starting night shift as new grad

[ArrowRN, BSN, RN]

For anyone who has done this I am starting my first job as GN it will be night shift. Some orientation will be days but I will be permanently nights after that. Some one stated nights I won't get lots of experience as new grad, what are you guys take on this? Besides the pay being why I took this nights Personally I'm introvert and I think days will just be too engaging for me and drive me nuts. I heard lots of introverts choose nights anyways so I feel lucky. Does nights really put me at disadvantage as far as experience?

[bcandygurl]

I'm sure you will do fine. It depends on what floor you are working on though. Depending on what floor you work on you may get less admissions and discharges. You also don't have to worry about OT, PT, RT, and residents and physicians rounding. So as far as that experience yes you may be missing out. That is actually why I want to start on the night shift though. It is extremely busy during the day with the various healthcare providers.

[ArrowRN, BSN, RN]

ill be on a regular med-surg floor. i dont think ill miss anything as far as patient care tho. the doctors are only there for 5 mins anyways. i like autonomy and could do without those headaches plus the managers that round.

[CardiacKittyRN]

I don't think you miss out on nursing skills on nights. I started on nights (and stayed!) on a cardiac progressive floor. We get admissions frequently, but rarely do discharges so I'm not experienced in that aspect. As for pt care, primarily night shift changes out IVs and central line dsgs, wound care, and we recover a lot of postcath pts. Most pts don't have as much medication at night.. But we still give a fair amount. There is so much to learn when you're brand new.. I think the pace on nights is better for that..

[ArrowRN, BSN, RN]

i agree the pace will be better for me. I like to take things in so that sounds cool. all I'll need is a bolus if caffine if only I drank coffee

[scaredsilly, BSN, RN]

On that floor your admits will be from the ER mostly on night shift, so you are going to see a bit of everything. You may not start a lot of IVs, but otherwise you should not lack experience. A lot of hospitals like to put new grads on nights because the pace is slower and you can learn more without as much chaos around you. To manage nights, you will need to adjust your sleep cycle so that even on your nights off, you sleep a little like you are working. Stay up as late as possible and sleep as much during the day as possible on your days off. If you try to live like a day person when you are off, and a night person when you are working, your body will never adjust. I NEVER go to bed before 0600 and sleep until around 1500 every day even though I only work 3 days a week. It took me less than two weeks to get used to nights. Eat like you are on a night shift too! "Lunch" for me is around 0100 every day. It really does make a difference. I am no more tired than if I worked days and I feel great on night shift!

[canigraduate]

I started on nights and I think it was very beneficial. After the crazy rush of med pass, my preceptor and I had more time to look up policies/procedures and go over each patient's condition and the pathophys involved. I learned so much that I still use today.

I second scaredsilly's post. Don't try to flip-flop days and nights. Try to keep a consistent schedule on your days off. It will make a world of difference in your success.

[AmyRN303, BSN, RN]

I started nights as a new nurse two weeks ago. We had two months of day orientation and now two months of night orientation, give or take a few days. It's a totally different beast, and I love it. Sleeping during the day can be a challenge (my kids are off today for Election Day....I'm going back in at 7p and here it is 2p and they woke me up for a quasi emergency....can't get back to sleep) but usually I'm so tired I get a good 6 hours uninterrupted. I work step down, and we are busy 24/7, many new admits at night, many transfers at night to one of the ICUs....I find the pace to be so much more manageable at night than it is during the day. If nothing else, the lack of extra people milling about the floor cuts down on the stress level. If I need a doc, I page them. We are a teaching hospital so the on call residents and interns are in the hospital 24/7. I get a phone call back quickly if I need to talk about a critical lab or status change. The general feel of my coworkers is different as well, and I've found I have a lot more time to get to know them than I did on days, which brings my comfort level up greatly. I know I can count on any one of them if I have a question or concern.

Good luck! I hope you love it! I'd never worked an overnight in my life previous to this position, and was nervous, but all in all, I'm really happy I chose nights.

[DatMurse]

i agree the pace will be better for me. I like to take things in so that sounds cool. all I'll need is a bolus if caffine if only I drank coffee

like 4 dollars for a big pack at walmart.