Too soon to ask about going part time or to day shift?

chacha82, ADN, BSN · Mar 22, 2017

I definitely understand how difficult it is to sleep during the day; I did straight nights over a year and a half. However, if you were hired for full-time, that's what they expect from you. I agree with others, wait until orientation is over to ask.

imenid37 · Mar 22, 2017

You accepted this job and if you like it, you need to try to see what you can do to make it work. Certainly, put yourself on the "list" for days when you are able. However, realize that this may not be an absolute guarantee that you will be transferred to day shift once a position opens and it is your "turn." Things happen. For example, if a very senior coworker needs to take care of a family member with medical needs, for example,they may be bumped to days ahead of you. This situation happened recently to a friend and there were many tears and complaints about NM to administration, etc. Sometimes, once the pressure of orientation is over, it gets better. You may really like your night shift coworkers and want to make it work. If your spouse /SO is a 5 day a week daytime worker,maybe working a lot of Friday nights would allow you to sleep on Saturdays. Will you miss out on some family activities or have to do them later in the day? YES. If you need sleep,it might be worth it. The bottom line is that nursing is a 24/7 job. When you had your kids, you wanted great nurses to be there on nights to take care of you. A great care team has people who are committed and stick with it long term. When people keep floating in and out because they are there until something better comes along,they are thinking about where they are going, not where they are. Give it some time and look at your whole situation. See if you can do some different things with your time and fit in some balance. Maybe your kids go to activities which could be adjusted (or even eliminated) to better fit your sleep schedule. If the situation is better overall for the family, you might need to change it up for your kids. A lot of hospitals require full time hours during orientation even for part-time jobs,especially without experience. This can be a problem for some people, but many can work it out temporarily. However, I wonder why you accepted a full-time job, if you have kids and you are wiling and able to afford to work part-time. This happens all of the time too, nurses really, really want an MCH position, so they agree to something that doesn't work for them. Then it doesn't work. I don't want to sound mean, but I have been in on multiple interviews over the past several years and seen this. The result is that what had been a stable work group become unstable because people take a job on a shift or for an amount of time which does not work for them. I hope you can work it out so you can stay in the job that you like for at least a couple of years.

newnurse085 · Mar 22, 2017

I get what you're saying and like I said above, I'm sticking with the job no matter what and have no intentions of leaving. I accepted it because women's health is all I want to do and being a somewhat new-ish nurse, that schedule was my only option. Also, I had never worked nights so I had no idea how they would work for me. In fact, the manager herself mentioned the waiting list for days as something I could consider in my interview, so I know it's not a completely taboo subject. I guess what I really wanted to gauge were opinions on when is the right time to request to be put on the list.

DeeAngel · Mar 22, 2017

Do and say nothing until you are off orientation unless you are ok with the risk of being terminated.

DeeAngel · Mar 22, 2017

I get what you're saying and like I said above, I'm sticking with the job no matter what and have no intentions of leaving. I accepted it because women's health is all I want to do and being a somewhat new-ish nurse, that schedule was my only option. Also, I had never worked nights so I had no idea how they would work for me. In fact, the manager herself mentioned the waiting list for days as something I could consider in my interview, so I know it's not a completely taboo subject. I guess what I really wanted to gauge were opinions on when is the right time to request to be put on the list.

You are making a huge assumption to think that they will allow you to stick with the job. They hired you for one specific job and now you want a different job. Moving to day shift is another job position even if your are doing the same duties. During the orientation period they may very well decide to terminate you and hire someone else since you are no longer willing to do what you were hired to do. Tread carefully.

serenity1 · Mar 22, 2017

I work mother-baby and we just had this exact thing happen. We were terribly short on night shift and hired a few nurses. One of the new nurses that was hired for full-time nights asked/demanded to go days, part-time, or prn as the full-time, night shift did not work for her family. She was 2 shifts from being off orientation. She was let go half way through her shift that night. The manager reasoned that if she was already not happy with the position she was hired for, she would be a difficult employee or quit as soon as she found something else. It was all in her presentation, though. Had she waited until orientation was over and just asked to be put on the list (we have a list for days and part-time), she would have been fine. And it would not have taken long to get what she wanted. I would wait until orientation was over, too. Just my 2 cents, though. :)

amzyRN · Mar 22, 2017

I think it's too early. Wait till you are off probation and working for a few months. It might be offputting to ask for this so soon.

newnurse085 · Mar 22, 2017

Well I'm definitely glad I got some input on this! I am going to wait to ask about getting on the list for day shift until I'm at least done with orientation and working successfully on my own for a while.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 22, 2017

Thats good to know. Is this usually 90 days at most hospitals?

Probationary periods vary and can be as much as six months. If you don't keep your nose clean, so to speak, it can be even longer. Best to stay under the radar as much as possible until you're off probation.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 22, 2017

You have nothing to loose by asking. Night shifts are impossible for some people. Be honest with your manager , you know your limitations. You may not get your wish granted but putting yourself on a waiting list can't hurt. At my floor you can't switch until it's been 6 months but I'm sure every place has their own rules. Also if they have a dayjob available and can't fill it you might be in luck!

I believe this is a situation where asking CAN hurt and you DO have something to lose. The OP was hired for full time nights; that means they want her to work full time nights. Asking for something different a month in is going to put her on the radar, and I don't think it's wise to risk it.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 22, 2017

It is hard to do nights when you have kids up and running around at home while you are trying to sleep, in fact it is dang near impossible. I would ask now, you have been there long enough. It isn't like you are asking for days.

I must have missed where there is something that has changed about the kids since the OP took the full time night shift position.

newnurse085 · Mar 22, 2017

I must have missed where there is something that has changed about the kids since the OP took the full time night shift position.

Wow that's kind of rude. I have never tried night shift and am just having a problem sleeping during the day which I didn't anticipate. Anyway thanks to you all who posted honest and helpful advice! I'm definitely taking your opinions into account and staying on nights for the foreseeable future. Jobs like this are hard to come by and if I have to be extra tired for awhile, so be it!