Phasing out noc shift differential in acute care?

[dirtyhippiegirl]

Soooo...there may or may not be a rumor floating around my hospital that they may try to phase out our night shift differential over several years. Right now, we have one of the higher shift differentials in the area.

Has anyone experienced this in acute care? What happened? It seems like a recipe for disaster although from previous polls on here, I know a lot of you are doing night shift with only a $2-$3 differential.

[Aurora77]

I don't see it as a perk, but a way to encourage people to work those off shifts. If I were to lose my shift diff, I'd be angry and insulted since it would essentially saying my work is crap so I need a pay cut. I'd also be looking for a day position ASAP.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

I guess I should point out that our shift diff is over $5/hr. The hospital base pay for all RNs is one of the lowest in the area, however. Other hospitals offer substantially smaller shift differentials but have higher overall base pay. What I can see happening is experienced night shifters moving to other hospitals where overall pay matches (or exceeds) what we used to get as night shift employees at the current hospital.

The hospital keeps pointing out that they aren't cutting nurses like some of the other hospitals in the area. But they're cutting everything else.

It was interesting to hear the input from night peeps who work for a "token" shift differential. I feel like having had a substantial differential has spoiled me.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Honestly it would be a driving force for me to go to day shift. I love the extra money I get working nights. I could care less about the weekend diff bu the night one is pretty decent for what I have heard ( around $5/hr more for nights )

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

My facility did away with second shift diff over a year ago, but only for the day shift nurses. Night shift still gets it plus the night shift diff.

[GM2RN]

My shift diff is a percentage which amounts to $2.92 for me. It doesn't sound like a lot but it translates to $502/month, which is fairly significant and is one reason that I stay on nights. My hospital is union so my shift diff isn't going away anytime soon, but if it did, I'd still be stuck with nights for awhile since my life's circumstances fit the hours that I work on nights right now. However, when that changes, and if my shift diff were gone, I'd definitely be looking for something on days.

[Guest219794]

Your hospital is a business, and pays market prices for commodities.

The price of nurses has gone down recently.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

My facility has a higher shift differential for the 3-11 shift than they do for the 11-7 shift. They have a harder time staffing the evening shift. Just as busy as days. Higher ratios. Inconvienent to most peoples' lifestyles, moreso even then noc shift.

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

I only get $1.50 for nights…right now nights works since we have school age kids…The hospital I work for, however pays the nurses really well ($26+ for new grads)

[PMFB-RN, RN]

It is a recipe for disaster....what happened? The plethora of nurses who are unemployed and need jobs.

Right. The plan to reduce nursing wages and benefits be creating a glut of nurses is well advanced.

[Beverage]

What I can see happening is experienced night shifters moving to other hospitals where overall pay matches (or exceeds) what we used to get as night shift employees at the current hospital.

Hospitals in my area are not hiring unless it's per Diem. I've always thought day shift deserves a differential because the work is harder, pts going off floor for procedures and tests, finger sticks for 3 meals, endless visitors, multiple MD's rounding and discharges. I've worked NOC shift and in my experience, pts get their PM meds, sleeping pill and most are out for the night. Of course there are always unstable pts that are the exception, but change in condition can occur on any shift. I wandered up and down the halls from MN to 4am, checking suction and stocking med carts so I could stay awake.

[MadpeysRN]

I hate working nights, diff or no diff, I'm going look for a day shift STAT!! My life and sleep are so screwed up!! ?

[cardiacfreak, ADN]

Hospitals in my area are not hiring unless it's per Diem. I've always thought day shift deserves a differential because the work is harder, pts going off floor for procedures and tests, finger sticks for 3 meals, endless visitors, multiple MD's rounding and discharges. I've worked NOC shift and in my experience, pts get their PM meds, sleeping pill and most are out for the night. Of course there are always unstable pts that are the exception, but change in condition can occur on any shift. I wandered up and down the halls from MN to 4am, checking suction and stocking med carts so I could stay awake.

I agree that day shift workers are quite busier than night shift, however, I work nights on a progressive care unit that is stroke certified and I would love to have time to stock med carts. Our ratio is 1:5 at night sometimes 1:6 while day shift ratios are 1:3 and can be 1:4. I don't think they work harder, they are more busy.

I don't know why people assume patients sleep all night. Maybe it's different on other units because we frequently have V/S every 2hours due to our cardiac gtts, and neuro checks every 2 hours for our neuro patients. So the patient receives hardly any sleep, and we all know what happens to patients who are sleep deprived.