I work 7a-7p on a busy ICU step down/cardiac unit. All day long we have countless orders to take off, discharges to do, admits, MANY more meds to give, cath lab patients to deal with (along with sheaths to pull sometimes). Sometimes I only have time for a 15 min lunch if I don't want to stay and chart until 9pm.
Then shift change happens, if I pass along one thing like a UA that the night nurse needs to get from the pt or an order that needs to be taken off that was written at 1730 I get annoyed looks, and they generally treat it like I haven't done anything all day. When in reality I've had 5-6 pts, a full admit to do, and have dealt with an emergency or 2.
On top of all that I get paid LESS than a night nurse who passes 2100 meds along with a sleeping pill to each pt then relaxes most of the night?
Rant over.....No diss to night shift, but if you haven't worked days in years you should learn to understand what we go through at times. I know it can be busy on nights at times, but sheesh, I think the night shift on our floor shops online most of the time.
Switch to nights then, it will be sooo easy. You will get paid more and you can shop online while all your patients sleep. Ignorance is bliss. Carry on.
Well, you completely missed the point. But pat yourself on the back for your witty comeback. You got 14 kudos! Whoo Hoo!!
OP; I'm sorry the on-coming shift gives you such a rash about tasks not yet completed. This is an issue with all shifts in my experience. It's not right, we work in a 24hr job. But you asked why the night shift is better paid when it's not as busy.
This is why:
if I had a pulmonary embolism at least I could get out of work and get a full night's sleep!
It's really tough to get people to work that shift. If it wasn't so tough everyone would sign up for a job that pays more and is less busy. It wrecks hell on our bodies. I do better than most but I know I am not as likely to live as long. Guess I don't need as much for retirement!
Um, really? How is that any different than working a holiday DAY? Either way you missed the holiday. 7a-7p doesn't leave much time for family on Christmas either. So, I really don't get your point.
I can't necessarily speak for the poster you were responding to, but there is a difference. When someone works a day shift on Christmas day, they still have all of Christmas eve available to spend with family (or vice-versa if you work a day shift Christmas Eve). If you work a nightshift on Christmas Eve, it's still just one shift, but Christmas Eve is shot since you have to sleep (at least I do before I work a night shift) and Christmas Day is shot as well since I would have to sleep after working all night.
This is why shift differentials sort of even out in the end, there is a certain amount of time that gets 'lost' when you work nights that isn't accounted for in the hours on your paycheck.
night is hard on the body and its the least desirable shift. night shift is known as the shift that breaks up spouses because of the time issue. by it being the least desirable shift, and a shift that anyone doesnt want to work, employers have to compensate by paying at least $2-4 more per hour.
If you have never worked night shift, don't presume to know what they do or do not do. I am not a nurse, but i work with nurses on the night shift, and they NEVER take their measly 30 minute lunches because they can't even afford to lose ONE MINUTE they are so busy. It's people like you that perpetuate the shift wars.
Night shift means you are not compatible with normal society, I get paid for that.
:yeah:That pretty much explains it in a nutshell!
Holidays are a toughy, too... because if I try to be with my family, they forget that I have been working all night. So if I am there for an hour or two... awesome but then I need to hit the hay. Especially when we have people from out of a town, they just keep forgetting!
Edit: I also love the people that work night shift... at least those that I have worked with have a great sense of humor - we have to! Or else our lives would be rather dull.
My biggest pet peeve is when I get called in on my day off - which is fine - until they say, "Thats okay, you still have two days off." No... I only have one now because the other one I will have to sleep through.
The main thing about days vs nights, is that to me a 1.0 on days is equal to about a 0.8 or 0.85 on nights, which is sort of hard to explain but basically for every amount of time spent working nights, a certain amount of time off is lost to night shift jet lag. To put it another way, it takes 3 nights off to equal 2 days off, so really night shift gets paid pretty much the same, except night shifter get sick more often, see the sun less, have to go to meetings at times that to them is the middle of the night, etc.
well i don't work icu, but my i sometimes take TWICE the pts the day shift does, i DO get admissions and people die.....i think im worth every penny. Its not uncommon for many of my pts to have iv meds Q 4 hours and Im doing cares for all 8 pts. Sometimes i have slow breezy nights, and sometimes days does, i certainly don't get students that come in and take 3/4 or my pt once or twice a week. Not complaining just saying their are benfiets to both shifts..
I think that the reasons for the shift diff have been adequately explained, so I won't rehash.
In one of the OP's follow up comments the night nurse being upset about a missed UA was referenced. There are two things that you should consider here (and this goes for everyone who gets grief about stuff being left for the next shift, not just OP). One, the other nurse was out of line for whatever reason. Which you can't do anything about b/c her behavior is out of your control. Two, you have a pattern of leaving tasks undone and people are getting frustrated. In which case it is under your control and you can do something about it.
Obviously I don't know what the situation is here. My rule of thumb is that at least 95% of the shifts I work, I leave the oncoming nurse in a situation where there is NOTHING he/she needs to do prior to seeing patients and getting their shift started. That means labs are done, all IVs are good, pts are clean, all docs have been called that need to be, care plans are accurate, rooms are clean, isolation kits are stocked, etc. If you can say the same, you're doing fine.
PLEASE for your sake don't say anything at work similar to what you posted here. All you'll do is really tick off the ones who are hard workers, and you'll end up paying for it.
I just recently got off nights and got onto a schedule that is 80% days. I'm a new person.
I've worked both shifts at one point or another and I still say:
"Days are busier, nights are harder."
Harder is the subjective part of it, but for me it was that way. When I get to sleep at night (as opposed to the day) and have a regular person's schedule, I am more capable of being busy. Now, on nights, I was only 1/2 a person showing up. It didn't work. I could have done NOTTA all night and still would have left with a stretched out and fatigued complex.
Part of the reason I left my old unit and went to days was my problem with nights. Another part of the puzzle though was the day shift and manager from my old unit. 90% of the day shift acted like the place existed only so they could have a job and it was night shifts priority to make sure everything was beautiful and in place for them.
Well, to make a long story short, I'm not the only one from the night shift who told them "Hasta Lavista Baby". Now, the nurses who used to rant "I am a better nurse hence I am on days. If you want a better schedule like me, be more perfect like me............................" are being mandated into doing nights. Guess what? I know you already know whats coming dont ya?................. Those nurses dropped their expectations for what night shift should be doing now that they are on it.
My saying when I did nights was "I'm not interested in hearing what anyone who can't do nights thinks night shift should be doing. That includes nurses, managers and admin.". Now that I am on days, I see no reason to think differently.
BTW, I wanted to add that I've worked both days and nites. Both suck, but for different reasons.
I'd suggest trying to pick up a few nights to see how the work flow is and to get a more complete picture of how it is. It's always better to have a good idea of how your unit works around the clock.
U def should go and work night given that is so easy and well paid. I do nights and I do not get breaks or go to the bathroom many times. And on top of that there is no help, no staff .... U keep adding to the list. I would gladly give u my extra money for day shift.
Those nurses dropped their expectations for what night shift should be doing now that they are on it.
squatmunkie_RN
175 Posts
Well, you completely missed the point. But pat yourself on the back for your witty comeback. You got 14 kudos! Whoo Hoo!!