which shift do you prefer working as a new RN?

[labrador4122, RN]

I prefer day shift, but was offered only night positions

[labrador4122, RN]

I want to get healthy for the new year, and obviously my new career as an RN.

But I can't do it alone.

anyone recomend...... weightwatchers? jenny craig? LAwt loss? nutrisystem?

which is the cheapest?

I need help from people that have gone that path!

[iwannabeanurse06]

I prefer day shift, but was offered only night positions

I prefer days too but would rather have nights over evening shift because the evening shift takes too much family time away. I was offered nights or evenings and I ended up taking a night position that starts in Feb08. Some very lucky classmates of mine got days but I think it's rare! For me it was more important where I worked and what kind of training I got then the shift for others it's different!

[Tait, MSN, RN]

My first nursing job was an 8 hour shift. I refuse to do 3-11 because I think it is an awful shift on most general med-surg floors. Meals, meds, doctors, family etc. I saw so many new grads take this position and then end up hating nursing in a few months.

I initially took the night shift as a new grad because I knew, for me, that night shift offered me the ability to learn the hospital at a slower pace, spend more time looking up information on my patients, time to slow down with medications, and a golden opportunity to comfort a person at sometimes the worst time, night.

I have now moved and work on an intermediate cardiac floor, 12 hours. First off I love the 12 hours. 3 days on and I am done for the week! I get a little burst of busy from 7-12 and then I get my regular "me and my pts" time.

It is interesting because at my new hospital they are constantly trying to get me to swap to days. However I see how hectic it can be shipping pts off to procedures, dealing with docs, families and *lol* awake pts!

Anyway, I would suggest Weight Watchers if you need a program to motivate you. My friend showed me thier support site and it looks like they really get out there to make it easy.

Best of luck!

Tait

[Piki]

My job is days or eves. No nights (which I'm glad, I'm not a night person and I think it would be too tough with family and children to adapt to switching between sleeping at night and then working all night. Just my take).

Both shifts have their pros/cons. Day shift tends to be the craziest from the getgo - with blood sugars to get, 7:30 meds, 8:00 meds, 9:00 meds, etc. More orders changing from the drs rounds, more tests, etc. AM care (mostly the CNAs do that but once in a while you have to help out on your pts). Eve shift tends to be a little slower paced, but now most of our admissions come on evening, just last week we were hit with 6 new admissions over a 2 hour period. NUTS. And unfortunately we don't usually have a unit secretary past 7 p.m. so it can get real hairy putting together the charts and taking off orders. I do like that you don't typically have as many meds to pass so you can take a little more time at the beginning of the shift with each pt.

[theatredork]

I prefer working days as a new grad, but come from working nights for 2 years. The switch has been a bit rough, but I'm managing. I'm actually orienting on days, an then I'll switch to nights in a few months. I'm talking about 12-hour shifts as well.

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

My job is both days & nights. I prefer days for having a social life, but nights for the slowed down pace.

[jessiern, BSN, RN]

My family will not allow me to work nights. I tried it for a year. Worst year of my life. I couldn't sleep, so I lost tons of weight, developed an ulcer, stayed sick, cried all the time. I was a mess. And I was young then. I was only 19.

19...with an ulcer no less!

[jessiern, BSN, RN]

I much prefer days. I tried nights for a year, I was a mess. I couldn't sleep at all. Lost tons of weight. Ended up with an ulcer.

Do you know many 19 year olds with ulcer?

And it was so boring. No doctors to push around

[jessiern, BSN, RN]

Sorry..didn't mean to double post. The first one didn't show up until I posted the second one. My computer went a little crazy

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I personally like nights, but it's not for everyone. It's taken me a long time to get used to sleeping in the day while I'm working then switching back to 'normal people' rhythym when I'm off.

.

[Peri]

Nights

Started when my daughter was a baby and now I prefer them as I don't have to see management too much.

Management - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr