Motivation...I need some! (night nurse vent)

Specialties Private Duty

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Hi all. I'm sorta new to the forums. My name has been here for a long time but I haven't. In Feb of this year, I returned to PDN and I truly enjoy it. My baby is a blessing, I get along well with the family. But it's a night shift. And I dislike all that comes with nights. I can't sleep well during the day. I'm gaining weight because I eat day time and night time and of course I don't really get any exercise anymore since I'm working 56 hours a week if you include drive time. I had lost quite a bit of weight and now I'm back up 20# and it's just so hard to manage living a life when you are at odds with the rest of the world.

Anyone out there have tips or strategies to share with me about how you make time for all you have to do and still find exercise time? And how do you get to sleep? I have to drive 45 min to get home and by then I'm either passed out or wired up from the drive. My boyfriend is kinda naggy about me "sleeping all day" and he seems to miss the point that I'm up all night while he is soundly asleep. To him I just seem lazy since I'm tired all the time. (No I'm not asking for love life advice...I'm just venting.)

Sooo please...if any of you have any tips or tricks for me, please chime in. Bear in mind that the current situation at my work is not optimal. Their house is overcrowded so there is generally someone sleeping on a couch in the room (living room) where the baby and I are all night. So I can't jump up and do exercises while everyone sleeps.

I'm an "old woman" of 44 and I don't feel like running a ten mile marathon after being gone from home 13.5 hours. HELP!!!

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Without going into any of the details about how you might better adjust (you can find a lot of tips in previous threads), I can offer this advice: Take a good hard look at your finances, and imagine how you would feel if you were not working, could not find work, and could not get, or had run out of unemployment benefits. The alternative to a ragged life, is no life at all. On the positive side, you can ask your agency to find you a case(s) that allows you to switch to day shift. If they can not or will not accommodate your request, look elsewhere and make the move. I recommend this if you truly believe that night shift is always going to be a "poor" choice for you. Best wishes.

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Specializes in Peds, developmental disability.

I have read that working nights can contribute to 'metabolic syndrome'.

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I have read that working nights can contribute to 'metabolic syndrome'.

I believe this to be the case with me, not to mention sleep disturbances to this day.

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Without going into any of the details about how you might better adjust (you can find a lot of tips in previous threads), I can offer this advice: Take a good hard look at your finances, and imagine how you would feel if you were not working, could not find work, and could not get, or had run out of unemployment benefits. The alternative to a ragged life, is no life at all. On the positive side, you can ask your agency to find you a case(s) that allows you to switch to day shift. If they can not or will not accommodate your request, look elsewhere and make the move. I recommend this if you truly believe that night shift is always going to be a "poor" choice for you. Best wishes.

As a matter of fact, I don't have to imagine what it would be like to have no job and be penniless. I was up until about six months ago. I was making roughly $800 a month doing the only part time job I could find after my divorce. Unable to afford to heat and cool my house, buy groceries, or do anything. Living in a small town about 60 miles from everything does that. I might need to reread my post because I thought I was asking for tips on how to manage exercise and keep energy up from people who are in my night time shoes.

I would not trade my baby for a day case on a bet. I love her and I will be her nurse until she no longer needs one. I was merely asking for advice. Which apparently was not welcomed. LOL. So much for the support of the nursing forum. And I did look for previous threads but given the fact that all I do is work and sleep and there in no mobile data internet on my phone at work due to a coverage hole in the boondocks where they live and they don't have internet, I thought I would seek some tips from my peers.

At any rate. Lesson learned. I won't bother to ask anymore advice on this forum until I'm ready for a lecture rather than an answer geared toward my question.

Thank you for your "helpful" response.

Now I'm off to work with the most lovely baby in the world.

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I have read that working nights can contribute to 'metabolic syndrome'.

Yes I've heard that also and I'm already dealing with a strong family predisposition toward all sorts of diabetes and heart disease. Another strike toward health in the name of "having a life". Ah well. I do looooove money.

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Specializes in Peds, developmental disability.

What, what what? I don't think caliotter3 meant to lecture you...That's just the way she phrases things.

I myself find that my work schedule keeps changing. So, it is hard for me to have any routines! All the good things in life that I want to make into habits are hard to establish due to constant changes.

When I have worked nights, just a few times, I try to stay active. I sit on the edge of the seat, never back onto the couch! I get up and check the pt, then go make coffee or tea, then use the rest room, etc. Sometimes I do wall pushups, stretches, etc. In your crowded situation there, these ideas may not help.

There is a section of the forum called Break Room and part of that is dedicated to weight loss and health. I found some good ideas there for incorporating exercise into our lives.

You do have to eat and pay your bills, and you love your patient. But it sure would be nice if you could move to days, for your health.

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Can you do little, quiet exercises like leg raises and arm circles? Like the kind of chair exercises that they do in senior centers (not implying you are old, just implying they are quiet and not likely to disrupt the sleeping person). Is a short walk before leaving for work an option?

I know you don't want lecturing but a night shift partner with a day shift partner really needs the support of the day shift partner. It makes it easier if you set aside overlapping awake time to spend exclusively with your partner. When my husband was on nights, he woke up at 7pm to read bedtime stories to the kids and help with the bedtime routine. Then we'd have some private time once the night nurse came before he left for work.

Is it creepy working with a sleeping adult right there? I couldn't sleep while the nurse was in the room. I'd feel watched.

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Ok, here is what I am thinking:

"Boyfriend, I need to sleep 8 hours in a 24 hour period, just like you, duh. This is not up for debate."

I take melatonin or benadryl when I am 10 minutes from home. Then I walk in the house, let the dogs out, use the rest room, change and go right to bed with my sleep mask on and my iPod playing a nice rain sound I bought for 99cents on iTunes.

Also, if I do not pack something for work, I can't eat it.

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Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

Please don't run, I hope you rethink things and come back. I do have suggestions on what I do to make NOC shift work for me, after lots of trial and error. I'll come back and write that post later when I'm at work tonight!!

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Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

And people, don't be too hard on OP. obviously she's having trouble getting quality sleep these days, and we all know how that wreaks havoc on our demeanor! ;)

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Specializes in Pediatric.

Don't leave! Stay! Caliotter didn't mean to come across that way. I've read many of her posts.

Who is sleeping on their couch and why, out of curiosity?

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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