Night vs Day shift

April, RN, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2011

My personal experience:

Night shift benefits: More money is the biggest. At night there are less visitors, management, doctors, phone calls, tests (which eats up a LOT of your time during the day). More teamwork. At some big city hospitals like mine, employees can't park at the hospital during the day but they can at night so that's a perk for commuters.

Day shift benefits: Your life is on the same schedule as the rest of the world! More help around for emergencies because there is generally more staff during the day.

starzrn · Mar 12, 2011

i will be graduating in may and was wondering how the two shifts differ in responsibilities and work load. i hear you either prefer one or the other but what are the benefits of each one?

i used to work night shift for 3 years. i felt like crap and gained weight...health went downhill. since going back to days years ago, i have energy, not overweight and have a life!

3dayRN · Mar 12, 2011

I have only worked midnights as a nurse. I love it. I love that visiting hours are over at 8pm, although some stay longer, but in general I love not being distracted by families. Patients aren't going to therapy, tests, eating meals, bathing and other things that take away from the time you need to spend with them. Not as many people working especially in an emergancy but midnight shift has learned to work together. I have worked at two hospitals since I graduated and my manager said at both hospitals that midnight shift works so well together. I think that is true in most places. Also, make more money on midnights. Now the downside is terrible eating habits, sleeping during the day, no energy unless you have a few days of at a time. It's busy on midnights, although dayshift will tell you otherwise, but at a more managable pace for the most part. So, I have always thought midnights is better for a new grad. Everyone is different so I hope you make the right choice and good luck in whatever you decide.

JulieCVICURN, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2011

I've only worked night shift, but I think it's a much nicer shift to work. I don't have to take patients to radiology as often, don't have to deal with administration, and most of the time the families leave after dinner and I can spend time with my patients without having to cater to the whims of their visitors. I love the patients - it's the families that drive me batty. I try to be understanding because most of the time they are acting out of love and concern, but they can be very crazy-making. Anyway, I think I was happy in my job for as long as I was because I only rarely dealt with administration and saw my actual manager for about 10 minutes a week!

tiroka03, LPN · Mar 12, 2011

The age old question which shift is better? You will find each shift feels theirs is the hardest. Everyone believes the nights are the easiest.

I work nights, but I have worked days for many years. I loved the way time flew on days. You moved like lightening to give the morning meds. Before you knew it, it was time to go. On nights it's different. You work like a nut at the beginning of the shift trying to get all the g tubes, IV's and trachs and dressings under control. You get a little slow down to do paperwork, and then when your getting tired, it's time for another major med pass. Nights have at least twice the amount of paperwork. If AM's and PM's are upset with their paperwork, they need to double it before they really start to understand that part. We do chart checks and call doctors. There is no one to distract patients who are out of sorts. No meals, no vistors, no doctors, no clergy, no nothing. No staff. We just crank it out like crazies.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2011

I think it depends on where you are working to some extent. On the floor, I LOVED the evening shifts (never worked nights). Management wasn't around so we could drink out water at the nurses station instead of not drinking water during the shift at all because who has time to go to the nurses lounge every time you're thirsty?

I'm working in the ED now though and if you work a night or evening shift to walk in to a $^@#storm at the start of your shift. If you work days, you have time to check your (usually empty) rooms, stock for the day, center yourself. THEN the $^@#storm hits after a few hours. I prefer having that time to get myself settled.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2011

I love night shift. It's still busy, but in a different way. Most of the residents are sleeping, I'm not passing meds, and I have more time to spend with the residents who are awake, just talking with them. Nights are more money, and, more importantly, I don't have to try to force myself to go to bed early. My body just does better. As for gaining weight...if you eat healthy, you shouldn't. I eat a small breakfast before I go to bed, a healthy dinner when I get up, and I pack whatever is left over or a sandwich to take to work.

FlyingScot, RN · Mar 13, 2011

I think you will find the general concensus to be as follows:

Day shift: busiest, hardest shift, have to clean up night shift's messes

Night shift: busiest, hardest shift, have to clean up day shift's messes

That pretty much sums it up.

JulieCVICURN, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2011

The age old question which shift is better? You will find each shift feels theirs is the hardest. Everyone believes the nights are the easiest.

That might be the majority, but I worked nights and that's my shift and I don't think it's the hardest. I thought it really held the most perks. No management, less family to deal with, less interruptions in my workflow. Many nights were horrible, but I'd bet on average it was less frequent than horrible days. I wouldn't know, having not worked day shift.

I also thought the night shift ICU RN staff was more fun. We were all type A's, but not quite as competitive and ****** as the day RN's. I say this with love, as almost all of them (day and night) are still good friends of mine. Even the day RN's would say they were more difficult to get along with at my unit!

mcleanl · Mar 13, 2011

That might be the majority, but I worked nights and that's my shift and I don't think it's the hardest. I thought it really held the most perks. No management, less family to deal with, less interruptions in my workflow. Many nights were horrible, but I'd bet on average it was less frequent than horrible days. I wouldn't know, having not worked day shift.
I also thought the night shift ICU RN staff was more fun. We were all type A's, but not quite as competitive and ****** as the day RN's. I say this with love, as almost all of them (day and night) are still good friends of mine. Even the day RN's would say they were more difficult to get along with at my unit!

Julie....I couldn't agree with you more, the night shift is always more fun and as you mentioned the shift has all sorts of perks. The big draw back for me was I always feel like I was hung over! I am working days now and running around like a dog (and I mean running...from the time I hit the unit until the time I leave) but at least I am feeling better on my days off. I still however, consider myself a night shifter at heart!

LumpyRN · Mar 13, 2011

I prefer the night shift, the key to working nights is keeping your room night dark, foil windows or whatever you need to do to sleep well.

i feel that the day shift is usually less flexible than night shift, the nurses on days usually are more experienced and are a bit more set in their ways (not all, but many more than on nights.) i work in the ER, so nights mean busting your behind the first half of your shift, and catching up the second half, you usually have time to catch up on charting etc. but your also expected to do more stocking etc in the smaller hospitals. many hospitals dont provide cafeteria during nights so your on your own for food, but the shift diff makes up for it fast.

come to the dark side! you will love it, or go crazy.....