Working in healthcare there are many discussions as to which shift people would prefer to work. There is a significant percentage of healthcare workers that only have two choices as to the shift they get to work: day shift or night shift. These are 12 hour shifts and they only have to work three of them a week, and if scheduled correctly one could end up with six day weekends. Now this takes us to which shift is better, night shift or day shift.
If you ask anybody that has been set on a particular shift for a majority of their career, they would likely tell you that they wouldn't touch the other shift with a ten foot pole; there isn't any way that you would get them to switch. I have worked both shifts over the past few years and have identified pros and cons of each and will attempt to lay them out for you here:
Day Shift
First lets start with most people's first choice as they come out of school.
Pros: This one seems fairly obvious. If a person works day shift they get a lead a relatively normal life outside of work. When they get a day off work they can devote that day to whatever activity they wish, whether recreational, working around they're place of residence, a second job or simply spending time with their friends and/or family. They also have the opportunity to have a somewhat normal sleep pattern.
Cons: The downside to working day shift is that management is there and watching you. If something is done that they don't approve of, even if it wasn't on your shift you are likely to catch heat for it. You also have to deal with the physicians questioning and arguing with you as well as your fellow stressed out healthcare workers. Then any therapies that you have to complete that day have to be worked around meal trays, testing and visitors. Then you have an angry patient/family if you interrupt meal or visitor time. Needless to say all of this together or even by itself can be very stressful.
Night Shift
Pros: Night shift offers many positives as well. One of the positives is that there is no management breathing down your neck, however it can be very frightening if you do see management there during any part of your shift. Physicians typically aren't present during night shift unless you work at a teaching hospital which has residents present during all hours of the day; otherwise the only physicians present are in the ED and the hospitalist admitting from the ED. Night shift is also much more relaxed due to the before mentioned reasons. You can usually have more fun on night shift and the patients usually can sense that you are more relaxed and appreciate it. Also on night shift you don't have to fight meal trays, testing or visitors to get your therapies done. Another bonus to working night shift is financial. There is a night shift differential that varies from employer to employer. Some are a set dollar amount, others may be a percentage of your base pay.
Cons: The cons to night shift are fairly significant. There are many health hazards to working night shift including increased risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems and problems with diabetes. There is also an increased risk for domestic problems including divorce as well as an increased risk for involvement in motor vehicle accidents. When you have a night off, it is difficult to get things done due to everything being closed. It is also difficult with family and friends, because unless they have worked night shift it is very difficult for them to understand what you are feeling or what you have to do. They may not understand that on a day off that you need to sleep. When you work nights, you lose your days, because you are sleeping to either prepare for your night shift or sleeping to recover from working night shift. Remember, most of the rest of the world is on day shift, including your family.
Another factor to consider that is neither a pro nor a con to night shift is that since there are no physicians, or there are physicians that lack experience that they, as well as other healthcare providers, will lean on you more to be knowledgeable and know what to do in critical situations. So you have to be on your "A" game and know what you are talking about and know what you are doing. That kind of responsibility can be very frightening to some people.
-------------------------------------------------
As I stated above, I have worked both day shift and night shift and currently work night shift. Currently I work night shift out of financial necessity (shift diff mentioned above). I hope to eventually go back to day shift just for the family aspect of it. It is very difficult for me juggling night shift work with a day shift family life. I feel like I have been sleeping away most of my little girl's life. Fortunately God has blessed me a wonderful wife that understands the necessity of it and I thank God for her every day.
When I went to night shift I worked someplace else and the change was due to work related issues and it was to escape stress being caused by management. And as soon as I went to night shift I could just feel the tension go away and felt much less stressed. I had eliminated that emotional and psychological stressor, however I traded it for physical stressors and now another emotional and psychological stressor.
-----------------------------------------------
To summarize there are many pros and cons to both shifts. You just have to figure out which one is right for you. For most new grads, the most available shift is night shift. That is usually the entry position. If you are single or have a spouse/significant other that is also night shift it may be great for you. However if you have a family it may be much more difficult for you.
Now your turn: What are you thoughts on medical shift work? What is your preferred shift and why?
Shiftwork - health effects
