Alyssa Lee, RN, BSN, CCRN, shared her experiences as the night shift Assistant Nurse Manager in the intensive care unit at AdventHealth Parker in a statement released on Mar. 25. Lee described how working nights allows her to balance leadership duties with direct patient care and spend more time with her family during the day.
Lee said she has worked nights throughout her 10½-year nursing career and values both the autonomy and teamwork that come with overnight shifts. “I’ve always been a night owl,” she said. “Now, with two kids, nights also allow me to spend time with my family during the day.” She explained that fewer resources overnight have helped strengthen her clinical skills and made her a resource for newer nurses.
The collaborative nature of night teams stood out to Lee across different hospitals. “Night teams are incredibly collaborative because we rely on each other more,” she said. “At Parker, that teamwork is exceptional.” According to Lee, ICU team members step in without being asked: “You’re never alone,” she said. “Everyone jumps in to make sure both patients and team members are supported.”
Lee addressed misconceptions about quiet hospital nights by saying they often see high admissions overnight while working to provide restful environments for patients: “We often see a high number of admissions overnight, and our census continues to grow,” she explained.
With fewer providers available at night, nurses depend heavily on their judgment when deciding which situations need immediate escalation or can be managed independently. As a leader on these shifts, Lee supports decision-making processes among staff.
She reflected on meaningful moments caring for vulnerable patients at night: “In those moments, we’re more than caregivers – we’re their support system,” she said.
Lee expressed pride in her team’s dedication under challenging circumstances: “They handle high patient volumes, complex cases, and emotional situations – all with fewer resources and higher ratios,” she said. She added: “We’re the unseen part of the 24-hour care cycle… I’m proud to be part of this team.”
AdventHealth Orlando was founded in 1908 in Orlando, Florida; it is led by president Terry Shaw and serves as both a pediatric facility and training hospital according to available information.
