Nights. Less beaucratic distractions.
I’ve been working in the ER throughout the pandemic is Los Angeles, CA. At 7 PM when I come into work, the line of pt’s waiting to be seen is out the door and around the corner. It’s crazy busy until 3-4 AM. The wild/crazy stuff coming in usually 10 PM to 4 AM timeframe. The hardest part for me is from 4 AM to 7 AM shift change. A struggle to stay awake sometimes! No Administration around is a bonus.
I am a new nurse and started on night shift in the ED. I was trained on days and once I was done with training I was transitioned into night shift. I can say that as a new nurse night shift has been a much better learning experience than days. During the day there are so many nurses on staff (even being short staffed) that know what they are doing and can do it with their eyes closed, so when a code comes in you don't really get a chance to participate. I found that by the time I figured out how to help someone had already done it! On nights there is less staff, so as long as you have supportive coworkers who are experienced and willing to teach and help you night shift will give you the chance to get in on the action and start learning how to handle codes.
I've worked both. There are plusses and minuses to each. You do tend to have a higher volume during the day but you also have the staff to deal with it. Plus side for day shift is you have a normal sleep schedule. Plus side for night shift is you get to spend most of your day with your family until you go to work. I worked in an ER so it would usually be crazy until about 11 or 12 and then it would slow down. It'd more difficult to get patients admitted during nights as Drs don't like to come in or answer. You get a lot more Gun shots and Stabs during nights shift and that was my favorite.
Night shift. And the reason is because they are less busy than day shift. Day shift can sometimes be an absolute mess and both are short staffed but you’re more likely to have down time during night shift. I have worked both days and nights in the ER.
Nightss
Day shift is better. Health care workers who work night shift tend to have more health problems
Nights, due to the flow and more relaxed nature of everyone there! You learn how to do more with less in most cases and that will make you an overall better nurse!
I loved the night shift because:
#1- I’m a night owl… always have been
#2- in the ER I worked in, night shift is when most of the adrenaline flowing issues came in- Gunshot wounds, codes, stabbings… and most of us ER nurses want to work in the ER for the adrenaline rush, right?
#3- in the ER I worked in, bc the supervisors (except the house supervisors) and administrators weren’t there making rounds, the staff was more laid back… there wasn’t all that nervous tension
#4- the hours suited my family at that time. My husband (now ex) worked days, I worked nights… my children didn’t have to go to daycare and there was always a parent present
That’s my opinion. I hope this helps anyone questioning whether to work days or nights!
Depends.
What’s your lifestyle like?
You don’t have to answer that here of course, but reflect on your current life situation.
Do you have a family? Spouse, kids, finances?
Are you in debt? Particularly from school? Are you in school?
Your answer to these questions should help you gauge which shift will work best for you.
There’s always that lucrative night shift differential as opposed to day shift.
When you work nights, it’s just you and your patients, so there’s a lot of comradery. Everyone wants everyone to finish on time and get out at the same time.
With day shift, you’ll be working with more established nurses who are set in their ways. They’re older, more experienced, and opinionated. You also have more resources available to you on days such as wound care and social work.
Hope this helps :)
Weekends and night shifts
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Used to be nightshift.
But now it’s so short staffed that you can’t even properly run a code. I suppose it depends on your ability to sleep (daytime sleep is much harder for most, especially with children) and you institution. And your team.
