NIGHT SHIFT

caliotter3 · Oct 8, 2020

As you know, day shift is considered more desirable for many if not most. Therefore, when people get their desired day shift job, they are not likely to vacate the position as quickly as someone who is unhappy with a night shift position. Do you need a job badly enough to interview for a night shift position? This is the question you must answer for yourself.

hoyeshi · Oct 8, 2020

5 minutes ago, caliotter3 said:

As you know, day shift is considered more desirable for many if not most. Therefore, when people get their desired day shift job, they are not likely to vacate the position as quickly as someone who is unhappy with a night shift position. Do you need a job badly enough to interview for a night shift position? This is the question you must answer for yourself.

thanks for your reply, im thinking if I don't. choose day shift now, It would be hard to shift from night to days later on. I think I could till wait more..

JKL33 · Oct 8, 2020

1 hour ago, hoyeshi said:

Is it the Norm? that mostly night shift is available?

I don't know that it's the norm everywhere, but it certainly isn't uncommon. Many acute care nurses have taken the path of beginning on night shift and then being allowed to move to days (if they prefer) as people leave the day shift/the unit/the facility for other positions. I feel fairly confident in saying that this is the common situation in a lot of places. When you're new somewhere you would be lucky to land a day shift position unless the stars are aligned just right or else it is such a crappy place to work that they need people on all shifts including days.

1 hour ago, hoyeshi said:

im thinking if I don't. choose day shift now, It would be hard to shift from night to days later on.

People often don't get to choose day shift. They start on nights and move to days.

If your question is whether to interview for night shift positions or to wait and see if your applications for day shift positions receive any replies, that is up to you and you can wait a short time to see if you get any replies or not. But just waiting to hear back from these employers (who have posted day shift positions) isn't a long-term strategy.

Good luck with your job search ~

hoyeshi · Oct 8, 2020

11 hours ago, JKL33 said:

I don't know that it's the norm everywhere, but it certainly isn't uncommon. Many acute care nurses have taken the path of beginning on night shift and then being allowed to move to days (if they prefer) as people leave the day shift/the unit/the facility for other positions. I feel fairly confident in saying that this is the common situation in a lot of places. When you're new somewhere you would be lucky to land a day shift position unless the stars are aligned just right or else it is such a crappy place to work that they need people on all shifts including days.

People often don't get to choose day shift. They start on nights and move to days.

If your question is whether to interview for night shift positions or to wait and see if your applications for day shift positions receive any replies, that is up to you and you can wait a short time to see if you get any replies or not. But just waiting to hear back from these employers (who have posted day shift positions) isn't a long-term strategy.

Good luck with your job search ~

hey thanks for all the feedback guys. I really appreciate it. Im thinking of starting night shift if its only 3 days a week. I think its doable.

Ioreth, ADN, RN · Oct 8, 2020

My current unit and almost any other unit in my hospital have both day and night shifts available. I'd like to point out that if both shifts are available, it may represent a stressed unit. Granted, most everywhere in healthcare is stressed right now.

I love night shift. I love the flow, fewer people running around, and the slight shift in priorities from procedures/appointments/therapy to sleep/wellness/pain control. I love the vibe that most floors have on nights - overall more camaraderie and we're-all-in-this-together attitude. In a non-Covid world, I loved going to the grocery store at 2 AM, hiking at dawn, and enjoying the stillness of my house while my family sleeps. I was able to tackle many projects in the early hours of morning that were impossible with my kiddos around. I usually got awesome sleep because my family was mostly at work/school or could find something to occupy themselves outside the house for a few hours on their days off so I could sleep.

A caveat: we no longer live in a non-Covid world, so stores are closed at night and the camaraderie of night shift is wearing thin, just as it is on day shift. With family home all the time for work and school, sleep is difficult. Day shift tasks have flowed into night shift from lack of staff hospital-wide. I come home from work too exhausted to do much on my days off, much less the projects I used to enjoy. I'm personally no longer functioning on night shift schedule, so I'm leaving my beloved night shift for day shift in a few weeks.

You need to look at your family situation and decide what your priorites are and if this is something you are willing to do long or short term. If you find it more important to be on the unit you applied to regardless of shift, then go ahead and apply the night shift but get your name on the list to go to days early, since it can take a while. You may find that you love night shift, as I do. There are many ways to make night shift work, even temporarily. Most of the nurses that are thriving on night shift in my unit either have no kids or are empty nesters. A few have babies, but these are all part time or PRN and can cluster their shifts over a weekend so they've got longer stretches off. Good luck in your job search!

hoyeshi · Oct 8, 2020

hey thats a great point. I think im going to try to apply for night shift position.