NIGHT SHIFT CENTRAL!

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been working nights since I graduated a couple of years ago. I love it! The pros: usually no management around, no meetings or few meetings, few family members or visitors (as they are often more demanding than the pts), more time to get the know the pts (especially those who are up at all hours of the night), reverse commuting, the helpfulness and friendliness of other night nurses.

Cons: sleep deprivation when working back-to-back shifts (although I prefer those shifts), not knowing if I'm supposed to be eating breakfast or dinner, so I just eat what I want whenever I have time which may just be twice a day, not enough time to spend with family/friends, decreased motivation to get anything thing done after I wake up on my days off and then when I do wake up enough, all the businesses are closed, neighbors who do not understand that when they come over at 5 pm and I'm in my nightgown and scarfing down a salad that I really don't have time to visit even after they ask me if I'm working tonight, coming to work and seeing hours-old leftover food in the breakroom from admin to day shift and nothing fresh or nothing at all for the night shift, having to stock the supply room because central supply person is gone for the day, having to search multiple Pixis for meds because our unit is out of Protonix or Prilosec, Really?? and there is no pharmacist to stock at night, having a computer issue and having to wait for IT to respond (although this is getting better), having to plunge a toilet because housekeeping is gone for the day, having the kitchen call and ask for the diet of a pt who has been NPO for 2 weeks and then asking to have the diet order faxed right at med pass time, dr ordered snacks that are not stocked in the pt fridge and no one in the kitchen to deliver them, having people ask me, What do you do all night? The patients are sleeping. Really??? But, even with all this, nursing is the BOMB! I still love it!

I have to say our hospital is great with scheduling meetings. They are usually scheduled mid day shift or right before night shift. Our scheduler calls at all times of the day but it doesn't bother me. I turn my phone off or put it on vibrate when I'm sleeping and return calls when I wake up. When I first started working nights, I put a "do not disturb" sign on my front door when I was sleeping to deter any would-be visitors. Now I don't have to because most people know I'm up all night and sleep til at least 1300 even on my days off.

Vishwamitr

156 Posts

Specializes in Psychiatry.

Hi MBARNBSN,

I fully endorse and respect the concern that you have expressed. (I worked the graveyard shift for 4 years). But here is the problem: Some nurses go to sleep once they get home (of course, not right away), whereas, some nurses do not sleep until late in the afternoon (so that they are ready for work when they wake up). Unfortunately, unlike for the daytime workers, there is no "do not call" time for the nocturnal nurses.

Mully

3 Articles; 272 Posts

Specializes in SICU.

#melatonin.

Specializes in Palliative.

I am now in a position where I'm being forced to work days after working all nights for years. I hate everything about day shifts. EVERYTHING. Most people hate nights and want to trade with me so I get rid of a few of them, but they're awful. I think it's healthier to work one or the other, but for me it's nights all the way.

I am a lover night shift, have been doing it for over 10 years and I love it! sure I'm tired all the time, have to consume massive amounts of caffeine and I'll die 10 years sooner, but the benefit is I'm able to be home for my kids and work while they are asleep. And whenever I do a day shift class I am more exhaused than ever! And I'm mad that I've wasted my whole day on "work" instead of being with my kids or just getting stuff done. And I have to agree, all the cool people work nights.

I prefer working day shifts, it fits in with my lifestyle more.

Bortaz, MSN, RN

2,628 Posts

Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

As a new nurse and a grouchy old fart, I broke my manager from this within 3 months of hiring me. She called me around 1PM one day after I'd worked the night before (and was scheduled to work that night, too) and woke me up over some irrelevant nonsense.

I called her back that night at 1 AM. The idjit had the nerve to say "Don't you realize it's 1 AM!?"

Certainly do, ma'am, just like it was the middle of MY night when you called me today.

I've never gotten another call from them before 5 pm.

I agree about the meetings and about the phone calls. My hospital started using this automated robot calling system shortly before I left where they would send out mass calls when they needed someone to work a shift. I remember this specifically because it made me very mad: I was working 7P-7A Wednesday and Thursday. We must have had a staff meeting or something at shift change on Thursday morning or I had an appointment because I remember that I got home late. I had just fallen asleep like an hour earlier when my phone rang at 12pm with a robot call saying "please call the charge nurse if you can work tonight." A) I'm already working tonight and B ) FOR REAL? Would it be acceptable to call the day shift at midnight? No, so why are you calling me at noon? One of my permanent night shift colleagues would always say how she wanted to call the day shift at 2am to see how they liked it...

Bortaz, MSN, RN

2,628 Posts

Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

So you can do your crimefighting at night?

I prefer working day shifts, it fits in with my lifestyle more.
Specializes in ER, Trauma, Med-Surg/Tele, LTC.
As a new nurse and a grouchy old fart, I broke my manager from this within 3 months of hiring me. She called me around 1PM one day after I'd worked the night before (and was scheduled to work that night, too) and woke me up over some irrelevant nonsense.

I called her back that night at 1 AM. The idjit had the nerve to say "Don't you realize it's 1 AM!?"

Certainly do, ma'am, just like it was the middle of MY night when you called me today.

I've never gotten another call from them before 5 pm.

That was pretty darn ballsy considering you were probably still in your probationary period. But kudos to you! :)

Bortaz, MSN, RN

2,628 Posts

Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

You have to nip this kind of nonsense in the bud before they start assuming they can just treat you any old way.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN

1 Article; 20,908 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
As a new nurse and a grouchy old fart, I broke my manager from this within 3 months of hiring me. She called me around 1PM one day after I'd worked the night before (and was scheduled to work that night, too) and woke me up over some irrelevant nonsense.

I called her back that night at 1 AM. The idjit had the nerve to say "Don't you realize it's 1 AM!?"

Certainly do, ma'am, just like it was the middle of MY night when you called me today.

I've never gotten another call from them before 5 pm.

I too have made it very clear if they are asleep at 1AM......I am asleep at 1PM. I have 2 cell phones....one for work (which is OFF when I sleep) and one for my family/emergencies and I shut off my land line.

I had black paper to a light rigid frame that velcroed to my windows.

I had a sign on my door.

Ring bell at your own risk or the house is on fire.....

owner works nights and owns a large dog.

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