Day Shift vs Night Shift – What Do Nurses Prefer?
Day vs night– the battle of the shifts. Each nurse has a preference as to what roster they prefer, with some choosing the ‘regular hours’ of daytime work and others the hustle and bustle of the night. We spoke to Nurse Molly about what morning, afternoon and night shifts look like for her and which she prefers.
Morning shift
The day shift is an early start for most nurses. Molly ran us through what a typical day working this shift looks like.
6:00: At 6 am, my first alarm goes off, and I get up (on my first alarm - somehow!)
6:50: I arrive at the ward, get a copy of the handover, and have a chat with the other nurses.
7:00: 7 am is a busy part of the morning shift. General duties for the start of my shift include:
- Attending handover and getting my patient allocation for the day.
- Getting a bedside handover and doing my safety checks.
- Undertaking my primary assessment of the patients.
- Take vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, pain, and respiratory rate).
- Giving out 8 am medications and setting patients up for breakfast.
- Checking if there are any scans, appointments, procedures, or pathology that need to be completed.
9:30: Time for my morning tea break! You can find me with a cup of tea and some hospital biscuits.
9:45: After morning tea, nurses attend to personal hygiene for the patients. This involves washes, showers etc. (sometimes, I’ll braid some patient's hair if I have time!)
10:00: Around now is when I’ll complete secondary assessments of patients. Then, I’ll sit down and complete any paperwork or nursing notes.
11:00: I spend this time making beds when patients are up and on the move.
12:00: I’ll set all my patients up for lunch – one of the busiest parts of the shift.
13:00: Lunchtime for me now! I’ll have lunch (usually some kind of pasta) and then relieve other nurses for their lunch breaks.
14:00: The afternoon is dedicated to completing paperwork and ensuring everything is ready to hand over to the afternoon staff.
15:00: At 3 pm, we finish handover, and it's home time!
Afternoon shift
Nurses who work the afternoon shift work the second half of the day before handing over to the night shift crew. Molly describes the events of her afternoon shift to look something like this:
9:00-14:30: This is where I have my 'free time' during the day. I'll normally go for a walk, watch Netflix, or catch up with family and friends
15:00: When I arrive at work, I receive a handover from the morning staff before performing safety checks and primary assessments on the patients.
16:00: Next, I’ll complete vital signs and administer any medications that are due. Sometimes around this time, we’ll do dressing changes and other procedures. I will have a tea break at this time too.
17:00: In the evening, it’s time to set the patients up for dinner and attend to any hygiene needs.
18:00: There usually are medications administered at this time, and I also double-check everyone has their food. My own dinner break is generally around this time too.
19:00: After I eat dinner, I start the night-time hygiene routine, such as brushing my patients' teeth.
20:00: Just before bed, it’s time for more medications! Then I start settling patients into bed and remind them where their call bell is in case they need assistance throughout the night.
21:00: From 21:00 onwards, patients are usually resting, and if I can, I'll sometimes grab a quick cup of tea.
23:00: This is when the afternoon shift ends, and I clock off for the day. After work, I'll rush home, have a quick shower and cup of tea and then go straight to bed.
Night shift
Shift work is tough – especially when you’re adjusting your sleeping pattern to work the night shift. “When I’m working the night shift, I’ll sleep as long as I can during the day and wake up at around 6 pm,” Molly says. “From here, this is what a normal night shift will look like.”
21:00: My shift starts. I get a handover from the afternoon staff and create a shift plan.
22:00: Medication time! I give out any medications due at this time and complete any vital signs needed. I also introduce myself to the patients and get them settled in for the night
22:00-0:00: During this time, I change over paperwork in the patient’s folders for the next day and start some of the paperwork needed for my shift. I’ll constantly ensure all patients are settled.
0:00: Around midnight is the time in my shift that I’ll empty any drains and complete fluid balance charts.
2:00: Take any vital signs that need to be done.
5:00: As the morning comes, I’ll start any jobs that need to be done, such as taking patients’ weights, completing ECGs, etc.
6:00: Time for the first round of medication for the day. I’ll give any 6 am medications out and finish notes for my shift
7:00: I’ll consult with the nurse relieving me and provide a bedside handover to the morning staff.
8:00: Home time! Once I get home, I’ll eat any kind of snack I can find and curl up in bed, ready to sleep and do it all again.
When it comes to shift work, every nurse has their preference between morning, afternoon, and night shifts. For Molly? It’s the day shift (specifically the morning) that she prefers the best! While it’s different for everyone, shift work can be exhausting. With a highly active job, nurses need to find a uniform that works as hard as they do. Head into your closest Biz Care stockist to find your next pair of scrubs.