Night Shift

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What is the pay difference, typically, in day shift and night shift?

Also, which tends to be more hectic? Why?

I hope to work 7p-7a

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Specializes in critical care: trauma/oncology/burns.

Hello BiologyNerd:

While I can't answer your question about rate of pay between different shifts (depends on which part of the US you are working, if your hospital has a union or not and other variables) I CAN say that, for me THE busiest shift, out of an eight hour shift, has to be the evening shift, or third shift (and I have worked each shift back in the day and worked for a year on a eight hour busy telemetry unit within the VA system).

I say evenings because of these facts: visitors; post op patients returning to your unit; 18:00, 22:00 and, depending on where you work 24:00 meds to be given out not counting the STAT or NOW doses; evening meal; snacks for those who are diabetic; doing bowel preps for those patients going to the OR, admissions...

Have a very safe and peaceful New Year

athena

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Specializes in onc, M/S, hospice, nursing informatics.

At our hospital, it is $1.50 for LVN and $3.00 for RN for shift diff. Night shift can be hectic at times, but overall I think that day shift is much worse. More family members, social workers, doctors, procedures, tests, surgeries, baths, meals... I could go on. And, although not everyone sleeps at night, there is that sweet little pill that you can give them at hs that you can't give at 0900!

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Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.

We get 3.50/hr noc shift diff, All three shifts are uniquely busy.

Days has a.m. care, discharges,admissions,dealing with administration , but it also has the most support staff ,ancillary help.

Eve's USE to be quieter, but now w/the turnover rate, you get a lot of post-ops,family issues,less support staff. I use to LOVE eve's, spent time w/pt'steaching, giving xtracare, Not any more... Too crazy.

Noc's , pt's don't sleep, If your running around w/ 8 or 9 pts, sometimes you don't eat or pee for 12 hrs, Less staff, On the plus, If the families are there they are (hopefully)sleeping, No management!!!

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How difficult would it be to work 4 12 hour shifts a week on nightshift?

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

for working 7p-7a, we used to get 10% diff from 7p-11p, 15% diff from 11p-7a, and 20% on weekends.

from my experience, night shift is always busier. less staff, higher nurse-tech-pt ratios and lots of pts who want to stay up and howl at the moon. people think that pts actually sleep at night in the hospital. they dont. you always have your sundowners who want to FDGB at night. and in the ER, more gsw's, etoh stupidity, etc. also we had many more codes thoughout the hospital at night. but regardless, i love night shift!

day shift is a different kind of busy, but there are nurse managers, case managers, pt, ot, more cna's/techs, docs and family members running around. so you have more hands to help, or more to get in the way. i hate working days.

working a stretch of night shifts is alright when your body adjusts to it, but its so hard to get anything done. on the day you are off, be prepared to crash and sleep.

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In my ER night shift makes $8.00/hr for shift diff!

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

each facility will have a variety of shift diffs depending on the area of the country, so our numbers probably won't help you much.

I will say that every shift thinks they work the hardest. I have been on both and have heard people complain for years. I preferred nights because, although we had busy times, we did not have as many visitors or MDs on the floor at one time. We could sometimes even get our work done!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

To find the answers you are looking for, just search for "night shift" on the forums. There are DOZENS of threads addressing this topic, all relatively fresh. As for me, we get an additional $6,000 a year for nights, and I find that there's not less work on nights, there's just less people getting in your way and slowing you down, so you get it done quicker. For instance, we weigh and bathe the babies on nights, as well as draw routine AM labs, while days hangs IV drips. I have about the same amount of downtime on days as well as nights. ( I'm "bi-shiftual"..)

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Flight.
In my ER night shift makes $8.00/hr for shift diff!

you are kidding me!

you are lying!!!

pfft...

no way!!!!!!

lol

my ER pays 2.00/hr for nights shift diff

and to the original poster... nights are much better!! can be busy @ times.. but for the most part... ya don't have to deal w/ all the rest of the ppl... so it evens it self out.....

i will never work days.... been on nights for too many years and have to do a day shift now and then... NOPE... DON'T LIKE IT..

but to each their own~~

:cool:

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Flight.
I find that there's not less work on nights, there's just less people getting in your way and slowing you down, so you get it done quicker.

exactly!!!!

ty steve~~~

:cool:

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Specializes in LDRP.

YOur busy-ness on nights vs days prob will also depend on what type of unit you are on.

I work l&d, and we have admissions/labors/deliveries/c-sections/transfer to another floor/VISITORS/doctors/awake patients all night long. days DO have scheduled inductions and scheduled c/s, though, and more staff. So for us, its probably a toss up and a depends on teh day as to which is busier.

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