Night shifts

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jan 19, 2016

Child on bus I go to bed. Child is kind enough to play sports so I pick him up 2hrs post dismissal or 30 minutes post dismissal I haul rear to be there to watch him participate. Except when I don't pay attention and end up awake for 48 hrs straight.

I work child sleeps. Child in school I sleep. I'm there for before & after school when I'm needed most. Except when school and employer call me all day for minor issues. It generally works out

Eleven011 · Jan 19, 2016

When i was working night shifts, I would bring the kids home something special like donuts to have before getting them on the school bus. Or if it was summer, if they would let me sleep, when I got up, I would take them into the town swimming pool for the afternoon.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jan 19, 2016

When i was working night shifts, I would bring the kids home something special like donuts to have before getting them on the school bus. Or if it was summer, if they would let me sleep, when I got up, I would take them into the town swimming pool for the afternoon.

My kid is bribed with specialty coffee from the local convenience store. It's a miracle incentive

Curious on Nursing · Jan 20, 2016

Sounds like you got great understanding child, not to mention you yourself balancing it all so well!

Curious on Nursing · Jan 20, 2016

Ha ha.. Coffee to the rescue huh!

NOADLS · Jan 20, 2016

With nights, you'll actually have more freedom than your non-night working counterpart(s). You can choose to sleep prior to your shift or after your shift which leaves either daytime hours or evening hours to you; your choice. A person working during the day or evening does not get to make that choice.

Quality sleep is the most important thing. If you have that, your life should be fine.

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Jan 20, 2016

I would take the kids out for breakfast and bring them to school late every once in a while, or let them stay up with me and cuddle in front of a movie before I left for work. Mostly I just tried to be kind to myself and do the best I could, and not beat myself up for too many nights in front of the tv or too many nuked burritos for dinner. I was also very protective of my sleep time, so that I wouldn't be exhausted and cranky during the time I had with them.

mercurysmom · Jan 20, 2016

I worked nights FT from 1990 to 2000, and Per Diem from 2000-2005. It turned out to be the absolute best schedule while I was pregnant, and then while my two back-to-back breastfed babies (14 mos apart...surprise!) were little. My son was pretty easy, took a bottle when I pumped and formula when I had to stop BF'ing due to PTL. I ended up on bed rest just before he turned 1. My daughter, baby #2, was a total show-off of a 32 weeker, and she was home by week 4 and I was back to work by week 6. 100% breastfed, tandem nursed for over a year. ( My MIL freaked out about that!). Daughter decided that she didn't like her milk any way but straight from the tap, and she started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks old. I slept with her and she "power nursed" all morning. An elderly neighbor took my son for the morning until Hubby got home at 3 (HS teacher at the time.). I stayed up till 6:30, then slept/power nursed till 10:15, and left for work. It was a crazy time and Hubby and I were like ships passing in the night. Sometimes I wonder

How we ended up with baby #2! [emoji6]

My Mom was a nurse and she worked nights while I was growing up. By the time I was seven, she was a single parent with 3 kids, and put herself through RN school in 2 years while working full time nights as an LPN. She graduated when I was 10, and my sisters were 6 and 7. She passed away in 2010. I'm extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to understand, just a little bit, the sacrifices she made in order to improve our lives. Working is hard. School is hard. Having little ones is hard. Managing all three, alone, at the same time? That's beyond comprehension.

My sisters and I started a scholarship in her memory, for second year RN students who are single Moms. This May, we'll be able to offer scholarships to two students. Heaven knows, they deserve it.

Eleven011 · Jan 20, 2016

My sisters and I started a scholarship in her memory, for second year RN students who are single Moms. This May, we'll be able to offer scholarships to two students. Heaven knows, they deserve it.

I went to nursing school as a single mom. Bless you for this. You are making your mom so proud.