Will I ever see the light of day?

Published

Specializes in NICU Level III.

I am loving the NICU but nights are killing me. I was wondering how long it takes to get to days in other areas of the country. At my hospital it is a 10 YEAR wait, ugh.:uhoh3:

Thanks,

Cathie

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Level III NICU.

It really depends where I work. I had an opportunity to get a day shift position after about a year, but I didn't want it then. Now, 3.5 years later I kind of do want it, but I haven't been able to get it yet. I go back and forth about it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Wow! 10 years? Your day shift nurses must really love their jobs!! I came to days at my first job after 1 1/2 years, and that's what they're telling me here at my most recent job. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU Level III.

They do! Most have been on the unit for over 20 years.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

On my unit nights seems to be the "wanted" position. Most of the people that we've been hiring have been for day positions lately. I've been on nights since I started and I have no intention of moving anytime soon!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Paediatrics.

Wow! Here in Canada (Ontario) there are no designated "days" or "night" staff. All staff, regardless of how long you have worked on the unit, work all shifts. But if you want to work all nights you can have that arranged in most hospitals.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

At my hospital, new folks are immediately put on a day/night rotation (50% each) unless they request permanent nights. There are no official straight-day positions, but with seniority of more than 5 years or so, most of your shifts can be days ... and by 10 years or so, you can pretty much count on working straight days if you want to.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in midwifery, NICU.

Neo Nurse, we do mostly the same in our nicu. We rotate days/nights, I usually work two weeks of each per month. We do have some staff who work constant nights however, they have done so for a long long time.

I enjoy the rotation, the different atmospheres of days and nights.

(and the extra money from nights!)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It took me 6 months to get on days. I loved the atmosphere and $ on nights, but I had a difficult time getting restful sleep during the day.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

They offered me a day shift position 10 months after I started working in the NICU I'm currently working at. I've been there for almost 2 years and they've offered me a day shift position 4 times since I started. Let's see ..... having to get up at 4:30 am, fight traffic, deal with the administration/management, and take a pay cut ..... no thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.
They offered me a day shift position 10 months after I started working in the NICU I'm currently working at. I've been there for almost 2 years and they've offered me a day shift position 4 times since I started. Let's see ..... having to get up at 4:30 am, fight traffic, deal with the administration/management, and take a pay cut ..... no thanks!

Like I said above... it's the same thing on our unit - everyone of us on nights wants to stay there!

And oddly enough, working nights we end up having to deal with more traffic than day shift does. Day shift gets to work before the traffic gets bad, and they get off of work after it's been bad. On nights, we're traveling in the last ends (the worst) of rush hour at night, and we're smack in the middle of it going home in the morning. Where I live - a 20mile drive that normally takes about 30 min to drive can end up taking over an hour in normal rush hour traffic!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.
Like I said above... it's the same thing on our unit - everyone of us on nights wants to stay there!

And oddly enough, working nights we end up having to deal with more traffic than day shift does. Day shift gets to work before the traffic gets bad, and they get off of work after it's been bad. On nights, we're traveling in the last ends (the worst) of rush hour at night, and we're smack in the middle of it going home in the morning. Where I live - a 20mile drive that normally takes about 30 min to drive can end up taking over an hour in normal rush hour traffic!

Traffic could go either way on night shift, depending on where you live. I work in Phx but live outside of Phx, as most people do. So while I'm driving into Phx for work, people are leaving work and heading out of Phx. So I go opposite of the traffic both morning and night. Nice!

It's the same on our unit though ..... we're better staffed on nights than days.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion