Weaker nurses at night?

AOx1 · May 23, 2009

That is an assumption. And you know what they say about assumptions! I do know in some areas, new nurses may be required to start on night shift, but that doesn't mean they will be weak, just new. I have worked both night and day shift, and although nights weren't quite as hectic (nearly so!) I did have to be much more independent as most hcp and admins weren't around readily at that hour.

Honestly, I would dismiss the comments as lack of knowledge. It is also possible that the physician resents being called at night! Welcome to medicine, it's part of the job.

There are excellent and capable nurses on every shift, lazy and incompetent nurses on every shift, and new and inexperienced nurses on every shift. The key is to try to support each other, serve as a resource for one another, and not try to tear each other down. It's pretty pitiful really. Even in kindergarten, I don't remember being mean to the "afternoon" class of students, but yet we think it's ok to make these comments about other shifts. We will all occasionally leave things not done for the next shift. This is what happens when management refuses to provide adequate staffing to ANY shift. Just like no one truly understands how difficult it is to be a nurse unless they've been there, we can't really understand how someone else's shift went unless you worked it. Time for us to put on our big girl and big boy pants and stop whining about each other. Lately there seem to be a lot of threads the read more like subtle insults/passive aggressiveness towards other shifts than true inquiry, but maybe I'm just tired of hearing it and am overly sensitive.

dekatn · May 23, 2009

Since I work nights I have to disagree, I don't consider myself or my coworkers weak in any shape form or fashion. I think if you work nights, especially at a small hospital like I am in, you have to be on top of things, because you don't have the backup that days has. We have to be prepared for anything and are each others backup, until somebody can be called in if needed. We have to have excellent assessment skills and know our pt. baselines in order to detect changes that might require calling the doc at ungodly hours of the night. We are responsible for our pt. for 12, sometimes VERY long hours w/o the benefit of extra help that you may have on days. If we need something ASAP we have to call somebody in, which in many cases depending on the service, can be up to an hour. So, no, I don't think night shift nurses are weaker, I'm not saying we are better, I'm just saying, we have to have all our poop in a pile before calling a doc in the middle of the night and getting treated like an idiot. Some docs may think we are weaker because we refuse to do their job for them while they get a good nights sleep.

SoundofMusic · May 23, 2009

I guess that might be a common misconception, but it's definitely not true on our unit. Our night nurses are as "strong" or stronger than many of our dayshift. Ours just prefers to work nights to get away from crazy management, docs, and family members on days. They also like the higher pay. If they prefer the sleep sacrifice and sleeping all through the next day, that's their preference. I prefer days so I can maintain my sleep rhythms -- to some it's not as important.

Many of our night nurses have a tad bit more time to really dig into charts and can unlock some of the confusion I have, personally, with certain cases. Nursing is 24 hour job -- I think both shifts work together for the good of the patient and no one should doubt the abilities of either shift.

I think I've strengthened my time management skills from day shift, and strengthend my skills on night shift when you have a bit more time to practice them.

Night shift nurses also have less docs at their disposal and have to think through problems on their own -- I think it actually takes a more autonomous and confident nurse to work nights.

I've also honed my phlebotomy skills on nights.

Then again, it takes a strong nurse to cope on days w/ management digging at you every minute, docs around leaving 100 orders per day, family members, etc. It takes a strong night nurse not to judge the dayshift nurse when things are in shambles and they have to fix them for you!

oramar · May 23, 2009

I feel bad for all the fine nurses I know that work night shift. They have to battle these sterotypes like: night shift has nothing to do, weak or bad nurses work on night. I even have run into people that told me that night shift workers are usually people hiding from the law.(that one really made me go cross eyed) None of this is true I know because I worked a fair amount of nights, I was even steady nights for a short time. Mostly I worked nights due to a days/night rotation.

SoundofMusic · May 23, 2009

Hiding from the law . ...now that's a funny one. I'll have to pass that one on to some of my fellow night shift workers . . . they'll surely get a chuckle!

talaxandra · May 23, 2009

I even have run into people that told me that night shift workers are usually people hiding from the law.

Ack! Sprung at last!

dekatn · May 23, 2009

Ack! Sprung at last!

Oh no, I've been found out!!!!

madwife2002, BSN, RN · May 23, 2009

I respect night nurses and the great job they do, I am a day nurse and I love the job they do and they earn every penny of their money for their commitment of night duty

ArwenEvenstar · May 23, 2009

Quote: "Night shift nurses also have less docs at their disposal and have to think through problems on their own -- I think it actually takes a more autonomous and confident nurse to work nights."

:yeahthat:

RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P · May 23, 2009

i actually completly disagree, our noc nurses seem to be our strongest to tell ya the truth. when i need to have someone do a peer review, i always make sure one of them gets one, because i know they will be brutally honest and they know what they are talking about!

just my HO

-H-RN

Cindy-san · May 23, 2009

At my old job, all the senior nurses were on night shift. Better pay and they hated the NM. :wink2:

This job is rather mixed, but there is still plenty of senior staff on nights. And I wouldn't describe any of the nurses on days or nights as being "weak."