switching from nights to days - experiences?

[pinkiepie_RN]

I've been a nurse for about a year now on nights. I've learned some things but lately I've been feeling underwhelmed and wanted a change of pace. Nights has also wrecked my sleep schedule soooo much and it might be easier for me to attend school during the day if I worked days and lived a "day" schedule full-time. My nurse manager recently had trouble with a travel/contract nurse who was started on days and was supposed to switch to nights in 3 weeks or so but she's been having a lot of trouble accomodating to the shift and my NM, after discussion with the other nurse, decided she would switch her to nights earlier and I would be offered a temp (probably at least until September) to permanent position on days.

I've done a few day shifts before (7a-7p) on my unit but I'm a little nervous because I've always just been staying late past my shift or filling in when they were desperate. I know there's an "in crowd" and while I know one of the nurses would willingly take me under her wing, I'm worried that I'll automatically get the hardest patients because I'm actually taking the place of a travel nurse who was having some difficulty picking up things on day shift and is going to nights where she's more comfortable. I'm also worried about backlash from night shift for me switching. Am I worrying too much?

[fungez]

You're worrying too much. I'm a worrier too so I can relate. And most of the time the stuff I worry about doesn't happen or is minimal. Of course, once in a while it's way worse than I worried about, but we won't talk about that.

Worse comes to worse, you can always go back to nights, since nights always has positions open. Give it 'til September and go from there.

[pinkiepie_RN]

Thanks for support from a fellow worrier. It's just a bit shocking to me because I brought this up a few weeks ago, she brought up the position this morning, I go on vacation for a week starting tomorrow and come back next Tuesday on days. Tonight's my last night on night shift and I feel like my night shift co-workers will feel betrayed.

[Redhead28]

I've worked days for the majority of my nursing career. When I moved last year had to start on the night shift, I'm on days again. Nights are busy in a different way than days, so be prepared. Days have more people to deal with: Doctors, therapists, radiology, case management, nutrition etc. All of bustle is sometimes difficult. I don't think they will automatically give you the difficult patients and if they do address it immediately with your charge. Now that I'm a day shifter my night shift nurses prefer to give me report and I understand where they are coming from when they tell me they could not get something done or they did not call the doctor about something. All shifts should have to take a walk in the other's shoes once in a while, it gives you a new appreciation of what the other's have to do.

[pinkiepie_RN]

I've worked days for the majority of my nursing career. When I moved last year had to start on the night shift, I'm on days again. Nights are busy in a different way than days, so be prepared. Days have more people to deal with: Doctors, therapists, radiology, case management, nutrition etc. All of bustle is sometimes difficult. I don't think they will automatically give you the difficult patients and if they do address it immediately with your charge. Now that I'm a day shifter my night shift nurses prefer to give me report and I understand where they are coming from when they tell me they could not get something done or they did not call the doctor about something. All shifts should have to take a walk in the other's shoes once in a while, it gives you a new appreciation of what the other's have to do.

Thanks! I think you're right in that my night shifters might prefer to give me report and vice versa. Your perspective is just what I think I needed to hear. :)

[gentle]

I've been a nurse for about a year now on nights. I've learned some things but lately I've been feeling underwhelmed and wanted a change of pace. Nights has also wrecked my sleep schedule soooo much and it might be easier for me to attend school during the day if I worked days and lived a "day" schedule full-time. My nurse manager recently had trouble with a travel/contract nurse who was started on days and was supposed to switch to nights in 3 weeks or so but she's been having a lot of trouble accomodating to the shift and my NM, after discussion with the other nurse, decided she would switch her to nights earlier and I would be offered a temp (probably at least until September) to permanent position on days.

I've done a few day shifts before (7a-7p) on my unit but I'm a little nervous because I've always just been staying late past my shift or filling in when they were desperate. I know there's an "in crowd" and while I know one of the nurses would willingly take me under her wing, I'm worried that I'll automatically get the hardest patients because I'm actually taking the place of a travel nurse who was having some difficulty picking up things on day shift and is going to nights where she's more comfortable. I'm also worried about backlash from night shift for me switching. Am I worrying too much?

Do what you need to do. This is about your life and your health. And to be quite frank, it doesn't matter what your compadres think or do. If they give you harder assignments then so be it. Learn from the experience and treat them with kindness irregardless. Stay to yourself. Focus only on your patients. You will do GREAT. I believe in you and you can do this.

[pinkiepie_RN]

Do what you need to do. This is about your life and your health. And to be quite frank, it doesn't matter what your compadres think or do. If they give you harder assignments then so be it. Learn from the experience and treat them with kindness irregardless. Stay to yourself. Focus only on your patients. You will do GREAT. I believe in you and you can do this.

Oh I definitely believe in the phrase "kill em with kindness" and although I may be meek at times, I've learned to be more assertive at work and I think I deserve this opportunity!