Night Shift = Second Class?

[NewNightShifter]

I am a new nurse, working night shift for close to a year. It seems like the day shift is treated in a superior manner. For example, if a day shift person does an extra shift on nights, they end up being put in charge. I've seen it happen even if the day person is a per diem, part time, or has less seniority. Another thing that happened a couple months ago... when I arrived for my shift, there had obviously been a celebration. A semi-demolished cake was in the break room, along with other remnants of party stuff. When I asked what the celebration was about, I was informed that it was a thank you for a job well done. (We'd had a particularly grueling week before, the details of which I can't share as it would make me more identifiable.) I must have had a WTH look on my face because I was told by the charge nurse that we night people weren't forgotten, we'd get our party too. Glad I haven't held my breath waiting.

I could go on, and on, and on... So is it just my hospital, or do other people experience this?

[edisongirl25]

I'd rather miss the celebrations, visits, and madness that occurs during day shift.

While night shift workers might not get as much recognition, it is worth it to me if I can avoid rounding from doctors, visits from rude families, intrusion from managers, and pestering from the other departments. The quietude and peaceful working atmosphere of night shift cannot be beat.

This would be nice, but I'm in a teaching hospital so there are docs 24/7....most of them we have to train.

[Lauren'sMommy]

I remember being a new nurse learning all the awful truths about nursing. The crappy treatment off shift workers recieve is one of the truths and managment is to blame. I have this theory that managment has a blind spot about off shifts, especially night shift, because they never go there.

So true or they did it so long ago they have forgotten what it is like. Maybe Managers and Management would have a better appriecation if they would walk or follow us for a day, evening or night shift, only then would they truely get it. :trout: At our facility the "TREATS" are purchase for all shifts equally but it seems Management enjoys them more d/t fact most of the workers are to busy taking care of residents to get there until most of it is gone or the shift is over and everything is gone. I'm sorry to hear that there are actually worse place who do nothing for the "off shift " workers. i guess it is true, there is always someone who has it worse

[RN1982]

My ANAM is awesome too. They even have staff meetings at night for the night shift RNs. None of this crap about staying till 8:30am for a staff meeting which occured a lot at my last job. Night shift is treatedly equally where I work now while at my other job, night shifters were treated like dirt because according to the day shift we slept all night and did nothing even though we were always busy. And god forbid, something not be perfect when the day shift came in!!! So glad I don't work there anymore.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

I have definitely seen it. Where I work they do try, but it doesn't always work. I've seen the attitude that night's "doesn't do anything," or that day shift is "harder." No shift IMO is "harder," they're just DIFFERENT. I worked 12 hour nights for close to 7 years, some of which was rotating days and nocs, and now I work straight 12 hour pm's (my body just can't do nights any more!). With the number of patients for each nurse only going up, I can't imagine that now. Some nights our RN's have 8 patients, that seems impossible to me. However, once upon a time, the charge nurse on days or pm's didn't take patients, and now in charge we often take a full assignment, so I guess you get used to it (which is sad).

I do think there is favoritism towards the RN's that work days. When a day shift RN is willing to come in early, say at 3am, they'll let them go home at 11am. If I am scheduled for an 8 hour shift, and they want me to come in early, they just want me to work a 12...no extra "incentive" for doing so. One small thing that always drove me NUTS.

I did work a day shift not long ago to help out, and yes, it was SUPER busy in that first four hours; I hadn't done it in some time. I am a FIRM believer that periodically, EVERYONE, managers included, should have to work a shift they don't normally work, just to gain and maintain an appreciation for what that shift actually experiences on a regular basis. In my facility, I think there is much less teamwork on day shift compared to pm's or noc's. Much more of a "fend for myself" type of attitude, and that's hard to cope with.

[Pudnluv, ASN, RN]

I work permanent nights and I love it! What I've learned though, is the night shift will never get the recognition and kudos that the other shifts get. When the patients and families send their thanks, rarely do they mention the night nurse. They know we are there, but we are not as visible as the other shifts. As far as celebrations, my hospital holds 2 big ones, the holiday tea and employee dinner. This is done on all shifts and management comes in for them. Inservices are never held on nights, and we have to stay after our shift to attend. While some nurses crab, I figure they can just pay me the OT. The day girls have to go during their shift, which will put them way behind on their work.

I will say that the night shift on my unit is the strongest one. We are more autonomous, and are critical thinking skills are better. We don't run off half-cocked and panicky at every little emergency. We've actually had MDs tell us that they trusted our judgement more and it's not unusual for one of the docs to call early in the AM or come in early because he needs something done and knows it will get done on our shift because the day folks are too busy or forgot or were waiting for pharmacy, central, or whatever.

So I don't let the lack of recognition bother me. I know what we do. I know that we make a difference and can make the day shift go more smoothly or be horrible. But I will remain where I am for now, cause I love it!

[Midwest4me]

Seriously?!?!?!

Jeez, we get $7.50 night diff.

You receive $7.50 in addition to your base wage??? Is that per hour?WOW, that's amazing! For night shift RNs at our hospital get $2.55/hr on top of base wage and LPN's get $1.85/hr on top of base wage; CNAs get $.75/hr.

[Midwest4me]

We all rotate from days to nights, no permanent staff doing one or the other so I don't encounter any of these problems.

Permanent nights??? Don't think I could do that

Shift rotation sounds great---I like to think it would change some attitudes but then again it may not.

Like others have said, we, on night shift, are treated like the scum of the earth at times, enduring added duties(i.e. "noc shift now are saddled with doing most of day shift treatments--and need done by 7am--- as dayshift is too busy". Hmmm let's see ---how busy can that day RN be when I see her eating breakfast during report THEN going to the computer for 15 mins or so---many of her staff do the same thing ). There really is NO REASON ON EARTH why we should have to do their treatments.

We also get mandated to work an extra shift(days) more often than the other shifts because for some reason day shift people cannot get their butts out of bed in time! I just want to scream at them:"do you realize how fortunate you are to be working day shift?":no:

As far as doubting if you could ever do permanent night shift, all I can say is this: you do what you HAVE to do. By nature I really am a dayshifter but have learned/adjusted to nights. I console myself with knowing that I'm making $400+ more per month due to the nightshift wage differential.

[PageRespiratory!]

You receive $7.50 in addition to your base wage??? Is that per hour?WOW, that's amazing! For night shift RNs at our hospital get $2.55/hr on top of base wage and LPN's get $1.85/hr on top of base wage; CNAs get $.75/hr.

>

Yes, $7.50 hourly PM differential in addition to base wage, for licensed clinical staff. We're a small rural hospital, that has apparently had an extremely difficult time with PM staffing. I actually relocated from long island, outside NYC, (they paid for that also LOL!) and make about $2 less than I did there! I was quite surprised when I interviewed, but not as surprised to learn that some institutions offer no differential!

[twistedpupchaser]

Where I work we all do nights, generally 1 block per roster period, (4 weeks) because of this we tend to have a greater respect for what goes on at night. As Tait said earlier, the night shift can make or break the dayshift but at the same time, dayshift can stuff nightshift around just as much.

I have seen dayshifts spit the dummy and create problems for nightshift, (such as the directive that all IV's need to be checked so that they will not run out within the first hour and a half day shift are on floor) But then I have seen nightshift retaliate by not "setting up" the paperwork for the dayshift thus order was restored in the "IV Battle"

I am yet to see anyone apart from the Union organise anything so that it is easily attended by nightshift. There have been breakfast time Education seminars but they are structured for the Dr's timetable, even though nurses are encouraged to attend, they start half hour before nightshift knocks off.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I work permanent nights and I love it! What I've learned though, is the night shift will never get the recognition and kudos that the other shifts get. When the patients and families send their thanks, rarely do they mention the night nurse. They know we are there, but we are not as visible as the other shifts. As far as celebrations, my hospital holds 2 big ones, the holiday tea and employee dinner. This is done on all shifts and management comes in for them. Inservices are never held on nights, and we have to stay after our shift to attend. While some nurses crab, I figure they can just pay me the OT. The day girls have to go during their shift, which will put them way behind on their work.

I will say that the night shift on my unit is the strongest one. We are more autonomous, and are critical thinking skills are better. We don't run off half-cocked and panicky at every little emergency. We've actually had MDs tell us that they trusted our judgement more and it's not unusual for one of the docs to call early in the AM or come in early because he needs something done and knows it will get done on our shift because the day folks are too busy or forgot or were waiting for pharmacy, central, or whatever.

So I don't let the lack of recognition bother me. I know what we do. I know that we make a difference and can make the day shift go more smoothly or be horrible. But I will remain where I am for now, cause I love it!

You would think that we "nurses of the night" would get a lot more patient recognition because a lot of nights I have the time to sit with my patient and talk them through the scariness of the morning open heart surgery, or am able to do more one on one care for them.

Sometimes I think we just don't get the thanks because they couldn't see our nametag or the dry erase board in the dark (though 50% of the time my name is still there when I get back three days later! :chuckle)

PS. I would quit in a heartbeat if they told me I had to do shift rotation. Would I love for nights to get a taste of days and vice versa? Of course, but not on a regular rotating basis!

[jennifer79RN]

I know how you feel!! Night shift is always forgotten!! My issue is that all of our mtgs are in the middle of the day, even the mandatory mtgs. They don't seem to realize that their 2pm is my 2am. I wouldn't expect them to come in at 2 in the morning, so why do they expect it of me????

Jennifer