Night shift vs. Day shift...

jude11142 · Jan 31, 2003

I work "weekday Baylor"..........which for me is 3pm-7am(16hr shifts) twice a week.......work 32hrs get paid for 40hrs. I don't think that I will ever go back to days......I'm not even that crazy about evening shift but for 2 days a week, I can deal with it.

As others have said, you don't have others around like you do on day shift so alot of the help that we tend to overlook on days, you end up having to do on eves/nights. I do find that the night shift regulars are pretty close-knit and work together well. I like that, enjoy being part of a smaller group of coworkers.

I do agree though that it takes a toll on ones body because no matter how much sleep you get before/after(if lucky enough)it's still not the same as getting a "nights sleep"..... It's not for everyone. Where I used to work, everyone had to take a couple nights per month and let me tell ya, their were some who just couldn't keep their eyes open, let alone work. I find that it's worse for those who are forced to do several nights/month because there is no way that they can really prepare themselves for those hrs..........

I also have always been a night person.......lol..........but I still get sleepy around 4:30ish a.m...........for that next hr unless real busy, I am tired.............

JUDE

Scooby365 · Jan 31, 2003

I have worked nights for almost 15 years and for all the reasons above. My response to those who complain about how we get paid more for less work has always been........Then why are there always so many night positions open and few on days? :confused: My point is if nights was such a piece of cake why would anyone want to work days?

melissa24 · Jan 31, 2003

I have always been a night person. (I remember staying up to watch Johnny Carson every night when I was four.)

I love working nights, and hope to go back to them some day. As far as your own personality, I think you have to know whether you are a day person or a night person. As far as work, I think a lot depends on your workplace and/or your department.

When I worked in a nursing home, it was wonderful to go to nights because I no longer had to deal with dietary, housekeeping, OT, PT, and arranging transportation for doctor's appointments. That really got to be a pain and nights were soooo much quieter.

When I worked nights in a NICU, one of the perks to me was not having parents around as much as they were during the day. I also enjoyed the camaraderie with my co-workers. Also, contrary to a previous post, we did have unit clerks, and dietary opened the cafeteria for us from 1-3. It all depends on where you work.

FullMoonMadness · Jan 31, 2003

I love nights.12 hours 7p-7a.my husband dosnt care for it to much but as long as i work 3 in a row with 4 off,we manage.

Less red tape to deal with,case management and grand rounds.Pts off floor for CT,Xray or whatever. It seems very hard to schedule the nursing duties around all that.We have less staff at night,but the nurses on my unit are awesome.The teamwork is definatly there.If only my husband could find a night job.

angelbear · Feb 1, 2003

I fully agree with post #2. I have been nocs for 3 yrs. Awsome team work, quieter (usually), Make more of my own decisions. But way more responsiblity, can be kind of physically involved when we are short(usually) and is hard on your body because it never really adjusts. No shift diff where I work. But ya do what ya gotta do. Overall really like it.

Chiaramonte · Feb 1, 2003

I have worked nights all of my hospital life.

First as an nurses assistant and then as an RN.

I find the staff to more cohesive and less distractions to the actual job at hand.

Working in the ER at night I am the only RN in that department at that time.

It offers autonomy and challenge. The docs, EDT'S, and paramedics at night are always a great group.

On days, it seems the multiple RNs , Docs and paramedics fight more. Could it be a case of ego conflict?

Anyway, worling nights gives new meaning to other duties as assigned!!

MICU RN · Feb 1, 2003

Why do night shift nurses always have to state that their shift is just as busy and just as hard? I have worked days and nights in a very busy ER and a MICU and my experience has been that in general night shifts are not as busy and therefore not as hard. I know there are exceptions but just about every nurse I have spoken to that has worked both has said the same thing. I don't understand why it is so hard to admit that, do you think it is because people are worried that if they said one of the reasons they like nights is because it is easier that people will think they will be judged as being lazy? Now as I stated this is a generalzation and that sometimes you work your butt off at night, but overall it is not as busy. I never had a problem telling people that when I worked nights, but apparently many people do. Just some food for thouht.

Pamelita · Feb 1, 2003

hi!

Its funny when I was in nursing school I HATED morning clinicals I would always sign in for afternoons or 3-9pm clinicals I would tell everybody I would be a night nurse.

When I graduated I started on days thinking I would move to nights, well almost 2 years after, I am a Day nurse and I like it. Its hecti, people around all the time, but the day goes faster and I love sleeping at night. My mother is a night nurse and we are always fighting about what do we do, who does this and that.

catrn10 · Feb 1, 2003

Well, Nights are quiter, as for easier, I don't know. I've worked both and prefer nights. Not because of a lesser workload either. It's a different workload. It's been my experience in the units that patients are just as sick at night as they are during the day. The dopamine isn't automatically d/c'd at 1900, nor do they pull the balloon pump at 1900 and reinsert it at 0700 for day shift. And we usually get to do all the baths, mars, chart checks, stocking, because we "aren't as busy at night". Also, nights are when the patients "go nuts", which is always very relaxing.Yes, we do not go to as many procedures on nights, and the family isn't around as much, nor are the doctors. But when it hits the fan, it hits HARD. We also don't get to eat in the cafeteria because it's closed, and if we do get to eat it's at the desk because there's less of us and no relief so we can leave. But, then again, management isn't there, a definate perk. But housekeeping is cut back to bare bones, so you get to do their job if you want it done, getting supplies is a challange at times for the same reason.I imagine at some hospitals it might be easier on nights, but at a level 1 trauma center, it is not easier, just different.

fergus51 · Feb 1, 2003

Originally posted by MICU RN
Why do night shift nurses always have to state that their shift is just as busy and just as hard? I have worked days and nights in a very busy ER and a MICU and my experience has been that in general night shifts are not as busy and therefore not as hard. I know there are exceptions but just about every nurse I have spoken to that has worked both has said the same thing. I don't understand why it is so hard to admit that, do you think it is because people are worried that if they said one of the reasons they like nights is because it is easier that people will think they will be judged as being lazy? Now as I stated this is a generalzation and that sometimes you work your butt off at night, but overall it is not as busy. I never had a problem telling people that when I worked nights, but apparently many people do. Just some food for thouht.

Well, I said it because on my unit it's true. We staff the same for days and nights because babies don't care what time it is:) L&D may be an exception, I don't know, but days don't get more patients.

l.rae · Feb 1, 2003

Originally posted by MICU RN
Why do night shift nurses always have to state that their shift is just as busy and just as hard? I have worked days and nights in a very busy ER and a MICU and my experience has been that in general night shifts are not as busy and therefore not as hard. I know there are exceptions but just about every nurse I have spoken to that has worked both has said the same thing. I don't understand why it is so hard to admit that, do you think it is because people are worried that if they said one of the reasons they like nights is because it is easier that people will think they will be judged as being lazy? Now as I stated this is a generalzation and that sometimes you work your butt off at night, but overall it is not as busy. I never had a problem telling people that when I worked nights, but apparently many people do. Just some food for thouht.

our NM keeps a graph that tracks the pt flow on our ER for staffing reasons....We ARE busier at nite....personally, l think it has something to do with Operah and Jerry Springer are off as are the day time soaps...oh and don't forget, all the mommies and daddies getting off work and finding out junior is sick...gawd forbid we call the Dr or go to urgent care.....bout the time that slows down...the bars close......woohooooo!...I LOVE MY JOB!

mamabear · Feb 1, 2003

Nights, no doubt about it.

Yes, we're understaffed: the other night, we had 10 patients with 2 "surprise" admissions. There were just me and 1 CNA/psych tech working, but we're so used to the ridiculous staffing we just roll with it and get it done. :cool:

On the other hand, there's so many people on days it's ridiculous. In addition to 2.5 RNs and 2 CNA/psych techs, there's a ward clerk, 2 UR nurses, a social worker, a social work assistant, an RN/substance abuse nurse councellor, and at least 1 experiential therapist. :eek: If they get a "surprise" admit, it's no big deal and, if all else fails, the boss has been known to leave her office and come to the Unit to "help out". There's so many of them, they can hardly move around the station without tripping over each other.

Like some day shift people, they seem to think that little, if anything, happens on nights. After all, they claim, "all" the patients sleep "all" night, so we have plenty of time to do our work, in addition to setting up and passing their AM meds, doing treatments, fielding crisis calls because the crisis people don't start work until 0830. (Our day shift, by the way, is 0745 to 1615 and day meds/treatments are done at/by 0800). :angryfire

I didn't mean for this to turn into a rant, but I guess I needed it cool:

Nights can be quiet beyond belief, but, as anyone who has worked nights on a psych unit will tell you, when things go bad on nights, they go really bad really fast.

NIGHTS RULE!!!! :wink2: :nurse: