Night Shift vs Day Shift

[llcRN]

This is my first post on this forum. I have been reading some others and decided that I need to rant a little also.

I am a new RN and work nights 7p-7a on a small PCU floor. I usually take care of at least 4 patients and I stay very very busy. I dont claim to know everything about my job and I know I still have alot to learn. I respect the older and/or more experienced nurses that I work with. So I have no problems with anyone on night shift.

Day shift is a different story. We have several "super" nurses on day shift that love to make me feel like I havent done my job. They constantly nit-pick everything thing I do to find something that I could have done more for my patient. For instance, our am lab results dont print out until 6:15-6:30. At that time I am usually still in the room with the patients and dont get to see them until I get back to the desk for report. If there is a lab result that is off they instantly question me whether or not I have called the doc and fixed it. How can they expect me to when I havent seem them?!

They all seem to have the mentality that night shift in general is lazy and we dont do our jobs (have heard them make comments when they didnt know I was still around). I have gotten in one arguement with one nurse so far and could have gotten in several others if I hadnt held my tongue. Im not the only one that has problems with them but I am more soft spoken and a new nurse, so they seem to like to pick on me.

To make a long story short, I go home almost every day feeling stupid and lose sleep worrying over work. I have considered transferring to another floor of the hospital or even leaving the hospital completely. Any advice would be appreciated greatly.

[Ricu]

Originally Posted by llcRN

This is my first post on this forum. I have been reading some others and decided that I need to rant a little also.

I am a new RN and work nights 7p-7a on a small PCU floor. I usually take care of at least 4 patients and I stay very very busy. I dont claim to know everything about my job and I know I still have alot to learn. I respect the older and/or more experienced nurses that I work with. So I have no problems with anyone on night shift.

Day shift is a different story. We have several "super" nurses on day shift that love to make me feel like I havent done my job. They constantly nit-pick everything thing I do to find something that I could have done more for my patient. For instance, our am lab results dont print out until 6:15-6:30. At that time I am usually still in the room with the patients and dont get to see them until I get back to the desk for report. If there is a lab result that is off they instantly question me whether or not I have called the doc and fixed it. How can they expect me to when I havent seem them?!

They all seem to have the mentality that night shift in general is lazy and we dont do our jobs (have heard them make comments when they didnt know I was still around). I have gotten in one arguement with one nurse so far and could have gotten in several others if I hadnt held my tongue. Im not the only one that has problems with them but I am more soft spoken and a new nurse, so they seem to like to pick on me.

To make a long story short, I go home almost every day feeling stupid and lose sleep worrying over work. I have considered transferring to another floor of the hospital or even leaving the hospital completely. Any advice would be appreciated greatly.

Hi llc,

Reading your post really took me back in time and in fact,I could've written those very same words. My guess is that this conversation could happen any time in the history of nursing, or for that matter, any profession. What you're experiencing is called many things; initiation, work hardening, earning your stripes,and so on.

When it comes to nursing, newbies however skilled, tend to feel inferior to their more experienced coworkers and it doesn't take much to feel overwhealmed even when you do everything right. You can be sure that wherever you go, there will always be snipey nurses who relish any opportunity to sprinkle "I feel like an idiot" atoms on you when you are vulnerable. They tend to be most noticeable and inflict a lot of pain but there are also those kind and patient mentor types who will support, guide and encourage you. Look for them.

This really is a formative period in your career, more than school itself so be really careful how you handle it. While your clinical skills develop, so does your professional conduct and in a few years you will either be the negative undermining snipe or the calm, confident mentor.

Good luck,

R

[amberdouglas]

another thing to remeber, on every floor of every hospital in every town of every state...night shift and day shift hate each other and think that the other shift doesn't do their job well. day shift will forever be calling night shift lazy, saying they only sit at the desk all night, etc etc... and night shift will always call day shift mean, and they leave work for nights, and they don't hang blood, etc etc...
it happens everywhere, always. its part of the game we play where nurses don't support each other they way they should.

[Ricu]

Hi everyone,

Amber,it sounds like you've had more than your fair share of sniping.

While I agree that there is often a failure to fully understand and appreciate the challenges faced while working different shifts, I've never felt that there is downright hatred between them. What I have found is that any time the tension rises between shifts, it's a symptom of a bigger problem like understaffing or periods of higher than normal acuity. If management does its job well, things can be done to improve morale during these times.

For the record, I have worked a good number of years all around the clock; days, evenings, nights and weekends and have come to realize that while it looks differently, the workload is generally equal on every shift.


My two cents,

R

[Aaron C.]

I've seen this a lot. I don't think it's so much as night shift vs. day shift, but moreso nurses on any shift versus whoever they can be against.

There are a lot of nurses that just need to pick at or belittle others or boss them around. There's an insecurity that makes them need to do something to feel superior to others.

I am typically lacking polish and grace when dealing with these type of situations so I would let them know exactly what I thought about their comments, why I thought they were making them, and why they needed to stop.

I'm not sure that is always (or ever for that matter) the best course of action however I have found that in those situations if you bite them back they will stop picking at you.

They will however start talking more about you behind your back. That's just the way it is with some women.

I don't work in that type of setting, and your comments are EXACTLY the reason why. I loved being a care provider and helping sick people in the hospital setting but I absolutely could not stand the complete and utter nonsense that went on amongst my fellow nurses.

And it didn't even really affect me because as a guy, it just wasn't there. I don't know if maybe I was well liked from the start or maybe I was intimidating, or maybe I just didn't notice for whatever reason. I know it wasn't for lack of reasons to criticize because I'm sure there were plenty. I just didn't get any flack.

But I saw it all the time from day one as a clinical student to the last day I worked in any type of hospital or ltc setting. I just hated how the nurses treated each other, specifically during shift change, or behind others backs.

I tried switching to a small town rural hospital but it was 100 times worse there and I was not well liked because I was an outsider. I lasted all of two weeks there before I got pneumonia and missed a week. When I called to quit I could tell the feeling and decision were mutual and I was happy about it. The hospital was situated in a rural area where everyone was of the same religious background of which I was not. I have NEVER experienced a bigger group of backbiting gossiping two faced women AND MEN before or since. I could not believe it.

Sorry to hijack the thread with a rant because all I really wanted to say was that it's just part of the territory.

A great book on the topic is written by Judith Briles. It's called Sabotage. Actually, I think her newest version is called sTabotage. I highly recommend reading it.

[Aaron C.]

You can read about her book and buy it here:

Judith Briles

She sent me a copy and I have read it. It is a great book. I've met Judith and had dinner with her and her husband. Great people! I highly recommend picking up a copy. It's only 29 dollars here:

Buy Stabotage

Every workplace has them—the pit bulls that hide behind lipstick and designer clothes; snakes who flick their abrasive tongues and voice at any and all; the scorpions who sting with a slap of their heavy backhand; the skunks that seem innocent until you get in their space; and the slugs ... those who are “just there” and breathing, barely.

Stabotage!™ How to Deal with the Pit Bulls, Skunks, Snakes, Scorpions & Slugs in the Health Care Workplace reveals how to effectively deal with the bad girls and boys that inhabit every environment … be it one you get paid to be in or one you volunteer your time for.

Workplace pioneer Dr. Judith Briles has included her revised CarefrontingScript™ dialogue, updates on the latest in communication techniques in dealing with conflict and toxic behavior and the ins and outs of determining a workplace’s true culture.

[SoldierNurse]

Originally Posted by Aaron C.

You can read about her book and buy it here:

Judith Briles

She sent me a copy and I have read it. It is a great book. I've met Judith and had dinner with her and her husband. Great people! I highly recommend picking up a copy. It's only 29 dollars here:

Buy Stabotage

I may order that book, thanks.

[cougarnurse]

LL...I hear ya, too. I have seen this, too. Nights are different from days in that one doesn't have the 'typical' 'send to this or that test', etc., but still.... we have our own set of problems.

I have been 'the old timer', and try to help out the new kid on the block quite often. Yet, there are some 'old timers' who consider the newbies as a threat. It could be any number of reasons why.

So sorry it is happening to you. Keep us posted on how things are going.

[Ricu]

Aaron, Although numerous "experts" in occupational behavior norms will likely challenge, I agree with your direct approach toward workplace (or anywhere) bullies. They are really insecure cowards who quickly roll over when confronted. What I don't practice is "eye for an eye" fighting or as some say; a taste of his/her own medicine because it escalates rather than neutralizes a problem. Simply be direct and say to the offending party, "Your comment sounds negative and offers no solution. Tell me, how would you handle this situation differently?" Or my favorite, "This is a 24/7 job and while it would be nice for everything to always be done when we get here, it can't be guaranteed." Sometimes when it's situational, I say "For the next time, which should I hold over for you, the septic ED admission or the swan placement?" They usually get the message and when you smile all the time,it makes them crazy.

R