What's the hardest shift to work in?

Nurses General Nursing

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My vote's for swing shift with am shift a close second. Nights is the dullest shift.

I've worked in SNF, Long Term, Medical Surgical, and Intensive Care for 14 years, so that's my experience with those 3 shifts.

Keep in mind that I've never worked 12 hour shift as a licensed nurse.

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My vote is for 11-11 or 3-3 at my old job in a level 1 trauma center...you RAN for 12 hours straight......

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Specializes in ER.

I just got home at about 0430 from my 3-3 shift in the ER, leaving them with a full house of patients. You come in with it is busy and you leave and it is still busy! Night shift dull?? Never in the life of an ER nurse. That is when the most interesting folks drop by!

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my vote is for 7-7 nights, only for that hour between 4 and 5 when all you want to do is take a nap.

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I just got home at about 0430 from my 3-3 shift in the ER, leaving them with a full house of patients. You come in with it is busy and you leave and it is still busy! Night shift dull?? Never in the life of an ER nurse. That is when the most interesting folks drop by!
Well...duh :uhoh3: you're working in the ER.

btw, I WANT TO WORK IN THE ER!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

91WM6 - if you are still in the military - ask for a transfer. If a civilian - talk to a level one trauma center. ERs are NEVER dull or conversely if they are - LOOK OUT!

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The hardest shift to work is obviously whatever shift I am currently on :rolleyes:

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I don't think there is anyway to say one shift is harder than the other.. Each shift is just different...

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I agree with 3pm-3am... most of the time I just ran and ran and ran. But that all depends on everything. never can tell in the ER except you just know its going to be bad with certain docs, certain events and, of course, the moon.

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Specializes in Everything but psych!.

It depends on the unit. Day shift is hardest on the feet and legs. Night shift is hardest on the body. P.M. shift is a combination of the two. In summary, they all add up to "hard." :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
ALL of them!! :chuckle

I agree! They all have their disadvantages. Physically I think 7p to 7a over the long term is tough. But I've also done shift rotations, two weeks of 7p to 7a and two weeks of 7a to 7p and for me that was the most difficult of all the schedules I've had since.

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Rotating shifts are evil, evil, evil

Night shifts are hard on the body and, in my unit, tend to be more hectic and unpredictable...no planned inductions or c-sections for us - no siree! We get the baby of the 14-year old who came to the ER with "abdominal pain", swears she's a virgin, and delivers a 26-weeker. Of course, since she was a virgin and all, there was no prenatal care. Then, there are the nuchal cords, loss of fetal heart tones, newborn with HR of 40 failing to accelerate, baby delivered by a police officer on an emergency call, previously unknown transposed great vessels or coarct of aorta, all sorts of "fun" surprises.

Day shifts are hard as well - they get surprises too, but for the most part they tend to admit the planned inductions and c-sections. There are also more people around to help, both in L&D and in the unit, should problems arise. The downside of days is all the people running around in there - therapies, students, interns, residents, family members everywhere, scheduled tours, volunteers, etc. It creates a rather hectic atmosphere -- even makes the babies crazy! And who wants to get out of their bed at some cold, dark hour of morning to get up and go to work - YUCK!!

Nursing is tough, period! No matter what the shift.

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