[Jme2007]

I dont know where to begin...
I am currently an LVN who has finished my RN program and studying to take the NCLEX. I just started a job in a newborn nursery at nights. When I get my licensure, I will become the "transition RN" and go to each delivery. My problem is not so much with the job duties of either position, it is with what nights has done to me . I oriented on days for almost 2 months and have did 2 weeks of nights and my body is all screwed up. I havent been able to study much because I am soo tired. I was told by my dept. manager that I can bring my laptop to work and study since I will be confined to the nursery. Unlike days, the nursery is always full with 6-8 babies so I have no time to study, not too mention my brain, "checks out" after about 1-2am. And when I say the nursery is full, I mean, the post-partum nurses would bring more in if they could but I am it- the only person in the nursery. So I cant take more than 8 babies. I have never done nightshift before but never thought it was going to be so hard to function. I thought that I would be okay on nights because I get up at 6-6:30am and dont go to bed til midnight each night. I dont need that much sleep, but now I am thinking I am a "morning person", not night. Will it take time to adjust? I really dont feel like I have time to adjust. I want to take my nclex and I am motivated to study, but since I have been on nights, that has gone down the drain. There are no open positions during the day for LVN or RN and if I tried to go somewhere else to do day position, I am afraid I wouldnt get hired. Any suggestions or words of wisdom?

[traumaRUs]

Hi and welcome. Do a search on surviving night shift here and I think you'll get a lot of pointers. It does take awhile to adjust to night shifts. Much depends on whether you do 8 or 12 hours too.