3p-11p shift...need a little pick-me-up!

Vershonda · Oct 22, 2011

Everyone has input on something.... With that being said anything you put in God's hands will be protected and that goes for relationships, the job, and anything else you can imagine... I'm looking for any shift right now.... So Congrats on your New Job!!!!!!!!!

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Oct 22, 2011

I work that shift... it's not a BAD shift, but you DO have to remember that your sleep patterns will be a little off. You'll go to sleep a little later and wake up a little later than you do now. You won't be home much for dinner-time. Once you have kids, it'll be hard on you because you won't be there (usually) to tuck them into bed. On the other hand, you do have most of the daytime to get your errands done. Really, it's not a bad shift, you just have to get used to it. Oh, and once you've got the job, you've become a "permanent" employee, you might want to start looking for openings on day shift.

Probably the hardest thing about it is that you'll likely have to work 5 days/week instead of 3. I've been on that shift for 9 years. It's really not bad. I got to go to school during the day. Studying can be difficult at times though, as you'd have to figure out how to accommodate the study time.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 22, 2011

I loved 3-11. I worked a mix of day and evenings at my last job. Evenings allowed me to sleep late and still have a good part of the day to do what I wanted. Doctors had come and gone, administration was on their way out the door, and the phone would quiet down by 6 or so, so the stress level was generally lower and I felt like I could spend more time interacting with my patients than doing grunt work.

Downside was that I did miss dinner/bedtimes, and when I got home not only was the little one was asleep, often the spouse was too. Also, if I had to work a weekend evening shift, that pretty much shot any plans for that day.

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Oct 22, 2011

Just remember that we all have different personalities and perspectives. While I appreciate people’s differing perspectives, I know that I am in control of my own opinions. Go in with a positive attitude and develop your own opinion about the shift. You might find it surprisingly better than the shift on which your orientated.

stephie_love · Oct 22, 2011

Thank you for the kind words, everyone! I will definitely try to attack this change with a positive attitude! :)

Mom2boysRN · Oct 22, 2011

I work that shift too and I'm a mom. There are time that it's hard, but it also has it's advantages... Most of the time it works well for me. I get to take my kids to school every day, in the am we talk about the day before. We spend time together before work on weekends. When I take my break to have dinner I call or text with my husband. It's not terrible and u can always try to get on days if it doesn't work for u.

Genista, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2011

I actually prefer pm shift to days. I'm a mom of 2. I like being home in the morning and early afternoon, and able to run errands or take my oldest kiddo to school. Also- pm shift often pays a differential, so I get a little extra pay, which means I can work a few less hours/week (more time with family that way). I don't like dayshift as much as a mom, because you are gone the whole day, and only see the family for a few hours in the evening, when you are all tired from having worked all day. On pm shift- my family gets me fresh and energetic in the morning...and later when I do go to work, my adrenaline rush kicks in for the energy I need to finish the shift. Pm shift is nice because you do work later, but go to bed only a little later than the average daytime worker. I think it's much harder to work night shift (I did that before and it wasn't good for me). There's a shift for everyone! Give it a try. You might love it! :)