Night shift and networking

[jaratarRN]

I have been reading through the various posts on day vs nights for hours, but still have one question. First, let me give some background: I was just hired, as a new grad, onto a telemetry floor in a pretty big teaching hospital working nights (7p-7a). During hospital system wide orientation today, I took a trip up to my floor to see my manager. She said she just had a day position open, and wanted to offer it to me before she posted it. Now after speaking with other experienced nurses during orientation, I was told I would learn a lot more on days. From reading on here, I also have a pretty good understanding of the differences between the two shifts, but my question now is: do any night nurses feel like career-wise they have suffered being on nights? I know there is a lot of politics in moving up the ladder, and do you feel like you missed out on networking opportunities because you are not around during the day when all the big wigs are? Any input is much appreciated; I have to give my decision on Monday! Please help!

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Yes. It's definitely a lot harder to network on nights. In the over 2.5 years I've been on my unit, all of the nurses who were "promoted" to non-bedside positions (QI, case management, clinic) came from day shift. Our unit's various committees are mostly comprised of night shift (our manager likes to harangue night shift to "get more involved") but are all *lead* by day shift employees.

Plenty of people prefer nights because you don't have to deal with the bigwigs mucking around but there's definitely a downside.

[TraumaORnurse]

You will definitely learn a lot on days, but you will on nights as well...with fewer people there (staff, nursing students, med students, etc) you'll be more able to jump in and learn by experience in codes and other emergent situations. Since it can be less busy at night (not always, I know!), you'll have better opportunities to observe and help with things with other patients on the unit you wouldn't normally during the day - prepping the patient for an emergent surgery, urgent/bedside procedures. The key there is making sure you let everyone know to inform you if something is going on that you can learn from.

As for networking, it is definitely much harder. The majority of staff is on day shift, so working off shift there is little opportunity to get to know you and your abilities. Often times, aside from residents, you don't get to know the doctors as well so it takes longer to build a relationship in which they trust you.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

do you feel like you missed out on networking opportunities because you are not around during the day when all the big wigs are?

I work night shift specifically to avoid interaction with the 'big wigs,' even if this may have translated into a loss of networking opportunities over the years.

I'm not terribly interested in networking. I prefer to fly under the radar and avoid detection, so the night shift suits me well.

[Madras]

I'm with The Commuter.

I work weekend warrior nights. I don't see anyone except other weekend warriors. We're a great little team. I haven't seen my manager or the even higher ups in at least six months, and that was only because I covered a day shift for someone.

I love when performance evals come around. What can they really say lol. Everything's perfect come Monday unless we get slammed with traumas. Documentation is complete, cases picked for Monday, no crazy events.

What can I say, I'm happy. I have no intention of networking any time soon, everyone knows me (or the legend of me lol). Nights rock!

[BonnieSc]

Networking is harder and (for me, anyway) attending classes and meetings is harder, but at this point in your career, I wouldn't let that decide for you. Day shift nurses are busier with busy work, and you will learn that; you definitely learn more about patient teaching; but I don't think it will harm your nursing career to start on nights. Most of the stuff the day shift does that night shift doesn't is very unit/hospital specific. But I agree with the poster above who talks about how you have to learn to be more independent on nights.