Night shift nursing ensures patients receive essential around-the-clock care. While night shift responsibilities are ultimately the same as the day shift, nurses experience many unique benefits while navigating specific challenges. To thrive during the night shift, nurses must maintain consistent sleep and eating schedules and prioritize their health.
The job of a nurse does not end once the sun sets. Nursing is an around-the-clock field, with patients who require care all day and night. Night shift nursing is critical to patient recovery, and nurses commonly take on a few night shifts as needed, even when not part of their regular schedules. The night shift has many benefits for nurses, such as quieter facilities and potential greater autonomy, as well as unique challenges.
At Tulane University, our accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (aBSN) program prepares students to confidently meet each nursing challenge. While night shifts are not currently a part of our clinical schedule, they are a reality for many nurses. Through a combination of online coursework and hands-on simulation experiences and clinicals, students can graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), ready to excel as leaders in their field, no matter the shift.
Discover the importance of night shift nursing and its many benefits and learn how to survive the night shift with some helpful tips below.
The Importance of Night Shift Nurses
Night shift nurses are essential to patient care delivery and the operation of healthcare facilities. Without the night shift, changes in patient conditions would go unnoticed until the morning, and valuable time to intervene would be lost.
The length of each night shift depends on the facility and available staff. Shifts range from 8 to 12 hours, starting in the evening and ending early in the morning. Duties on the night shift are similar to the day shift: nurses are tasked with monitoring patient conditions, administering medication, and performing various therapies and treatments.
Because fewer staff work at night than in the day, night shift nurses might be responsible for more patients than they would during the day. As a night shift nurse, you must manage your time well to ensure that no patient is overlooked. Fortunately, night shifts are typically less busy than day shifts, potentially making it easier to care for more patients.
Benefits of Being a Night Shift Nurse
Working the night shift has many benefits, from the possibility of better pay to the opportunity to form closer bonds with patients and team members. Nurses who are unsure about taking on night shifts should consider the following benefits.
Higher Earning Potential
Salaries vary significantly by state and healthcare facility. However, because night shifts are less popular than day shifts, facilities typically offer higher pay to attract more nurses.
Quieter Floors
The night shift is outside visiting hours, making the facility much quieter. With fewer visitors, night shift nurses don’t tend to need to work around family members and navigate potentially complex interactions. However, night nurses must still possess communication skills and be adept at patient education.
Greater Autonomy
Many registered nurses thrive during the night shift because it can allow greater autonomy, though staff must follow strict protocols. Nurse managers and other leaders usually do not work the night shift, so fewer meetings pull nurses away from patients. If you prefer to work independently, the night shift can offer greater freedom to provide patient care with less supervision.
Closer Bonds with Team Members and Patients
The nature of the night shift — lack of visitors, quieter facilities, and fewer meetings — can allow more time to forge closer professional bonds with team members. Night shift teams are typically smaller than day shift teams, setting the groundwork for building close relationships with coworkers.
The night shift also allows nurses to build close professional relationships with patients. Of course, many patients sleep during the night, but those who are awake likely appreciate extra compassion and care from the nursing staff. Nurse-patient relationships are among the most fulfilling aspects of nursing, and working the night shift can provide more time to cultivate professional relationships.
Common Challenges of the Night Shift
Despite the many benefits of working the night shift, nurses must navigate several drawbacks. From unusual working hours to the negative effects of a lack of rest, night shifts can be challenging for many nurses. However, understanding the challenges will better prepare you to survive and thrive on the night shift.
Unusual Working Hours
Working night shifts can be challenging, primarily when friends and family work traditional 9-to-5 hours. Not everyone will understand your unusual schedule and may expect you to operate during the day as if it were a day off. You must prioritize sleep during the day so that you are well-rested and ready for the next shift, but this presents its own challenges.
Prioritizing sleep during the day may cause you to miss events or make household tasks and responsibilities difficult. Discovering a routine that best fits your needs and work schedule may take trial and error.
Impacted Cognitive Ability
If you cannot maintain a regular sleep schedule, a lack of adequate or quality sleep can impact your cognitive ability. Poor sleep can increase anxiety and slow your thinking, impacting decision-making, attention span, and memory retention, all of which can lead to an increase in medical errors.
Potential Health Risks
The night shift nurse sleep schedule can also be challenging for the body. Sleeping during the day forces you to sleep during the circadian rhythm’s rising phase. This is why it may be difficult to fall asleep during the day, no matter how tired you may be. A lack of sleep, poor-quality sleep, or unusual sleeping hours over time can lead to potential health risks, such as metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.
Unusual working hours may also cause gastrointestinal disturbances. Working when you otherwise would be sleeping pushes mealtimes and gastrointestinal functions out of synch. Additionally, working the night shift may lead nurses to prioritize convenience over nutrition and opt for meals with low nutritional value.
To avoid potential health risks, maintain a quality sleep schedule and prioritize nutrition. This may mean taking fewer night shifts so your body can recover.
How to Survive Night Shift Nursing
Although the night shift has its drawbacks, you can take steps to help overcome the challenges and provide quality patient care. Consider these tips for night shift nurses to help you master the night shift.
Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Adjusting to a night shift nurse sleep schedule may initially be difficult for your body, but consistency is key. Over time, your body will adapt to your new schedule. Provided that you receive ample and quality sleep, the consistency will diminish the potential for adverse effects on your health.
Create an Ideal Sleeping Environment
Because you will sleep during the day, you may need to take extra steps to create a dark and quiet sleeping environment. Quality blackout curtains and white noise machines are night shift nurse essentials. Combined, they block out daylight and noises that can prevent you from achieving a deep and restful sleep.
Make Nutritious Choices
Healthy food choices can increase your energy and make you a more effective nurse. Maintaining a balanced diet and avoiding foods high in sugar and low in fiber will help you feel alert and energized throughout the shift.
Limit Meals to the Day
One way to potentially diminish the risk of gastrointestinal disturbances and the development of diabetes is to eat meals during the day rather than the night shift. Research indicates that eating at night, when your body expects to be asleep, increases blood sugar levels by an average of 6.4%, and eating meals during the day prevents a blood sugar surge.
This does not mean that you should never eat during your night shift, but reserving meals for the day and refueling as needed may be better for your health. Maintaining a consistent eating schedule to support your circadian rhythm is also beneficial.
Reduce Night Shift Frequency
The body can have difficulty adjusting to frequent night shifts, so listening to your body and limiting the frequency when possible is essential. Space night shifts and day shifts apart so you can have adequate time to recover and be prepared to avoid night shifts if your health starts to suffer. Maintaining open communication with your managers will also help you make schedule changes as needed.
Start Your Nursing Journey Today with Tulane
The aBSN program at Tulane University will prepare you to excel in nursing and all types of shifts. Our nursing curriculum uses a hybrid approach that allows you to earn a BSN in as few as 16 months, preparing you to confidently take the NCLEX-RN and earn your nursing license.
If you meet the admission requirements and have at least 60 undergraduate credit hours from an accredited institution, a rewarding nursing career lies ahead. Located in the heart of New Orleans, our aBSN program provides access to excellent healthcare networks and the chance to live, study, and work in a vibrant city filled with arts, music, history, and culture.
Contact an admissions counselor today to learn how studying nursing in New Orleans at Tulane can open many doors for your nursing career.
