Depressed night shift worker

Nurses Stress 101

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Hi everyone...

I just started a new job about 2 months ago, a much needed change. Even though it's not a dream job by far, it is better than my last job...except it's still 3 12s a week and I'm still mostly working nights. I worked nights 6 months straight at my last job (my first nursing job) and at first I loved it, then it got to the point where I was sleeping all day even on my days off and now I'm back to that cycle. I have some health problems and I can't function on 3 or 4 hours of sleep like everyone else I work with it seems. The 12 hour shifts (which I also worked for 2 years as an aid) are too long for me too. I've been going to bed at 10 am (I get home around 8, but need a long time to wind down) and not getting up until 6 pm. I guess I'm TOO adapted to night shift. If I try to set an alarm and get up earlier I'm exhausted and just sit around all day. The position I accepted is rotating shifts and being the new person I pretty much have to take what they give me. I'm just so frustrated with it I don't know what to do. I only have 1 1/2 years of nursing experience and couldn't find another type of job (I looked for four months, got laughed out of some interviews, and only hospitals were seriously interested in me). I don't know how I'm going to make it until I get more experience and don't have to work 3 12s and night shifts. My health has gotten so much worse since I started this and I don't know what to do. Probably not much anyone can suggest except "get more experience", right?

Specializes in oncology, MS/tele/stepdown.

Sorry to hear you are struggling. Hopefully you can find something else soon!

Do new nurses usually get stuck on nights? I had heard that was ordinarily the case, but the floor I extern on (and maybe be nurse on in a couple of months!) always has nurses fighting to get on nightshift. The permanent night nurses don't leave, so it's only on rotated weekends that anyone else can get a nightshift. Maybe my floor is just an anomaly.

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Sorry to hear you are struggling. Hopefully you can find something else soon!

Do new nurses usually get stuck on nights? I had heard that was ordinarily the case, but the floor I extern on (and maybe be nurse on in a couple of months!) always has nurses fighting to get on nightshift. The permanent night nurses don't leave, so it's only on rotated weekends that anyone else can get a nightshift. Maybe my floor is just an anomaly.

In my thousand year history, I've actually yet to see people be assigned to night shift, unless they wanted it- or unless the place wanted to force them to quit. Night shift is not for the majority. If I hired people for nights, I'd want to be danmed sure they knew what they were getting into- hormonal imbalances, fatigue, vertigo, depression, insomnia, lack of social life, generalized malaise, and etc.- more so I were the one to have to replace a night shift nurse that called off? Aside from that- there is a lack of support at night, it's not a good place for new grads.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Rehab, Case management.
Yikes. I feel like I've just been slapped in the face, and it's not even MY post.

Other than that, twelve hour night shifts are hell. About 0100, I started to get dizzy, weak, and wanted to just die, and couldn't BELIEVE I had 6, 8 (of course -the more burned out and exhausted you are, the later your relief nurse decides to show up in the morning) hours more to go, every day. Night shift itself is bad enough on your health. And twice I almost crashed riving home in the morning- that's what did it for me.

I know, right? It's not like I had a bunch of job offers to choose from...just the one in four months of applying at least three days a week.

Fortunately I'm not tired at night since I sleep all day. I know it's healthier that I actually sleep a full 8 hours (at least) on my days off, but I bet my coworkers that get up at noon have a much more full life. It's a no-win situation. I'm working tonight, but then I'm working days Thursday and Friday so tomorrow I won't be able to sleep very long or there's no way I'll be able to go to bed Wednesday night.

I don't know how common or not it is for new nurses to be assigned to night shift. At my last job more people wanted nights than days because it was so terrible during the day. I've always had more help on night shift though...a lot of the day nurses I used to work with were not willing to help, even the charge nurse, because they were too busy. The manager was no help at all.

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I hate working night shift. I have been working at jobs that required night shift work since I was 18. I'm 29 now. Working nights makes me so depressed and screws up my sleep schedule horribly. I recently graduated with a master's degree in a completely different field because I want out of nursing so badly and night shift is a big part of that. I haven't landed a new job yet but I am looking every day. I actually had a friend who worked at a hospital in the area. She had only just graduated with her LPN 3 months before she died in an auto accident. They had her work 8 12-hour night shifts in a row and she feel asleep driving on her 6th night. She was afraid to say anything about how exhaused she was because there are so many people looking for jobs right now and she didn't want to lose hers or say no to the overtime and be replaced. She was 24 years old and I hold that hospital completely responsibly for her death. She should not have been working that many nights in a row on 12's. It isn't safe for the nurse and it isn't safe for patients.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Rehab, Case management.
I hate working night shift. I have been working at jobs that required night shift work since I was 18. I'm 29 now. Working nights makes me so depressed and screws up my sleep schedule horribly. I recently graduated with a master's degree in a completely different field because I want out of nursing so badly and night shift is a big part of that. I haven't landed a new job yet but I am looking every day. I actually had a friend who worked at a hospital in the area. She had only just graduated with her LPN 3 months before she died in an auto accident. They had her work 8 12-hour night shifts in a row and she feel asleep driving on her 6th night. She was afraid to say anything about how exhaused she was because there are so many people looking for jobs right now and she didn't want to lose hers or say no to the overtime and be replaced. She was 24 years old and I hold that hospital completely responsibly for her death. She should not have been working that many nights in a row on 12's. It isn't safe for the nurse and it isn't safe for patients.

I am so sorry about the loss of your friend! That's unacceptable to have someone working 8 12s in a row night OR day. I don't even know what to say, that's horrible. I hope you find a job that makes you happy and safe. To add to it I found out I have some problems with my feet today that are more major than I thought in addition to all the back and other problems I have from work...great. I feel like an old woman and I'm only 29 too. I'm so sorry again for your loss.

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I hate working night shift. I have been working at jobs that required night shift work since I was 18. I'm 29 now. Working nights makes me so depressed and screws up my sleep schedule horribly. I recently graduated with a master's degree in a completely different field because I want out of nursing so badly and night shift is a big part of that. I haven't landed a new job yet but I am looking every day. I actually had a friend who worked at a hospital in the area. She had only just graduated with her LPN 3 months before she died in an auto accident. They had her work 8 12-hour night shifts in a row and she feel asleep driving on her 6th night. She was afraid to say anything about how exhaused she was because there are so many people looking for jobs right now and she didn't want to lose hers or say no to the overtime and be replaced. She was 24 years old and I hold that hospital completely responsibly for her death. She should not have been working that many nights in a row on 12's. It isn't safe for the nurse and it isn't safe for patients.

God. I mentioned the same thing- I almost died driving back home after a 12 hour night shift. This drives home the point- night shift is hell, unless you are born with nocturnal instincts. Sad.

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I always thought I was happy on nights, until I got married. Then I just found myself missing my husband all the time, like when I would be up staring at the computer at 3am and he was asleep. I was always afraid to work days, but on our unit they wanted more day folks. So when I got pregnant I took the opportunity to switch. I really did find my body was telling me I wasn't cut out for nights anymore. I guess I don't have much to offer in way of support, other than understand that even those of us who like night shift (quieter, time to think sometimes, less staff) still feel the effects. I know a lot of my co-workers gave up three in a row schedules and felt better doing two on, one off, one on. Maybe that is an option. I would also have a candid conversation with my manager and let them know of the difficulties and interest in working day shift instead. :)

Best of luck!!

Tait

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Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

Same here... I worked nights before I got married and I feel like I never see my husband. Some days we just do hi-and-bye while he's coming home and I've leaving for work, then the reverse in the AM. Sigh.

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I am so sorry for your loss. I completely agree with you, and i'm afraid it isn't recognized ever..

I think multiple night shifts in a row are unhealthy for the nurse, and unsafe for patients.

Where i work, and i'm sure alot of other places some nurses work 'doubles'

ie. 7a-3p, then 3p-11p.

I will never, ever work that much because it is not only unhealthy for me, i feel as if i am putting my license at risk and putting my patients at risk.

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Specializes in mental health.

Well, I would love to work a few nights in a row. I am never scheduled for more than two 8-hour nights in a row, and let me tell you, the constant flipping back and forth is absolute torture. I NEVER get enough sleep. And I never get a chance to adapt to nights. I feel sick most of the time, even on my days off. Since I have to stay on nights for the foreseeable future (people wait years and years for day shift on my unit and I love my unit so I don't want to look for another job), I keep wishing I could work 3 or 4 nights in a row and have the rest off in a row as well. When I pick up extra shifts, I start getting into the swing of things and night #3 and #4 are usually much better, with night #1 being the worst of all. And with this 2-on, 2-off kind of schedule, I have to suffer through night #1 over and over again. Okay, got to try and get some sleep now...

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Have you considered taking maybe a full week or two off to try and recoup some? When I begin to feel burned out (usually whenever I've worked 4-5 shifts straight) ill see if I can trade with someone and get a few extra days off. I think before you make a job change you should try to take some time off first for some "me" time :)

I hope things get better for you! :hugs:

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I've been working nights for 2 of my 4 years as a nurse and I have never grown accustomed to it. Add to that four young kids and full-time grad school, and I'm wiped. Working nights isn't just working your shift; if you have a family or other day obligations, you can't "stay on nights" and participate in real life. You spend your days off trying to recover from not enough sleep. I flip back and forth from nights to days when I'm off, and I am exhausted all of the time. I have also suffered from depression since I was a teenager, and I can feel it creeping back in. I'm in NP school now, and honestly, a big impetus to get my FCNP is so that I can work M-F 8:00-4:30 and have a normal life again. Nights suck.

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