)