Why are dayshift nurses so grouchy?

Nurses Relations

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I recently read a post in this forum that mentioned something about dayshift nurses were rude and grouchy. In my experience I've noticed the same thing. I've worked all shifts and it seems on days the nursing staff is grouchier and can be rude, even where i work now. Is it because there's more administrative staff around during the day? Or is the work load more overwhelming?

I work nights now and love it, even though the staffing is decreased, we get along great and it's rather laid back in attitude. We are quit busy, some nights with hardly time for a lunch break, but over all it is a nice shift. I admit I love the fact we don't have administration breathing down our necks!

Where I work we are short staffed over all and are always hiring new people, they come and orientate on days and usually quit before they are oriented to evenings or nights. Most of the complaints have been that they staff is rude and don't get along well. Does anyone else have this problem??

If so perhaps we should start our new employees orientating on nights, then evenings and finally nights, maybe they wouldn't quit and wouldn't judge the entire nursing staff by the treatment they recieved from dayshift.

Comments/opinions????

Hey! I am a 7A-7P nurse on a busy cardiac unit! Grouchy? I don't think we are- it is the night shift that freaks out if they find out a patient was discharged by the doc at shift change and they might have to do the dc instructions and take the pt out to the lobby. It is the night shift that literally argues over their assignment because there might be an empty bed- and GOD forbid more than one admission in the night!!!

BUT we really all get along on the unit! Despite some minor resentments on both ends

While there seems to be more grouchy nurses on day shift (evening shift places second on the scale), night shift staff usually tends to be more relaxed, despite the lower staffing levels and moderately frequent increases in workload.

Having worked days (occasionally), I found that it is hard to accomplish a lot on days because there are so many administrative type parading around and getting in the way of patient care. If they would take their lab coats and clipboards and head back to the salad bar in the cafeteria, the job of day shift nursing would be easier.

Granted, most of the tests for admitted patients are done during the day. This is something that cannot be changed. On nights, at least in the ER, the work is strictly patient care, and that is why I enjoy it much more. Night shift brings more of the alcohol and drug abusers, but also a lot of the cardiac and respiratory patients, too.

In the hospital where I used to work, many of the day-shift patients were in the ER because their PMD's did not have time to see them, and told them to, "go to the ER." Then again, a lot of people drag their babies out of bed with a minor cold and bring them in at 3 a.m.; worse yet, some of these will call an ambulance for this stuff (so they can be "seen quicker").

I will always prefer nights over the other shifts; I do 8-hr and 12-hr shifts.

Jerry

I'll tell you what makes me grouchy as a day nurse. I get upset when the other shifts don't do their share of ambulations, dressing and IV changes,etc. On day shift we are expected to do it, as well as deal with doctors, family, carry out treatment orders, assist with procedures, etc. Today I came back to work and took my same team back. I had passed on a bid dressing change to the oncoming RN because we had 11 admits and I sent a fresh MI to CCU after assisting the doctor in stabilizing the pt for over an hour. Anyway, I come back on and the nurse says, "I couldn't do it, it was just so crazy last night." I don't understand why, there was no patient movement that night. This meant I had to hurry in and change the dressing before the doctor came in and thought we were all total morons. Day nurses are grouchy because stuff like this happens all the time. When these things are missed, it is the day nurse that must face the wrath of docs, administrators, etc. No wonder!

I have worked all the shifts, just finished a month and a half of nights. Nights offer a more relaxed atmosphere, not less busy just less busy-work. No families to deal with, family interaction stresses the heck out of me; the docs dont make rounds, (the attending-the consults- and the residents-then the attending again and the intensivist in my unit); only very necessary tests are done at night so no trying to take a patient with 8 IV drips, an art line and a PA catheter and a ventilator to MRI/CT/Flouroscopy etc. Daylight is so full of interruptions that I do get a little more stressed. I try to maintain a smile but I am sure I frown at times. I am not sure why we do that, it takes a whole lot more muscles to muster a frown than a smile.(I dont remember how many exactly, maybe someone out there can help on that one)

smile.gif smile.gif Deanna

I am a relatively new nurse. I presently work 11-7. The nurses that I give report to in the morning are something else. They act as if only they can give care to the patients, the rest of the shift are just babysitters. I would like to throw in the towel but I don't know but that it is the same everywhere.

I really think it is a individual/personality thing although the idea that nurses who have been around longer(days by seniority) being jaded may hold true. I have found that nurses who have been around longer are generally snappier in that they don't take any unneccessary shit from docs, family and patients which actually allows them more time to do what their job requires. I actually see this as an area that I could improve on.

I work primarily days because the hours are necessary. If I wasn't forced to get up, I'd sleep my whole day away! I am lucky enough to be a pretty happy person so I don't represent the "grumpies", and even on days that are so bad that I do scowel, my patients never see it(sorry co-workers).

As far as shift to shift differences, each has their friendly vs. unfriendly people. Our hospital has increased the amounts of their shift differentials considerably and many of the off shift nurses ask me why in the world would I want to work that much harder for less money? I see that as recognition that there is more to be done/inturruped with on days but it helps the shift go by fast. As I get older and don't want to work so hard, the differentials may start to make up for my sleeping too much!

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