yes, another night shift post.

[mmccool719]

Okay. I am 2 weeks into working nights as a new nurse and I am so completely beside myself because I absolutely love being a nurse (a BUSY nurse)....but I can't even describe my dislike/frustration for the night shift so far. It is where all new nurses must start at our hospital and they tell us we'll be on nights "for a while" (2-3 years?). I could go down the list of reasons but they really are no different than anyone else....except that I have 2 young boys and I cannot stand all the downtime time at nights.....I like the buzz of multiple providers, meal times, procedures etc. So, my 2 questions......what can I do to make my experience during my shift more positive and should I be honest when my manager asks me how it's going on nights? Am I a fool to tell them I am looking for work elsewhere in order to work days in hopes they'll offer to move me to days (which is the truth)? One of my biggest problems is even though I am working 3 12 hour shifts in a row, it really takes a full five days out of of my week by the time I prepare with napping and then recovering the day after. It really takes away from my family time in a big way. Ugh. I am just a mess and am so disappointed in this situation and myself. I know, I know I am a new nurse, I should just suck it up, right?

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

I have tried as hard as I can to get as much done as possible and not leave things for the day nurses that could be done at night. That way when the day nurses are talking about who's a good nurse etc. my name comes up. I am set to start day shift in January, six months after I started at this facility (and 11 months after becoming a nurse).

The other thing you can try, if this is within your ability, is to space out your working nights differently. We self-schedule and the manager only changes it if she needs to. I have it arranged so that I have at least one long stretch off a month. I have also worked 3 on and 5 off consistently. I don't think two weeks is even enough to give yourself a chance though!

[aikz]

I know this doesn't sound supportive but after reading your post I may need to switch to nights because days are kicking my butt. How do you know you would really like days? Ofcourse getting back to a natural human sleep pattern would definitely be great for you, as it is for most people, but days are really really really busy, especially for a new grad and especially if you are on a particularly busy med surg floor. Please don't necessarily compare it to clinicals because even though I did 12 hr nursing clinicals, it still doesn't compare IMO from being a student to working for real as an RN.

I've been told, ofcourse AFTER I was hired, that my unit is the busiest med surg floor in our huge university medical center.:uhoh21: There is a huge turn over rate as well. I was hired for days even though I'm new to hospital nursing. (I've been an LPN in a nursing home and already was working as an RN in a peds clinic for a few months before I landed the med surg spot.)

I believe you when you say working nights are hellish b/c of family, sleep, etc. but working days is no walk in the park for other reasons. You probably already know that but just wanted to remind you! I hope it works out for you!!!

I'm a new grad orienting on a busy tele/med-surg unit and I HATE DAY SHIFT! haha it's too busy! I was hired for nights, but we are required to orient on days first. I can't wait to start 7p-7a hahaha

[Bacillus subtilis]

I work nights and fully realize that day shift bears the brunt of meal times, appointments and so forth. I admit it's not for me and couldn't deal with the constant interruptions and transporters taking "my" patients away for tests and procedures. But other factors exist to complicate matters. I work in a busy medical-surgical unit (aka dumping ground) in a teaching hospital. The beds emptied during day shift are usually being filled during my shift without the benefit of a unit clerk to direct traffic. Our staffing is thinner overall with a higher patient load. By this time the primary physicians have left the building and we are left to deal with the residents, who are obviously still learning and loathe to irk the day team rounding in the morning. One seasoned nurse reminded me part of our job is to keep the residents from killing people. Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but dealing with inexperienced doctors is a "night shift problem" in my facility. Worst of all, we're expected to deal with higher patient loads because apparently people sleep all night and stop being incontinent at the stroke of 1900.

[kelll]

Oh wow! If you have downtime you may want to spend that time thanking your lucky stars! Holy yikes even night shift at our facility is busy! There are occasional slow nights but not often at all.

What should you say when manager asks you about your job? say Thank you! IF asked how the shift is working out you can be honest that its got you turned around some and that you are "adjusting" still but I definately would not mention that you would look for other emplyment and if you mention all the downtime I am sure the day shift can amke you a list of things to do that would help them out BIGTIME!

I honestly do not mean any of this in a negative way. I have worked all shifts and am currently a day shifter...and the stress level at work all day more than makes up for the convienience of sleeping when my family does. I remember the weird hours I kept and how I managed my sleep on nights with my three kids as babies and toddler and all stages really...it is interesting but I can tell you....i miss the night shift pay! Also its just a different place once all the BUZZ leaves from the day shift...all the docs aren't demanding things all at once, ancillary dept demands, families....you are making me miss night shift now! The benefit of days??? dinner with the kids everynight and I get to attend all sports...so for the family I stay on days.

[kelll]

lol. YEP there is the lower staffing thing. Our facility we have one nurse less from 7-11 and some nights prepping people for GI procedure etc is a constant pottying game. We use hospitalists...specialists not called much at night...this is not so bad now...has its issues, but over the years this has become a much better process. nights very very busy and nurses definately have LOTS of work to do...but it is VERY different than day shift. Happiness and job satisfaction many times is more to do with the few nurses and cna you work with each night and how well you can work together than most other things.

[PeepnBiscuitsRN]

Not sure where you're located, but where I am, any shift in a hospital is something to be pleased about! It's not easy to find a job right now for new grads- especially in an acute care setting so you just have to take your licks and enjoy the fact that you have a job at all. I work nights, and I know how it can be...sometimes you're just sitting there trying to stay awake, (and reading allnurses!:redbeathe) and other times you don't even get a break to eat or ANYTHING! (oh and I have children too- a 3 year old and a 9 month old, and I started this gig when the baby was just barely 3 months old- THAT was hard!!)

I oriented on days, and yes, it is definitley bustling and busy, but it I felt so disorganized, and there was so much going on that it was like eating a piece of chocolate cake without even tasting it- just shoving it in your mouth and swallowing (does that make sense? In other words, I wasn't getting a chance to learn, I was merely DOING.)

At your facility, it may be that after you're off orientation for a certain amount of time you can float to other units. Now, I'm a weirdo apparently in that I like to float. I normally work in progressive care/telemetry and I've gone to straight cardiac, ICU stepdown, med surg, and tonight I'm on trauma. So it's like a smorgasboard...I'm getting a little of everything (except OB, which is where I really want to work).

So...hang in there. You have a job. Some people would gladly take it for you.