Temporarily on night shift; too scared to do it

[LaceyRN12]

I was asked if I wanted to work for a month on night shift when I'm off orientation. I'll get paid a lot for nights, especially here in California. But I am soooo nervous. Sure, I've had a couple times in my life when I stayed up all night... but that's when I was bored and unemployed and had no real responsibility. THIS is different; I'd have to stay awake to take care of people. I'm terrified. I don't want to make deadly mistakes because of my lack of sleep. And no, I don't drink coffee or tea. I HATE them. So how am I gonna stay awake? I was honest and said I don't know if I am up for it but I'd think about it. I don't really know why I was asked to do this. My entire sleep schedule is gonna be off, and I won't have time to adjust since I'll be going from days straight to nights. And I'd be on an entirely different schedule as my husband. And I'm afraid my cat will keep meowing all day when I'm trying to sleep (he's a LOUD meower)... I still hear him even with ear plugs. And during night shifts, they draw all the labs. I can draw blood, but there are a lot of times I end up getting someone else to do it for me because the patients are such a hard stick. I know it'll probably be less busy at night; that's a plus. I'm just scared. I honestly REALLY don't want to work nights, but I'm atleast considering it. What would you do??

[LaceyRN12]

I really appreciate hearing everyone's thoughts on night shifts! I'm really starting to consider it now. Maybe I should just give it a try and see what it's like. It's only temporary anyways. I also hear you get paid more while doing less work. Hehe.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

You do not do 'less work' - you do the same if not more work with fewer resources. Trust me.

[FlorenceNtheMachine]

Haha! Less work my left eye! There is more downtime, quiet time on nights. But all the stuff day shift is too "busy" to do , gets lumped in as the night shift's responsibility. So you are filling up the quiet time with paperwork. And you have less help. No doctors right around the corner, no techs, no transporters.

[RRWilson,RN]

Try taking sublingual b12 tablets. I take one to two during my shift on nights I work. Gives me a boost of energy when I began to feel sleepy.

Nights shifters are the coolest!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I never found switching from days to nights to be a problem... switching back is harder but you get used to it. Up here, EVERYONE rotates and getting a day position as a new hire is unheard of. I rotated for so long that I could wake up at 8am on Friday before a weekend night shift, work 7P-7A Fri, Sat, Sun (usually only sleeping 4-5 hrs each day), sleep all day Monday til 4 or 6 (it was always my goal to be up by 12 or 1 when I didn't have to work the next night but after three in a row I was just too exhausted) and then still go to bed at 10 or 11 and sleep through the night.

You should do it. It gives you good perspective to know what your co-workers on the other side are doing. Some nights are slow but, more often, you're running your tails off because the patients are just as sick as they are on days and you are taking care of more of them with fewer resources.

[Sunflowerinsc, ADN, RN]

It's not true that there is less work on night shifts ! It's not the same as day shift but still a lot to be done .And most sick people do not sleep much at night.

Drawing blood is a good way to get used to finding veins, without having to start a IV.

The hardest thing to get used to working nights is for family and friends to know that your day is your " night" ,you need to sleep and not talk on the phone, go out for lunch, and so on.Whether your schedule is to sleep soon after you get home in the morning or later ,it's your night and they shouldn't expect you to be available for anything else.

One of the good things about night you don't have all those case managers,social workers ,students, and so on around. Used to be not so many visitors either but now days with customer satisfaction being high on the list of priorities that's not so much the case.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

You will be busy enough to stay awake. Trust me, pts dont sleep

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

Blood draws are no big deal and nothing to be afraid of. That will be routine for you soon. Nights are easier on most units. Less stress. I thought I could NEVER work nights, and here I am on nights, and I fight to stay on night shift. You find what works for you. I sleep 8 hours during the day, no problem. I was sure it would not be possible.