Switching from nights to days. Any advice appreciated

[darcsyde, BSN, MSN, RN]

Hi everyone,

I'm a new grad nurse who will be making the switch from night shift to days after 6 months in the program. I work on a busy med-surg unit at an academic medical center. One thing I've noticed about the day shift nurses so far is that they all seem to be more stressed and irritable compared to my fellow night shift nurses. There's an impression that day shift is more chaotic, and that night shift nurses tend to have it easier. Does that tend to be the case?

My experience so far is that I really like the night shift nurses. All have been very competent, supportive, and proactive in helping me as a new nurse. I'm nervous I may not get the same from the day shift crew. I'm making the switch mainly because I haven't handled the sleep schedule well and it's really affecting my health. Would appreciate any thoughts on what to expect and any tips on dealing with the schedule change. Thanks in advance!