ICU Night Shift--Good or Bad?

[Summitk2]

I'm sure like many CRNA wannabe's, I work night shift 7p-7a (and day shift is years away for me, with too many "well-seasoned" nurses waiting for 65). Sometimes I wonder if this may be a detriment to my anesthesia applications, especially since I work in a private hospital with no residents. What I'm getting at, is that I don't have much of the interaction with physicians and daytime procedures, etc. that takes place on dayshift. It would be especially great to get a reference letter from one of our very experienced intensivists, but my only contact with them is by phone from our "eICU." Do you think night shift is a bad thing for anesthesia school?

On the flip side, I like to think that perhaps working nights is a good thing!? I don't have an intensivist or a cardiac PA out in the hallway. I make a lot of clinical judgements on my own, like drawing labs or running 12-leads then calling the surgeon or cardiologist at home with results and interpretation, in addition to presenting the problem.

Has this come to the surface in any of your anesthesia interviews/applications? Has anyone felt held back by being on night shift? Thanks!

Summitk2

[hoy_tulog_na]

Hey Summit,

I dont think working nights/days has any bearing to CRNA applications. I worked nights most of my ICU career and have been accepted to a CRNA program of my choice. I think what the app committee is looking for the acuity of the patients that you take care of (experience), grades, references, and GRE (if you need it). Well hope this helps.

[PinsAndNeedles]

Did you notice how your "flip side" sounded AWESOME? That's exactly what you should emphasize during your interview. The interviewers want to know that you are capable of critical thinking and that you can make a judgement call w/o someone to tell you exactly what to do. I've worked night shift my whole nursing career and I'm sure you've had some crazy nights where the MD doesnt call back or theres back-to-back codes. But dont play up the fact that its a private hospital. I think they perfer a teaching hospital where you work in collaboration w/ dont-know-it-all residents. Good luck to you!

[magno79]

Here is the way I see it. As a new nurse, nights is the way to go. It is slower paced and provides more time for learning and understanding what is going on. As you get the basics out of the way, you should go to days. There is so much more going on and so much more to see. You are involved more in procedures and tests. You get a chance to learn beyond to basics.

As far as anesthesia schools go, I had three interviews this year and not one asked if I worked days or nights. They don't care. It is just the time spent and quality of ICU you are working in. (Level 1, Teaching)

As far as letters go. I have talked with several Deans from several schools. They all say that they really want nurses to write the letters for you. Someone that works beside you daily, that really knows what kind of nurse you are. Not someone that you talk to three minutes out of a 12 hour shift. Have a Charge Nurse, your unit manager and a preceptor write you letter. It also looks good to shadow a CRNA and have them write a letter for you. Bottom line, it doesn't mean a thing if you have a letter of rec from the leading neuro surgeon at your hospital. They would rather see one from the nurse that trained you into the ICU.

[ctucker]

I worked Nights for 8 years in a place just like you described got into the CRNA school of choice first time. I can also tell you that not having residents and MD in the hospital with me at night and having to make my own decisions has helped me alot in crna school.