Shift wars

[allele]

Hi everybody. I tried doing a search for this topic, but couldn't find much pertaining to my question. Does anybody here work in a hospital where something is done to curb animosity between shifts? I'm finally just tired of it. The day shift thinks nights does nothing, the evening shift thinks days only has three patients and should be able to do more, the night shift thinks the evening shift leaves too much for them to do. We've all heard these things, and I'm actually not immune. I've complained myself about other shifts. Now my goal for the next year is to NOT complain, but try to find ways to help ourselves work more as a team. What I REALLY wish we could do is have everyone walk in everyone else's shoes. Just work each shift for about a month. Of course we can't do this, but I think it would go a long way to help in understanding the obstacles that other shifts have to contend with. Does anyone have any ideas? I'd certainly appreciate it!! Thanks! :)

[bklynborn]

I too have worked all three shifts as well as 12 hour nights and days. There is NO EASY shift. each one has it's share of misery. Days works hard and gets paid less. They have to deal with all the other disciplines such as OT and also pts leaving the floor all day for this test and that test. MD's and consultants come in and write new orders throughout the shift that have to be processed and executed. At the end of day shift right before shift change the ED usually wants to send pts to the floor. This is hard for both days and eves due to shift change, who takes report????

Eves comes on to find pts without assessments done who are mid transfer from ED....they Have to do all their Pic's and assessments before dinner and then deal with family members and docs who come in after office hours. (why is some docs think theirs is the only pt on the floor?) Orders have to be processed and executed and then there are the family members.....and at the end of shift ED of course wants to transfer pts.

Nights comes on into the same confusion eves did. Some staff members have had a hard time sleeping and are sleep deprived. Often there is not enough staff scheduled because staffing seems to think pts sleep at night (we know better) You may get paid the most but you never have enough energy or time to do spend your money cause you are too busy on your day off (staffing seems to think one day off is sufficient for a noc shift worker sometimes) trying to catch up on your sleep.

We are not in a perfect world by any means. We have chosen this profession. People sometimes have bad days when no matter what they do they end up behind.

Don't assume bad intent. Be positive, be kind. Someday you will be the one on the firing line.

[ikelly]

Hi everybody. I tried doing a search for this topic, but couldn't find much pertaining to my question. Does anybody here work in a hospital where something is done to curb animosity between shifts? I'm finally just tired of it. The day shift thinks nights does nothing, the evening shift thinks days only has three patients and should be able to do more, the night shift thinks the evening shift leaves too much for them to do. We've all heard these things, and I'm actually not immune. I've complained myself about other shifts. Now my goal for the next year is to NOT complain, but try to find ways to help ourselves work more as a team. What I REALLY wish we could do is have everyone walk in everyone else's shoes. Just work each shift for about a month. Of course we can't do this, but I think it would go a long way to help in understanding the obstacles that other shifts have to contend with. Does anyone have any ideas? I'd certainly appreciate it!! Thanks! :)

Hi,

I think what you may be looking for is info on horizontal violence. Lots of info on why we treat each other so poorly. Google the term horizontal violence.

There is a great article by Caroline Hastie about the topic and suggestions on how we can avoid it. Check out http://www.acegraphics.com.au/articles/hastie02.html

I hope this helps your search.

Ida