[gt4everpn]

At first I thought working the night shift would be fine for me cuz I dont sleep at night!! but since I'm in school I have no choice but to work night shift! Its o.k but often I have to go to school the very same morning and it is very stressful!! I know its taking a huge toll on me, I feel like my nerves are shot!

[SarasotaRN2b]

Well, I will have to work nights while going to school, but I'll be working Fri, Sat and Sun (no school on Mondays). I'm trying to save up my PTO so that when I may need to, I can take Fridays off. Unless you are super used to nights, I would not, NOT, work the night before you have class. It takes time to get used to working nights, so unless you have been working nights for a while, I wouldn't suggest starting working on nights. Your body will be going through enough stress, you don't need to add the stresses of nursing school.

Kris

[djh5197]

I don't mind nights. I am anything but a morning person and as a new nurse, nights give me the opportunity to look into the things I don't understand. When I was on days, I was like a chicken with my head cut off. I'm sure it won't always be this way, eventually I'll find my groove and get tired of being up all night and sleeping all day (btw..I have no problem sleeping at any hour of the day if I'm tired enough), but then again maybe not. Don't dispair new night nurses, nights are not all bad...and they're more money too.

[frodo]

i have worked nights for over 5 years now, but i do 8 hour shifts, i am tired after 4 in a row, but luckily my hosp allows 72 hours to be full time with full time bennies, so i work 72, that other day off, helps so much. i am an lpn and the shift differential is something i need. so i just do the best i can. I do enjoy working that shift, but the pay off is being tired at times.

[softstorms]

All my life I thought I was a night and evening person. Then midway, (at 30 ish) I found daytime was great for me. Then as I passed 50, I found evenings fit me better. We are different people at different times of our lives. Work whats fits in for you and feels right for your body and life now. If you have to make choices for children or wages, make sure it is just a short term change and you can return soon to a shift that fits you.

[rastanursern]

I just accepted an offer to work nights. I'm not sure how it will work for me, as I become very cranky when I don't get enough sleep. Hoping and praying to God that a day shift opens up for me. Also what exactly does "noc" stand for?

[hsmile04]

Hi all. I can relate. I graduated nursing school last May. The only jobs around were night shift. I accepted one. I have multiple health problems already, but nights did not help. I stayed sick all night long. I would vomit constantly. My wbc count became very low so my hematologist said I had to get off nights. Luckily, I was able to get a part time day position, eventhogh I lost my sign on bonus. Working part time was not what I planned, but I am thankful I am working. Hopefully I will get a full time day soon. Nights are not for everyone. We must take care of our on health.






God is good!

[GLDLPN]

Hello all

Haven't visited here in a while, but find myself returning ~ it is a good place to get ideas/helpful hints from others who know what you are going through.

I have worked nights most all my years of nursing (30+), except a couple years of 3p-11p, and a few months 7a-7p when I got bumped out of my night position. (20 years 11p-7a and then 10 years 7p-7a).

I prefer nights ~ it feels too stressful to me in the day time. But now, I am struggling with sleep difficulties ~ the night time sleep is pretty good, but the day time sleep, maybe a couple hours and I just can not go back to sleep. Went to the dr for help ~ she prescribed Provigil. For the life of me I can not understand how a medicine that is supposed to keep people awake will help me sleep, but she tells me to give it a try, that several nurses take it and it has helped them. I am on my second day of it (maybe it takes time for it to begin helping???) and so far, I am getting even less sleep. GRrrrr frustrating.

Part of me wants to find a different job ~ something less stressful. As I have gotten older, things seem so much more stressful to me. Also nursing has changed so much from when I first began. I currently work at a hospital based skilled nursing unit. It is supposed to be a unit that is slower paced, but they send us patients who are often too sick to be there and we don't have them very long and they end up going back to an acute floor. There is a nursing home real close to my home, and I toy with the idea of looking into a job there ~ thinking it might be less stressful, and that maybe I could do the day shift there and cope ok. It sure would feel better to be able to feel rested, but I always end up deciding to stay put where I am. I want to sleep and feel better, but I have reservations about the nursing home ~ where I am now, patients come and go, but at a nursing home, if you get some patients that are difficult and you really don't enjoy having to take care of them or they have difficult families ~ you are stuck with them for who knows how long. Also, I am having a hard time ~ the thought of giving up my extra days off that I get by working the 12 hour shifts (don't think they have them at that nursing home). Having to go to work just 3 days a week is so much more appealing than having to go there 5 days a week.

Things seem to kind of come to a head when this sleep problem gets to me. Then I try to keep hanging in there (don't especially like change) ~ I like my coworkers.

What to do.....What to do???????

Thanks for listening. Maybe someone will have some helpful suggestions.

Take care all Gayle

[softstorms]

Welcome back. I don't know if we can help, but we are here LOL.

[2bnursenikki82]

GLDLPN, for what it's worth, I love Provigil. I don't take it very often at all, not even once a month, but for those days when I'm stupid and schedule a night shift right before a class or have something important to do the day after a night shift, that stuff is awesome. It's not an amphetamine so there's no "high" or no jitters with it. I never have any trouble going to sleep at night and there's not a crash a few hours after taking it. I'm awake when I want to be awake, and when I want to sleep...I just go to sleep.

Personally, I say try it.