Exhausted night shifter

[sharann]

I am so wiped out I had to call in sick tonight. I felt really guilty (even though I called 4 hrs ahead of shift). Ii am new to noc shift,just started again a few weeks ago.I was doing fine the first 2 weeks.I basically keep the same schedule on off days.Is this extreme fatigue normal? I never felt this on days even though physically the day shift was more grueling and insanely paced! Will I feel like this forever,or is this my body trying to adjust? Thanks.

[sWolfie]

My day light co workers say that night shift does nothing except sit around. I tell them that there is an open door policy, if they strongly feel this way, they are more then welcome to come in and see for themselves....If they come at the right time, I will make them a fresh pot of coffee...but still they don't show. We do get the crappy end of the stick. If the director orders pizza, sure there's some for us....that's been sitting there since 5pm. If one of the family members bring cake or something in and says this is for night shift, think it's there when we come in?? That's right, No. Heck, we have to go back in an hour later to pick our paychecks up. I would like to know when these people think we sleep. I am glad to see that I'm not the only one who feels this way about our shift, and how things are. Thanx for letting me vent.

[prmenrs, RN]

Some other tips:

make SURE when you walk out of the hospital, you have some dark [very dark, preferrably wrap around] glasses on so that sunlight doesn't hit your retina and reset your biological clock.

NO, NO, NO caffeine after ~ 1 or 2 am; chew gum, or some hard candy. Bring a balanced nutritious snack to eat mid-shift.

Be VERY careful driving home. I used to eat an apple on the way home, it helped me stay awake. Freeways are NOT for sleeping on.

Get some exercize. Some of my night shift colleagues used to climb the stairs in the hospital--11 floors!

Chlortrimeton or Benadryl helps once in a while.

If you wake up in the middle of the day, have a snack, read a boring book (nursing theories used to do it for me), til you feel like sleeping again.

If you work 12's, you will basically have no outside life when you are working your shifts. People who work 8's fall into 2 categories: those who sleep 4hrs right after the shift, and another 4 hrs later on, getting "stuff done" in between, and those who try to sleep 8 hours and still need a little nap before the shift. Either way is ok, try 'em both and pick one.

It's important to have support with the folks @ work--go out to breakfast together once in a while, or socialize any way you can. Our night shift has at least one potluck a week it seems--make up a holiday!! Birthdays work, too.

I wish you the best! :)

[2bnurseguy_2005]

I have been strongly thinking of nursing..My dad and aunt were telling me of the shortage and good pay but night shift scares me

I work nights now and I hate it...

After reading these posts, I am so confused about what to do

At times I want to pursue nursing and other times I dont

the shift is what Im scared of

I cant work nights and Im scared I will have to take a night job or be put on nights