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.
Forgot to mention too....................the shift differential is decided by what shift the hospital has the hardest time filling, not which shift is "bussier". I have been to hospitals when I travel nursed where the biggest differential was actually 3-11, not nights.
Everyone wants to be on days. Just being on days is, by itself, a "shift differential". Its kinda like you got first pic for what hours to work. Since you picked first.........you get straight pay. Then, someone else picks second and takes eve. shift, but gets a small bonus for having to pick second. Then, someone takes the final shift, nights, but gets the biggest pay increase cause they were stuck the least desirable hours.
If flocks and flocks of people were showing up at HR saying "I want nights. Sorry, can't do days, it messes up my sleep schedule and I get all messed up in the head and gain weight" then the differential would be for days.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
I understand the having your sleep schedule off, and not being able to adjust on days off. I am talking about the WORK that needs to be done. Anytime I have to pass anything off to nights they act like I'm a lazy nurse, when in reality I've been on my feet all day long.
I'm not here to start all this conflict. You don't need to curse at me or say I'm dumb, ignorant...need a reality check or whatever. Just chill people. Bring it down a notch.
And, all you ICU nurses out there kudos, I wouldn't like being an ICU nurse. I suspect no matter what time of day it is the ICU stays the same. Being as I've never worked there I wasn't really talking about you. Now you too can calm down. ugh...
I'm just wondering, when was the last time you worked a night shift?
If what you're saying is so, I want to work nights on your floor! Because I give scheduled meds at 2000, 2200, 2400, 0400, 0600 and any other odd time (i.e. antibiotic) as well as PRNs.
People don't stop having pain, nausea, anxiety, alcohol withdrawl, etc. because it's the night time. The volume of meds is more on days, absolutely. But I give way more than one med pass plus a sleeping pill to my patients.
You say you're not here to start "all of this conflict." However, you painted night shift nurses everywhere with the same ol' paintbrush. If you're upset at the specific nurses at work, even the title of your original post could have reflected that.
And, I don't recall anyone cursing at you. You say others need to take it down a notch when, well...let's see how you respond to replies...
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.
Well, where I work, the holiday ends at 2300 on the night of said holiday. Just because I work Christmas night, does not mean I am being given holiday differential. Nor does it mean it's my scheduled holiday, so therefore I don't know ahead of time if I'm going to work or not. As an example, since being a nurse, I've had Christmas dinner with my family in 2008 and 2010. Not in 2006, 2007 or 2009. It's a lot easier to have Christmas dinner at 8 or 9 PM than at 8 or 9 AM on the 26th.
Well, you completely missed the point. But pat yourself on the back for your witty comeback. You got 14 kudos! Whoo Hoo!!
As I said, notches can be taken down all over.
And, to answer about the UA...I don't work at your facility. However, where I work, UAs must be in the lab by 2200 or they will be thrown out and not tested. Why, I don't know. I can send a urine for any other test but not a darned UA!
So...let's say I've managed to send the UA by 2200.
I have results, it's positive for being packed with WBCs.
Now I have to call the oncall doc who doesn't know the patient and he or she must decide the next step - antibiotics before the culture comes back? Wait for the culture to come back? Order a culture because it was never done? Or, as some of my amazing on call MD/DOs do, "Dr. BlahBlah can decide when he rounds in the morning."
Okay, well, I can strongly suggest 750 mg of IV Levaquin at least times one, but I can't force a physician to order it. Now, when day shift comes back in, I have to explain this.
I'm not even sure if you're reading this far, so that's all...but at least I have walked more than a mile in your mocassins. When is the last time you've donned mine?
PS - all sorts of careers pay off shifts more money, not just nursing. Examples include cost centers, restaurants, factories, etc.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
Everyone wants to be on days. Just being on days is, by itself, a "shift differential". Its kinda like you got first pic for what hours to work. Since you picked first.........you get straight pay. Then, someone else picks second and takes eve. shift, but gets a small bonus for having to pick second. Then, someone takes the final shift, nights, but gets the biggest pay increase cause they were stuck the least desirable hours
Exactly.
Where I work, evening and nights receive the same differential, because more people actually wanted to work midnights than wanted to work evenings. Of course, when I worked evenings, we were paid less! And I thought (and still think) it was the worst of all the shifts, in terms of schedule and work load, especially when I was on a post-op floor.
Hats off to our straight 3-11 staff! God bless ya'll...I did it for many months and I'm not rarin' to do it again!
I've BEEN TOLD by a person who switched from nights to days that the night shift does these things. That all of them have been in the lounge at once, leaving no one at the front desk. So, that's that. Then they complain not just about ME, but ANYONE who leaves things to do. Some poster said she leaves NOTHING for oncoming shift to do? Really? Wow. You must be a perfect nurse!
And, sure you'll get Q4 meds, sometimes but not that often, most of it's Q day, Q12, TID, which leaves most of it to days.
I'm not sorry I touched a nerve with you people, most of y'all are pretty rude, over a INTERNET POST. If you're that insecure or whatever about the work you do, than thats not my fault.
And, to the people who say "well switch to nights and you won't have any work to do." By the same token, I'm telling you switch to days and you'll have easier sleeping hrs!! Won't that be wonderful? You'll get fair pay on holidays, you won't hear loud kids while you're trying to sleep during the day, you get to be safe driving home at night! Days are just a blessing right? Come on over, after all it's just $1-2/hr you'll lose right?
I've BEEN TOLD by a person who switched from nights to days that the night shift does these things. That all of them have been in the lounge at once, leaving no one at the front desk. So, that's that. Then they complain not just about ME, but ANYONE who leaves things to do. Some poster said she leaves NOTHING for oncoming shift to do? Really? Wow. You must be a perfect nurse!
And, sure you'll get Q4 meds, sometimes but not that often, most of it's Q day, Q12, TID, which leaves most of it to days.
I'm not sorry I touched a nerve with you people, most of y'all are pretty rude, over a INTERNET POST. If you're that insecure or whatever about the work you do, than thats not my fault.
And, to the people who say "well switch to nights and you won't have any work to do." By the same token, I'm telling you switch to days and you'll have easier sleeping hrs!! Won't that be wonderful? You'll get fair pay on holidays, you won't hear loud kids while you're trying to sleep during the day, you get to be safe driving home at night! Days are just a blessing right? Come on over, after all it's just $1-2/hr you'll lose right?
I do like my job, and now I'm off to go do it.
I did. Your turn;)
Don't talk the talk and not walk the walk now.
I switched off nights despite all the differentials and everything else, and I'll never forget how desperate I was to get off them.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
I've BEEN TOLD by a person who switched from nights to days that the night shift does these things. That all of them have been in the lounge at once, leaving no one at the front desk. So, that's that. Then they complain not just about ME, but ANYONE who leaves things to do. Some poster said she leaves NOTHING for oncoming shift to do? Really? Wow. You must be a perfect nurse!
And, sure you'll get Q4 meds, sometimes but not that often, most of it's Q day, Q12, TID, which leaves most of it to days.
I'm not sorry I touched a nerve with you people, most of y'all are pretty rude, over a INTERNET POST. If you're that insecure or whatever about the work you do, than thats not my fault.
And, to the people who say "well switch to nights and you won't have any work to do." By the same token, I'm telling you switch to days and you'll have easier sleeping hrs!! Won't that be wonderful? You'll get fair pay on holidays, you won't hear loud kids while you're trying to sleep during the day, you get to be safe driving home at night! Days are just a blessing right? Come on over, after all it's just $1-2/hr you'll lose right?
I do like my job, and now I'm off to go do it.
Sorry if "we people" are pretty rude, but you never did answer me - how many night shifts have you worked?
You're going by hearsay, right? That person who told you that nights do nothing - how many night shifts has THAT person worked?
It seems as if you ARE ignorant. Ignorant does NOT mean stupid or rude; rather, it means uneducated. If you have not worked nights yourself, then you are uneducated about working a night shift. Going by not even what your own eyes have seen, but the eyes of others, does not an expert you make.
I guess I'm just shocked that the "very busy" stepdown unit on which you work suddenly stops being busy when you leave the building.
And I would LOVE to come to days - save one thing...management. I don't trust the management on my floor but I'm stuck on my floor for the time being and I prefer to avoid them if I can help it.
As I've stated before, I work nights by choice. My sleep schedule is not something to be envied, but I deal with it.
Have you noticed that not one of these posts in response to your original has not supported your theory?
Just an observation from a night shifter for over 5 years.
I had a thread about doing OT like this one. Woooo baby I got spanked. No one agreed with me. Well, one person did but even she gave up the fight. lol
Funny part was, I did notice, even as I continued to argue my point. I had started to rethink my approach to OT and "teamwork" about half way through the thread.
Unlike most people, I don't mind sharing it when I have a change of heart. I'd be willing to bet OP has experienced a change of heart like I did in my other post, just hasn't gotten to the point where they are ready to talk about it.
If not............whoa. Thats all I'm gonna say. WHOA.
Specializes in Oncology/Hematology, Infusion, clinical.
OP, it seems as if your theory is based on a problem that you are dealing with on YOUR FLOOR, in YOUR FACILITY. Do you feel you have enough experience in enough areas to somehow make your opinion of such a large population valid? Throwing around negative generalizations based on one's limited personal experience doesn't set the stage for friendly conversation--especially if you are unwilling to accept anyone else's point of view. Sounds like you meant to hit a nerve.
I've worked all shifts. Every shift has its pros and cons.
Nights is no picnic. You can't say we don't do enough work as day shift. We are often way way way way shorter staffed than days. Patients do not sleep. Supplies need to be found and restocked(that's if its found). Chart checks are ridiculous and can take hours. And its a beating on our bodies. You have to sleep the entire day before the shift.. and the entire day after the shift.
I agree with some of the other posters. Come work a night shift.. I'm sure they will let you edit your original post because you will be quite embarrassed to have said that.
eriksoln, BSN, RN
2,636 Posts
Forgot to mention too....................the shift differential is decided by what shift the hospital has the hardest time filling, not which shift is "bussier". I have been to hospitals when I travel nursed where the biggest differential was actually 3-11, not nights.
Everyone wants to be on days. Just being on days is, by itself, a "shift differential". Its kinda like you got first pic for what hours to work. Since you picked first.........you get straight pay. Then, someone else picks second and takes eve. shift, but gets a small bonus for having to pick second. Then, someone takes the final shift, nights, but gets the biggest pay increase cause they were stuck the least desirable hours.
If flocks and flocks of people were showing up at HR saying "I want nights. Sorry, can't do days, it messes up my sleep schedule and I get all messed up in the head and gain weight" then the differential would be for days.