What do you like most?

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2013

Shift diff. No managers.

Caffeine_IV · Mar 25, 2013

Shift diff, better control of chaos, less family in/out

More space at the desk, nobody taking my charts

Patients sleep. Not always but quite often.

I can eat at the desk.

Management and other office staff not there

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Mar 25, 2013

* Fewer family members.

* Less turnover of patients, however there have been times where a bunch of patients get discharged between 1800-1900 and then we get slammed with admits (that isn't fun!) but it doesn't happen often.

* No "higher ups" or management other than the nursing supervisor, and we get along great with our nightshift supervisors.

* Higher pay. They pay you peanuts to work days and for the amount of stuff you have to deal with, it just isn't worth it. I figured out that if I switched to days, I would be making between $600-$800 LESS compared to working nights. That's just too hard of a pill for me to swallow, honestly. I'm also a night person by default...I don't function well early in the morning.

* No other disciplines (PT, OT, speech, etc). The only ones we deal with are x-ray/MRI/CT.

* Usually less meds to give - I said it! I mean, think if you end up having all of your patients (say, 6 patients total) that are diabetic. During the daytime you have to check their blood sugars three times and cover them three times. On nights it's only once, but you may get the occasional patient where we need to check their sugars every 4 hours or every 6 hours.

* Teamwork. We have a great sense of camaraderie on night shift. We are always helping each other and we get along great with each other. I've noticed on days the nurses and the CNAs do not even help each other!

* It's generally quieter, though not always.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Mar 26, 2013

About night shift. Starting this week on night shift and I need some moral support :)

In general, newer nurses work the night shift. I found them generally to be far more helpful, fun, and nicer to be around than many of the ever-complaining burnout cases on days.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Mar 26, 2013

I like the people you work with. Night shifters are just different and it is a good thing.

julz68 · Mar 26, 2013

I worked nights as a CNA for 12 years and loved it! We were like a family and even had annual camping trips together...and occasionally go to breakfast after a shift for eggs & beer :)

Now that I'm an RN, I am in the middle of orientation and my first night shift was not the norm. It was crazy busy and I didn't even get my lunch break until 0515. My first 4 weeks I was on days and it reconfirmed why I love night shift. A different breed indeed. :)

jschut, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2013

I LOVE night shift! What I don't like is sleeping all day...