Should I go to night shift?

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Hello...I'm a new nurse (off of orientation for about 2 1/2 months) on a tele/PCU floor. I work days right now. At first I was totally out of my element but now I'm learning to pick up the pace. Even so, I still feel like I'm doing a poor job. My assessments are soooooo rushed and I feel so guilty that I can't take my time on certain things. I make sure I ALWAYS take time with meds....but I feel like everything else I do is so half-a$$ed. I don't like this feeling. The other thing is that I'm never able to chart until later in the day and I think my charting suffers because nothing is fresh in my mind.

Should I ask my manager to switch to night shift? Will I have more time to slow down and do a better job? I don't know what to do! :uhoh3:

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

I may not be an objective responder because I have worked nights for years and far prefer it to days. (for all the reasons posted here) I just have never been a morning person and not having to yank myself out of bed in the morning and try to be a functioning member of society in the morning has been the very best thing for me personally. So I would be the first to recommend nights....

But first, give yourself a HUGE break and acknowledge yourself profusely for surviving those first couple of months as an RN! Way to go.

As far as assessments on the day shift, yes they are FAST! When you get report from the prior shift, make a mental note on who of your patients will require more attention, other than that, do your best to fly through those assessments. Are they breathing, are they in pain, do they feel cared about.... investigate vital signs that are out of the norm. You will learn to trust your gut about who needs the most attention and that is OK, we all do it.

Keep on keeping on!

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Hello...I'm a new nurse (off of orientation for about 2 1/2 months) on a tele/PCU floor. I work days right now. At first I was totally out

I started out on days after graduation...I hated it...too many people in the station all day, phones ringing off the wall, fax machines constantly humming, meds out the wazoo, pt constantly needing something, etc...I had noise overload...I learned alot but I was constantly in overload...went on nights had an extra pt or two...because less people worked on night shift...it was still busy...but alot more peaceful....I definitely like nights...they seem to fly by...don't get me wrong...some nights are hell and I have to stay a over doing paperwork...but it's well worth it. This is just my opinion.

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