What shift do you work? Why?

Nurses General Nursing

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My hat is off to all of you great nurses that can get up at the crack of dawn and be ready for anything!!! I have always worked 2nd shift, either 2-10p or 3-11p, mostly because I'm a night person. I like to sleep late and go to bed, probably when many of you are getting up to hit 1st shift. My brain is scrambled until noon but keeps on going till the early morning light. How about everyone else?

I have worked all three shifts but have worked steady 3-11 for past 20yrs. I'm suprised at the amount of others on this thread that like 3-11. Most nurses I work with hate it and they are glad I work it steady so they have to do it less. I started out working 3-11 so I would be opposite my husband. He had the kids when I wasn't home and vice versa. Therefore we didn't need daycare. Kids are teenagers now and I just kept working 3-11. I work ER and it tends to be the busiest shift but there's no management types around, I am the steady charge nurse and I make a little more money with the shift diff. Biggest thing though is as others have said I'm not a morning person, my brain doesn't function much until after 10:00am.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Long Term Care.

I've worked all shifts, day shift mostly during orientation, though. When I first started in a hospital on Med-Surg night shift, I thought that was where I'd always be. I liked the "quieter" time, no docs. or administration to deal with, and I pretty much got enough sleep. However, as a new nurse, with the number of patients I had and also all I had to cover for an LPN, I didn't get to do enough thorough assessments on night shift, and there were so few resource people to help me with my many questions/problems as a new RN. It wasn't until moving to 3-11 shift that I really learned to distinguish different breath sounds, for example, and my confidence and ability to do assessments increased quickly. On 11-7, I always felt bad waking the patients up, too, and often had to reassure, reorient, and calm them after waking them from their deep sleep so I could assess them.

I ended up going to evening shift for a number of reasons related to increasingly intolerable working conditions on nights and because I liked the nurses I got to know on evenings, and I've worked evenings ever since. I like not having to awaken to an alarm clock, I like that I only have to deal with one meal on my shift: dinner, I generally enjoy interacting with families visiting, and I don't care to do the full bed baths, either. Co-workers who've left 3-11 for 7-3 say how much easier it is on day shift, that they some times (I want to emphasize SOME times; they have their share of crazy, non-stop days, too) get to go for a breakfast break as well as lunch, and most of the post-ops, admissions, and post-procedures end up on 3-11 after they're gone for the day. They also have more ancillary help, from PCT's (Aides), to transport (which stops at 5 P.M.), to volunteers. Evening shift also gets all the shave preps, bowel preps, and sundowners, as mentioned previously, but I love my co-workers on evenings and the work is challenging; we work well together as a team, and the shift almost always zooms by with all the usually intense activity and workload.

What I can't imagine is working 7A to 7P with three meals, doing A.M. care, the tons of QD meds (due at 0800), and between 3P and 7P is some of the biggest frenzy of activity imaginable on our Med-Surg floor. :eek:

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I work 7 am to 11 pm Sat. Sun and 3-11 Pm on Monday. I am a nursing supervisor at an upstate New York state community hospital. I love the schedule as it gives me Tues-Fri off. I am a graduate student working on my MSN so this is perfect for me.

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the shifts rnt 2bad, just that im a student, so i have assignments,college and shift work. its constant work!!neva mind, im sure itll b worth it in the end!!:rolleyes:

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i work 11a-11p, 3 days a week.

get to sleep in a little, and get the kids off to school in the am.

it is the busiest time to work (ed), but i like missing ruch hour too!!

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I work 8p-8a for now. Why?, because it was the easiet way for me to get a position in the icu. I just have to wait it out for a few months until someone leaves. turnover is about 20% and I know of 3 people lookking to leave after april.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Long Term Care.

gpip, I know this is getting off the subject, but I've always wondered why there's such a high turnover rate in ICU nursing. Is it more stressful than the ER or Med-Surg? Or is there some other reason? We get a fair amount of turnover in Med-Surg because of the often relentless pace and also, the nurses train on Med-Surg and then leave for specialties elsewhere (like ICU, Telemetry, etc.). Just curious...:confused:

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Specializes in Research,Peds,Neuro,Psych,.

I work 7:30a-4p, M-F. My BODY would like the 3p-11p...would be perfect, however, I would never see my school-aged children if I did that!

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Ewww, Rotating shifts! You guys who can do that, My hat's (nursey cap) off to you!

I worked nights 7p-7a. I was disoriented and sickie the whole time. ICK.

Then I went to 7a-7p. It was "okay" I did the deal working 3 in a row m-t-w and then w-t-f so I had that 6 days off deal, that was cool. We had the Baylor plan and we didn't have to work weekends. The weekend nurses were NOT about to give that up ! But it was neuro and it broke me down, to where I just can't do it any more (back, arm, shoulder injuries).

So then I went to a whole different scene - probably closest to LTC facility in the way it worked. I worked 3-11 and I really thought I'd like that. BUT... I got home about 11:30 or later, and I couldn't just go straight to sleep. Couldn't read in bed, which is the most relaxing thing for me b/c hubby was asleep (it's a teeny room/house - only room for one b/s table, and it's on his side!) and we only had one car, so I'd be falling into bed at about 0200 and up at 0600 to drive hubby to work and daughter to school. I'd take a nap when I got back home, but then it seemed like I was doing nothing but work/sleep/work/sleep. Never accomplished anything.

Now I work office hours, except I have to do a lot of work from home, and I'm salaried now. All in all I really like the office hours the best, although I'd like it better if I got overtime!!! I LOVE not having to work holidays or be on call!!

Love

Dennie

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I am another of those 2nd shift lovers, we work 1445-2315 supposedly. I never really plan on getting out of there till after 2330, in fact as one of my "goals for evaluation" this next year

I plan to put down "leave on time at least once per week" Think the powers that be will accept that as a goal!:chuckle :chuckle

My body and mind do not wake up well till after 10 so eves are the best for me and I have worked them most of my nursing career, plus I love that ride home late at night (only 5 miles) where I get to see the wildlife that is out and I am usually the only one on the road so that if it is snowy or icy,I can drive the middle of the road and avoid the ditches (Rural area!) ;)

Joanne

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Specializes in Geriatrics, LTC.

i work the night shift, 12 hour night shifts to be exact. 6p-6a :eek:

can be very tiring, but i like it, and despite what alot of people and the other shifts think...everyone does not just sleep. the residents in the ltc facility i work in can be up all night or everyone of them sound asleep.

:mad:

i got into this shift just because that was all there was and now i love it. :roll

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I work the 11-7:30 shift in a rehab/long term care facility. I'm the Charge nurse and have to determine, "What is a true emergency for which I wake up the doctor, ambulance crew and family for; and what can I sit on until morning when everyone is working "normal hours". Is a temp of 103 with no respiratory distress an emergency? I'd like to hear some input. Thanks.

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