is 3rd shift inevitable for new nurses?

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I'm starting a 17 month ABSN program in the fall. I've worked as a 2nd shift CNA at an LTC for the past 15 months. I'll pick up the occasional 3rd shift to make some extra dough and I have found it to be brutal. Are there poeple on this forum that work 3rd shift willfully or is it general out of necessity for family, job availability, etc? Do new RN grads more or less have to work 3rd shift to start? As someone who is very into health and fitness I think this would have the potential to derail the success I've had in changing my body over the last 2 years. Any input would be awesome. Thanks,

Ned

If you are trying to sculpt your body with body building, and you put your career as a nurse before your body, it can hamper your efforts. Anything you allow to get in the way of body building can hamper our efforts. Night shift or day shift. Once you get a shift, and get into a routine, if you have a gym available 24 hrs it will matter less, but sleep is one big factor in building muscle mass.

If you are just meaning healthy life style, it shouldn't matter. You may find that you eat differently at night though.

What shift depends on what facility, whats needed, and close to a bazillion other factors.

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Nope harder to get noc shift because of differential! lot of new grads on days

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Specializes in LTC.
I'm starting a 17 month ABSN program in the fall. I've worked as a 2nd shift CNA at an LTC for the past 15 months. I'll pick up the occasional 3rd shift to make some extra dough and I have found it to be brutal. Are there poeple on this forum that work 3rd shift willfully or is it general out of necessity for family, job availability, etc? Do new RN grads more or less have to work 3rd shift to start? As someone who is very into health and fitness I think this would have the potential to derail the success I've had in changing my body over the last 2 years. Any input would be awesome. Thanks,

Ned

I work 2nd shift now. I've also worked 3rd shift for a bit. I don't feel its good for a new grad to work 3rd shift right off the bat. Work either 1st or 2nd if you can. Then once you have more experience and time management skills and problem solving abilities.. try 3rd shift.

The thing with 3rd shift where I work at least.. is that there's nobody. You are a one man show besides 2-3 CNAs on the floor and a supervisor for the building. At least on the other shifts where I work.. theres another nurse on the unit with you.

I recently trained a new nurse when I was working 3rd shift. Shes a nice lady but I've heard.. not seen.. that shes not as strong as the other nurses on 3rd shift who have worked other shifts. Theres not a lot of action and stress on 3rd shift and I think thats what makes us good nurses. It keeps our brains and bodies going.

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Specializes in Emergency, Pediatrics.

I am a new grad/new RN and I thought for sure I'd be on nights but landed a day shift position 3 12's. Ecstatic.. I used to work full time nights and NEVER got used to it. I was totally out of sorts when I was on nights. I was depressed, never felt rested, etc etc.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Where I work if a nurse applies for a job there is obviously an empty position. The new hire steps into the empty position so they end up with what ever the line was, be it a days/evenings, nights/days or evening/night line.They are told what the line is before they have to accept.We have no positions that are all one shift (except for the unit charge nurses) but if you had say a day/night line ans someone else had a day/night line and one of you wanted straight days and the other wanted straight nights you could just trade off to get what you wanted.I know a few who do this.

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I work 7p to 7a and I love it. I'm naturally a night person though. I wouldn't be happy working 7a to 7p. Where I work most of the new hires work days, but I think it just depends. I jumped on a night shift though.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Cardiac.

When I got hired they asked me if I wanted to work Day/Evening or Day/Overnight. I was surprised they gave me the choice. Some of the preferred schedules (three 12's a week or the weekend program) require overnights.

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Specializes in CVICU.

I don't find that staying in shape and healthy on nights is any harder than days. It might be a little easier. On day shifts, I get home at 8:00, and have to make dinner for my husband, spend time with him, clean the house, walk the dog, etc. When I get home from a night shift, the house is empty and still clean from the evening before :-)

Are you serious? If you worked 12 hours he should have dinner made for you. And you seriously clean your house after working a 12 hour day shift?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I work nights (6pm to 6:30am) because I prefer them. In fact, I declined a day shift offer because I have a preference for nights. During the late night hours, less visitors, families, doctors, managers, and coworkers from other disciplines are around, which reduces my stress level tremendously. I cannot stand when people are hovering over me like helicopters.

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