Night Shift

Shopping, medical and dental appointments, and much other personal business become easier. Looking for new jobs become possible if you don't like what you've got. Relations with family and friends become more difficult - usually.

Noise and light during the day.

Family members having to be quiet while the night shifter sleeps.

Diet and sleep patterns going totally tits up when you keep swapping back and forth between night and day work.

the thing that sticks out to me is s/he saying they want to work in labor and delivery.

EVERY nurse wants to work in labor and delivery....stand in line.

Well, not every nurse, but it's one of the top picks.

babies being born, happy happy joy joy ****.

that and med surg...get 'em in, get 'em out.

My Mum was a Maternity Nurse for a fair portion of her career, and that's why I know about the effect on the family when they have to pussyfoot around during the day.

Yeah, I remember you saying that, about your mom being a nurse at night and all.

But, wasn't there a lot of competition to work on that floor?

Thanks guys I really appreciate the input, I will definitely consider it when accepting a position!

The deciding factor will be if you are married and have a family. If you have neither at this point, the choice is yours. The money is always more for the shift differential, you will be able to sleep during the day if you are single, it is definitely a quieter, less hectic environment and many folks love working nights.

Whether you're in college or a self-proclaimed night owl, the midnight shift can look pretty appealing. Typically speaking, a third shift (or overnight shift) runs from about 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Every company sets its own hours for third shift, though, so don't be surprised if the hours vary slightly by the job. Here's the dirt on what working third shift means for your life outside company time:

Pro: You can run errands quickly first thing in the morning. Right about the time you're getting off work, banks and grocery stores are opening for business. Working third shift means you'll never have to wait in line for things like a haircut, because everyone else will be at work when you go to get it done.

Con: The flip side of getting to run errands while everyone else is at work is that some errands have to be run in the middle of the day. Going to a class or a tough-to-schedule doctor's appointment means you'll lose serious sleep that day. When you work midnights, a 2:00 p.m. vet visit feels like a 2:00 a.m. nightmare.

Pro: Most companies offer a sweet shift premium for working third shift. For example, I make $11.00 per hour during the day, and $14.00 per hour for overnights. My company hasn't seen me in daylight in more than a month. Expect to make fifty cents to several dollars more an hour for working those hours no one else wants.