Switching to day shift blues

Nurses Stress 101

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Recently I was offered a chance to move to day shift at my hospital. I have been agonizing over this decision for quite some time now. As simply as I can explain it, I love everything about my night shift except, well the hours that it occurs. I have been at this position for nearly two and a half years. I keep teetering back and forth, and something in my gut tells me that I should stay put. My decision to move to day shift is purely for the change of hours. My wife works a typical 9-5, we have no children, she is fine with me working nights. Without this post droning on and on about all my concerns, the biggest one is probably the lack of camaraderie that the day shift displays. Our night crew helps each other out, most of us even spend time together outside of work. Day shift, for lack of a better term seems cliquey and a little full of themselves. Some people have even admitted that day shift are not total team players. Not really sure what kind of advice I'm looking for. I almost wish that someone would just decide for me.

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Specializes in L&D, OR, ICU, Management, QA-UR, HHC.

If you have been on nights for over two years and you love it. Stay there. If you can sleep during the day and feel good physically, stay on nights. I've worked everything there is in 40 years and nights with a good crew was the best. We raised our kids while I was on nights and my husband on days (teacher). I was always able to do the important day stuff and sleep later. Now that I am old I can't do the nights anymore, but I also can't do the 12 hr days either. LOL. To me, whenever you find a place in nursing that you love, stay there until you don't love it anymore or your life situation changes. Always, always trust your gut.

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By your post it sounds like you already know what you want to do and should do..which is stay where you are working nights. It doesn't sound like there is really any reason to change to days (i.e. child care issues etc) so why rock the boat - especially when you seem to really like your co-workers and job overall. There will be other opportunities for day shift I'm sure and maybe then it will be the right decision for you but it really sounds like at this time it isn't.

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My unit is exactly the same way. I'm starting school in a week but I like night shift other than the hours and the extra pay is nice, which is why I'll stay on nights as long as I can. The teamwork really makes a difference in staff morale and patient care.

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Follow your gut and stay on nights. Up until a few months ago, I rotated between day shift and night shift and I could see the difference between the people who work days and nights. I prefer nights for the reasons you list. Does this shift to days come with a huge pay differential? Because for 6 months I did straight day shift weekends for $5 more an hour. I hated the day shift but I only did it for the $5/hour differential. If you are not really gaining anything much by working day shift, stay on nights.

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As I was reading your post I felt as though I could of written it myself. Stay on nights. If you are still wanting to make the switch to days in a few months, consider another unit. Do some OT there if possible to find out if you'd like it.

Nights don't get enough credit :-) I love my shift. If you are happy there, stay there! The grass isn't always greener on the other side...

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

If you're happy where you are, stay where you are!

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Specializes in CVOR, CVICU/CTICU, CCRN.

I've turned down my chance to change to days for the same reasons - us night nurses (especially in my critical access facility) have to make do with a skeleton crew until the on-call staff make it in. I'd trust any one of them to have my back in a pinch!

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If you like your current environment then follow your gut, the only advise I can offer is to not rule out days until you try it, it's easy to develop the "us vs them" mentality but you may find that your day shift peers are not as bad as you've heard. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

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Update: Thanks for the opinions everyone! I really appreciate the input. Just to put some closure on the topic, I chose to stay on nights. As soon as I made the decision and informed my manager, I felt so relieved and nearly stress free. I'm an RN stress free doesn't exist in my life! In addition to me being happy, a lot of my fellow night owls were also very happy to hear I was staying. It's good to be loved. Thanks again.

Scoop

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Night shift all the way.

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I always say I would work night shift if it wasn't at night. I wish I was one of those people who was able to adjust to it, but it didn't work for me (I think I'm just biologically a day person!!). There are so many things that aren't an issue on nights that are on days.

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