What's your favorite shift to work?

ChristineAdrianaRN, BSN, RN · Apr 22, 2011

I work nights and at first I loved it, also as a self-proclaimed "night-owl", but now I can't wait to switch to days.

I love my coworkers and I love the pace of nights. But I've been having a really hard time with the opposite sleep schedule. I try to shut my door, turn off my phone, but of course when I forget to turn off my phone I get three phone calls waking me up. People knock on my door. Upstairs neighbor clomping around (had to go up there and explain that I work nights and PLEASE to not be blasting your music/bass at 9am when I'm going to bed). My cats still don't understand why I come home and sleep during the day and insist on batting at my face or scratching at the door. Construction going on outside, or next door neighbors on their back porch (by my window) talking and laughing). Even when I don't have all these distractions? My body still refuses to let me have an opposite circadian rhythm. I wake up at least two or three times during the day, usually. And then when my week is done I have to switch myself over to days if I want to get anything done during business hours, and then back to nights. It's wreaking havoc on my health.

When I go to days, however, I refuse to work on the floor, because it's incredibly hectic, and sometimes those day nurses have more patients than we do on nights (usually they have 6 or 7). And at least on my floor, the nurses and staff have really poor attitudes (honestly, I don't blame them - they are completly sh*t on by the system). So I don't know if I'd like days either! When I go to days I'm hoping to go to ICU or something else that is not med/surg type nursing.

Right now I'm completely jaded by my job so I don't know if I really have the best answer for you, heh.

caliotter3 · Apr 22, 2011

Nights. Less to contend with. Can spend more uninterrupted time getting tasks accomplished and less hectic. Peace and quiet for the most part. Also allows for working during the day or evening when lucky enough to have two jobs.

diane227, LPN, RN · Apr 22, 2011

3-11. I am not a morning person. But now I have a 9-5 job, Monday through Friday, what others consider a "normal life". Not for me. I HATE working these hours (but I like my job) because the only time I have time to get stuff done is on the weekend when everyone else has time to do stuff. I miss having my days off during the week. UGH!!

arnie1234 · Apr 22, 2011

yep evenings rule. The best shift I ever worked was 4-12. I had most of the day to do things and still got into bed at a seemingly reasonable hour. I work days now and getting up at 5 am five days per week sucks.

cockatoo2 · Apr 22, 2011

I always like the 3p-1130p shift. But no way would I ever go back to a 40 hour work week. 3 Twelves a week is plenty. :nurse:

Lian · Apr 23, 2011

I work in a nursing home (as an RN) and definitely prefer the evening shifts during the week and the day shifts on the weekend. Dont have to deal with all the admin and therapy staff and management as much. I just prefer to get on with the job without all the weekday interruptions. Amazing how much more resident interaction I achieve on these shifts....and paperwork. Down side...doctors are harder to contact and nursing assistants can be harder to motivate.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Apr 23, 2011

Days. (12's 7a-7p). I like to sleep in, but days fits way better with my family schedule and allows me nights to see my husband.

I used to work evenings 2:45-11 as a CNA at a nursing home. I didn't mind the shift, but if I worked until 11pm, got home at 11:45, went to bed at 12:30, slept until 9:30, got up, ate breakfast, showered, dressed, then I had nearly no time to do anything during the day, because I had to leace around 2pm. So I felt that, even though I worked evenings, my whole day was gone.

Ashley

MandaRN94 · Apr 23, 2011

I worked evening shift for 12 years and loved it! I now in a clinic and work 9-5 and love it even more:yeah:

Poi Dog · Apr 23, 2011

I prefer evenings because the crew is better and micro-management disappears at 4:30 :smokin:

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Apr 24, 2011

I prefer nights. I worked evenings for 10 years, and I got a lot of stuff done during the day, but it's hard to meet people because most people are at work when you're asleep and out when you're at work. I now work days (7am-3pm or 8pm), and I like my job, but I hate having to wake up at 6am.

feelingbetter · Apr 25, 2011

Haven't worked that long, yet... but even as a student my favorite shift is evenings.. Pace is more comfortable, not rushed ike days.. Patients have some "down time with family" and usually finished up with treatments etc. Can do medications and treatments at calmer pace. Like my co workers who also work evenins.. However, not the best situation if you have a family and hard to go home and go "right to bed." Despite all of it.. I am definitely an evening person!!