Nightshift vent

joe17 · Aug 7, 2011

I'm 25 - been doing nights for over 3 years.. I do three 12 hour shifts a week - whatever the schedule me for.. I ask to have them try to have them in a row but surprise surprise that never happens... I get out of work typically around 8am - get home by 8:45, try to eat something then get to bed by 9:30... My room has room darkening shades so there isn't even a slight drop of sunshine in my room. I also use a fan to help with noises. No one is home during the day. I try to sleep as much as I can but I'm wide awake by 2pm... Shower, play with dogs, make dinner, etc. I leave my house at 5:30 to be there for 6:30 pm (typically charge RN so I have to gather stuff).
I feel like I should be able to handle night shift without being so miserable after 3 years.. I want to enjoy it again... and I did for the first year - two, this past year has been really hard though.

hi!!like urself i do nights only ..in mt case i do it 7days aweek and 7 days off(20:00 to 08:00)its a busy orthopedic nurse im a band 6 Rn(senoir staff) i usally work with another band 6 who is my buddy,but there are times that i will get an agency nurse(nurse from God knows where).i agree its stressfull,horrible,,,i have to do nights because its suite my lifestyle with my 2 growing kids and a fulltime wife who is also a nurse...if i can gve u some advice how to make it enjoyable maybe it willl help a bit

1)i dont know how busy ur work is or where ur area is>>>but one thing that will help is a good "BUDDY" im glad my co worker is hardworker, we enjoyevery moment we are together..we work as a team and hard..

2)get enough break during the night((if ur not busy get plenty of sleep and rest) usually start from friday we can be very peacefull means 3-5 patients in the ward..so that the time we can order take away chinese etc....

3) speak to ur manager for a shift to day once or thrice a month.. that way u can get some fresh air....

i dont know hows ur relationship with the rest of ur co workers thats also important..get a laugh with them to stir you out of night shift phenomena,,,,(i do that a lot))

4)i dont know if u have family.. i have 2 love kids they are the love of my life so everyday for me is ecxiting seeing them in front my our doorway after a busynight shift makes life easy..

i think u are doing a good joy keep it up we as a nurse have some issue,,thats normal,,,,keep smiling ,,pray to God and u will be fine

im 39 btw so imagine how hard for old man doing 7 days a week,,lol

God bless JOE

teleRN08 · Aug 7, 2011

Thanks everyone! I love the group of people I work with. They are great! It's truly just the lack of sleep that is getting to me. My life seems so uncomplicated that I don't know why I'm having such a hard time and some people do it with having children (i couldn't imagine).

I work med/surg/tele - we have 7 pts a night.

nightengalegoddess · Aug 7, 2011

Ask your PCP about trazodone. Great sleep aid if you have no cardiac issues.....doesn't make you sleepwalk or anything!!! And also......can't be abused.....truly only makes you want/need to sleep!!!

Nightshift is new to me......but man......I LOVE not having to wake up at 4 am to go to the gym before work.......or even 0530.....when I could care less about my fitness!!!! Although, I DO find that I have less and less time in my life for those who aren't 100% my advocates and loved ones since this night shift thing. (Good thing I'm anti-social cause' I would be losing a lot of friends otherwise).

It seems like.....either you spend too much time asleep to keep sanity......or spend too much time awake to stay caught up..........I DO get your plight.

As others have said.....make your name first in every unit managers' mind when they have a day shift position open......that means a lot of bi-monthly inquiries that you are too tired to call about.........."Hi, I'm Me, (again), and I just wanted ya'll to know I am ready and willing to work days in your unit! Just tell me when! : )"

klone, MSN, RN · Aug 7, 2011

....I need to vent. I HATE NIGHT SHIFT!!!!!! :devil:
I love my job or at least I did when I started (3 years ago)... but the amount night shift changes a person is horrible... I barely sleep when I work and I'm miserable overall now...
I'm tired... and I'm tired of hating my job - I know I would love it if it wasn't for nights..
Any advice would be great!

No advice, just total understanding. I love everything about my job except the hours. I have to take Ambien in order to sleep enough between shifts to be safe, and even then, I still catch myself nearly falling asleep every morning on the ride home. The Ambien has caused my short-term memory to go to hell (stuff like conversations I've had with my husband). I'm actively looking for a different job - not because I necessarily want to do something different, but because I no longer feel that working nights is safe or healthy for me (or the other people on the road when I drive home).

I had worked nights for three years, then went to days. When I went to days, I had the energy to exercise daily and I lost 40 lbs. Now, I'm at a different place and have been back on nights for over a year, and I've regained 15 lbs.

Music in My Heart · Aug 7, 2011

I switched to NOC shift about 8 months ago and it's a challenge, for sure (and our differential SUX).

My strategy includes:

1) Foregoing caffeine within 8 hours of bed time.

2) Staying up late (~0300) on my off shifts

3) Napping liberally (old military thing: sleep when you can because you never know when the next opportunity will arise)

4) Occasional use of Ambien/Lunesta - 1/2 dose - and never more than 3x per week... just when I absolutely have to get to sleep

5) Even more occasional use of Provigil when I'm simply exhausted

6) No fluids at all within 6 hours of bedtime (nothing worse than waking from a sound sleep to take a whiz)

7) No phone anywhere near my bedroom.

8) 33 dB ear plugs

9) Exercise during breaks and/or lunch shift - even just hustling the stairs

10) power nap during breaks and/or lunch... even 10 mins can buy me another 2 hours of functional alertness

I don't like it but I find it tolerable... and I really have no choice in the matter if I want to have a job so I'm highly motivated to make it work.

teleRN08 · Aug 7, 2011

Thank you everyone for your advice and understanding. I truly appreciate it. I will be trying all of your advice.. Hopefully things will get easier until I find another opportunity.

MomRN0913 · Aug 7, 2011

I could just say I feel for you. I handled them OK for a few years, before I got pregnant. Then I found myself so exhausted, could barely get myself home (lived about 45 min away) every trip home took an hour and a half because I would stop at the startbucks half way home, take a nap in my car, and get a cup of coffee to finish the trip, pass out face first on my bed and be up by 2. The calls, the noises, I couldn't block anything out. Then being on the same schedule as a baby..... I was always tired, irritable, gaining weight even though not eating much. I felt like crap.

I got a position on day, yea! It took me a long time to get that position. Then dodo head me takes a nurse manager job somewhere else to have even better hours as a single mother. Well, that ended up bad and I have no job:(

I could have my ICU nights position back right now if I wanted it. I just don't think I can do it without falling apart again. I still am not on the right clock and I have been off nights for about 10 months. Of course, to support my child, if it came to it, I would, but I fear what it would do to me physically and emotionally.

Try to gague how long it would take to get to days on your unit. Speak with your NM. Keep looking. For now, try Melatonin, it helps a little. Try to cut some of the carbs and add protein, that helps too.

My heart goes out to you.