anyone work a night shift and go to school?

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I was just hired today at a local hospital. YEAH!!

I am required to do several rotating night shifts throughout the month from 7P-7A. I think most of them will be weekends but I may have to do one sometime during the month on a weekday. I have class from 8-noon usually so i think i could handle one day of this but I know I'll be dead tired when I get home.

Has anyone done this before and do you have any pointers?

I told her today I could work thursday-saturday nights. (any two of those for one week) and then maybe 2 8's during the week with one 12 during the weekend. The job is 48 hours per pay period.

Thanks for any advice!

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Through the program I have been working two 16 hour shifts on the weekend (friday night/saturday day, saturday night/sunday day).. although it's not the easiest thing to do it is possible. I asked my employer if she had any problem with me studying if there was down time and she didn't have a problem with that *but* usually when you think that you can study things turn hectic and you can't. Truly the only two points of advice that I can give you is; 1. Every two months or so take a weekend off, budget wise this will throw you completely off, but the stress that relieves is amazing and you'll be amazed at how much studying and made up sleep you'll get! 2. Study a lot during the week... more than most other students would usually people in my class would say they studied two-three hours a night.. I on the other hand studied five to six. Makes for a long night, but remember you don't have that weekend time that they may have.

Good Luck!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

I don't personally do it, but there are a couple in our class who do occasionally work overnights. The main reason I know that is they will come in absolutely dragging and mention having worked all night and being positively beat.

One of the girls is holding her own (a younger single gal) and the other (married w/teens) is one of the top students in our class.

It'll be all about how you manage your time and set your priorities!!

Good luck!!

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Specializes in ICU.

i am a unit secretary that is going into my third semester. I picked this position to particularly study on the job (boss knows I'm in school). During the school semester, I will be working Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, 12 hour shifts. Not sure how its going to go but just know that it has to get done and you are not alone.

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Well, at the risk of sounding negative, I have a guy in my AP class that is doing that right now, and he can barely stay awake, misses alot, and often leaves in the middle of class.

I have seen him so tired he actually stumbles.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

I Failed my summer course because of this....off at 6 and class at 8 for 4 hours doesn't help, and all the caffeine in the world won't help you without sleep.....

I did this last semester, and you just have to prioritize, do laundry when you can, cook big meals for a few days, and learn to live with a messy house.....

It can be done...and I work 72 hours every 2 weeks! You just have to do what you have to do....and I'll be an RN in 12 months.......(hopefully)

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

I did it as a nursing student. I worked full time at a group home at night and was in nursing school during the day. I was the only one in my entire program who had a full time night position. At times, it was VERY difficult. But the reason that I was able to pull it off, is because I was able to study at work. Will you be able to get some of your studying done at night? That will make a big difference. I always looked at it as if I was getting paid to study (even though that really wasn't true) but it made it easier to deal with. I think it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but I got through it. I got so I was able to grab a nap almost anywhere, like in the student lounge at school, I had an alarm on my watch and I would set it to wake me in time for my next class. I would even occasionally sleep in my car. You do what you gotta do to make it work!!

Good luck to you!!!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

when i was in nursing school years ago i worked as a nursing assistant in a nursing home on the night shift (11pm to 7:30am) every friday, saturday and sunday. the nursing home allowed me to leave at 6am on monday morning so i could be at my monday morning clinical for school.

the problems i had were that i found it hard to get to sleep on friday afternoons so i would be refreshed and could work without dragging myself around when 4am and 5am came around. if i kept finding physical things to keep me busy and not sit down i usually was ok, but i usually died and fell asleep as soon as i got home. at the time the products that were otc to help you sleep had scopolamine in them which has since been removed from the market. scopolamine, an older drug, puts you into a nice twilight sleep. i played around with it and found that taking one or two tablets of those at around noon on friday, got me to sleep. however, sometimes i had a hangover effect and because i was a deep sleeper i had to get and set 3 alarm clocks more than an arm's reach away from me to help wake me up. today there are other things you can use to get you to sleep. another trick is to just stay up as late as possible the day before so you're really dog tired and fall asleep before you have to go in to work.

i made it a point to get as much sleep as possible on sunday and to sleep up until it was time to get up and go to work. in effect, it was like i was going to work in the morning. i usually made it through my morning school clinicals. however, i also had classes on monday afternoon. no sleep for close to 24 hours, sitting down and listening to a lecture are not a good combination. sometimes i fell asleep in class. i always sat with my friends who would poke me in the ribs and wake me up. i always took something to drink or munch on as well to help stay awake.

my mother worked night shift for years. she would constantly be interrupted by kids and other things. what she finally did--and this was brilliant!--was cover the windows of her bedroom with aluminum foil so that not one speck of light came through. her room was pitch black. i mean, when you were in that room with the door closed and a towel placed under the lower crack of the door, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face! i slept over there once, and i fell asleep in her room. when i woke up in the pitch black i had some momentary confusion trying to figure out what time of day it was!

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Specializes in RN- Med/surg.

Find out if you're able to study at work. If so....don't EVER count on that time for a test..but use it wisely. I did this through school. The days I needed to study...I didn't get a spare minute. BUT- there were many times it REALLY helped out.

Make sure you schedule sleep during the day though. Don't try to do too much...make sure you get your rest.

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Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to play around with my schedule today since my school gives out whole 8 week schedule in advance. The hospital does self scheduling and the NM told me that as long as I have my 24 hours for the week then everything will be fine. She did mention though that I would have to work several night shifts. I know they are difficult as my mother is a night shifter and I've gone to work with her several times and I'm dead tired. She also covers her windows and that works wonders. I'm not sure if I can study at work.

It is a recovery floor for post thoracic surgery. They do alot of lung transplants and other things. The lady said I will be working with chest tubes and also the monitors are the ICU monitors. I don't know what to expect from the patients during the night shift. I'm sure I'll be extremely busy and also at first I don't want to look like a slacker so I probably won't take my books with me until I feel comfortable there.

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.
Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to play around with my schedule today since my school gives out whole 8 week schedule in advance. The hospital does self scheduling and the NM told me that as long as I have my 24 hours for the week then everything will be fine. She did mention though that I would have to work several night shifts. I know they are difficult as my mother is a night shifter and I've gone to work with her several times and I'm dead tired. She also covers her windows and that works wonders. I'm not sure if I can study at work.

It is a recovery floor for post thoracic surgery. They do alot of lung transplants and other things. The lady said I will be working with chest tubes and also the monitors are the ICU monitors. I don't know what to expect from the patients during the night shift. I'm sure I'll be extremely busy and also at first I don't want to look like a slacker so I probably won't take my books with me until I feel comfortable there.

Wow what a great job to have as a nursing student!! You are going to learn a ton!!! Ask lots of questions.

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I did it for years and years. Sometimes I was doing 12-hr Th, Fr, S/S...sometimes I was doing 11-7...and sometimes those were during the weekdays. I am SO EXtremely thankful to be blessed to be in a position to NOT HAVE TO work my Senior year. I am so appreciative, b/c I know things can change in an instant. The working nights thing was easy for me -- just b/c I'm one of "them" lolol -- I'm a true nightshifter ...and I had NO problem leaving work and going to school....it was much easier than GETTING up for me. I have no problem STAYING up, lol, but getting up is the problem! Like others have said -- it IS doable:) I agree w/the person that said to take a weekend off every couple of months:) Just do what YOU have to do to make it work for YOU:) I wish you the very best!

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