Best way to space out 12-hr night shifts?

NPinWCH · May 10, 2011

I liked having my 3 nights in a row and then 2-3 days (or more) off in between if possible. I often would work something like Mon, Tues, Weds then off until the following Tues, then work Fri, Sat. Then maybe Sun, Weds, Thurs and then again Mon, Tues, Weds...and when I was finishing up my MSN I worked Fri, Sat and Sun night every week because I needed the week day shift clinicals.

Good luck!!

LouisVRN, RN · May 10, 2011

Yeah definitely would recommend doing 3 in a row as a well. You get to know your patients better and most importantly I think for me and for the patients its awesome for identifying minute changes in assessment that could be an indicator of potential problems. Also you can stay on night shift schedule for 3 days then days for 4 days, flipping back and forth is really hard no matter how much of a night person you are. However i'd recommend if you can working different days a week, at least in the beginning depending on what type of floor you work. For example, week 1 Sun-mon-tues, week 2 tues weds thurs, week 3 thurs, fri, sat.

I work on a med-surg/ortho floor. Different days have different challenges. For example Monday is scheduled surgery day be prepared for a lot of post-op patients and pain management issues. Tues again pain management and getting ortho pts in and out of bed Wed all catheters come out so lots of pottying and positioning. thurs - all ortho pts are dc'd so lots of new admits. fri - usually emergent surgeries and medical pts. sat-sun tend to be a lot of younger pts and emergent surgeries. I did a lot of mon-wed when I first started but now I feel kind of drained from ortho and do not want 4/5 pts to be orthos so I generally work thurs- sat but I think the ortho experience and business helped me to become a much better nurse.

ckh23, BSN, RN · May 10, 2011

I always preferred three in a row. Anytime I have them spaced out I feel more tired and get less sleep.

pers · May 10, 2011

Another vote for all 3 in a row. If you hadn't said you were a night person I'd have suggested 2 on, 2 off and back for the final shift as dayshift people often struggle a lot on that 3rd night. One night off is not a night off when you work nights--you come home and are either a zombie till bedtime that night (maybe or maybe not after having a quick nap) or you sleep the day away and stay up in preparation for going back to work the next night. If you really want to feel like you had a day off while working nights, you need at least two scheduled nights off to really accomplish it.

sugarmagnoliaRN · May 10, 2011

This might be kind of a strange question, but I figure y'all would be a good group to ask! How do you block out sound while you're sleeping during the day? I would think earplugs and an eyemask would be your best friend, but then would you be able to hear your alarm clock when it's time to get up for work?

NewNavyRN · May 10, 2011

I liked 3 in a row the best but 2 on, 1 off, 1 on wasn't always bad, sometimes after that second nite it was nice to have one off, then the next one you were back was your last day of the week!

abundantjoy07, RN · May 10, 2011

I also do 3 in a row. If not I feel even more exhausted.

And after work it's not that difficult to fall asleep. The light and a ringing phone doesn't phase me.

sugarmagnoliaRN · May 10, 2011

I also do 3 in a row. If not I feel even more exhausted.
And after work it's not that difficult to fall asleep. The light and a ringing phone doesn't phase me.

I would just think that if you lived with others who were up moving around while you were sleeping, that might interrupt it a little. My brother used to work nights and he really didn't appreciate when I would come home from school around 3pm and do something ordinary like get myself a snack (which meant noises like the refrigerator opening/closing, cabinets, etc)... I tried to be quiet but his bedroom was near the kitchen!

SwampCat, BSN · May 10, 2011

This might be kind of a strange question, but I figure y'all would be a good group to ask! How do you block out sound while you're sleeping during the day? I would think earplugs and an eyemask would be your best friend, but then would you be able to hear your alarm clock when it's time to get up for work?

Whenever I need to sleep during the day I put my cell phone (which is my alarm clock) near my head and I put a fan on the floor on high speed. I don't have a problem with light but you could always get some cardboard cut out to the size of your window and some darkening curtains to go over that.

MntnGirl · May 10, 2011

I suggest the 3 in a row, when shifts start getting spaced out like 1 here then 2 a few days later, it feels like you're always at work. Working 12 hours shifts can be exhausting so for me that 1st day off (when you get off at 7am and then sleep and don't have to return to work) is pretty much a useless day for me, my body and mind are usually burnt - it's my "Recovery" day. So the more days I can have off in a row the better for me. But there are times when I will schedule myself only 2 in a row with a day break before returning for the last shift of the week, and this is usually when our floor is rocking full and or we have patients that are lots of work. Some of my coworkers do 4 in a row to maximize their time off but I only do 4 if forced to because by Day 4 I am exhausted - you certainly know your crew of patients by Day 3 and 4 which is helpful but in general 12 hour shifts are long and draining.

noregrets · May 10, 2011

I am a nurse managers and all my night nurses work 3 in a row, they prefer it. Some work 6 in a row (3 one week th, fr, sat and 3 the next sun, mond, tues) and have 8 nights off. Some work every week the same nights (sun, mon, tues). A fan in your bedroom for the white noise is a good idea.