Best way to space out 12-hr night shifts?

[BD12]

I am a nursing student and I got a student nurse extern position for the summer!! I will be working 12 hour night shifts from 7pm-7am 3 days a week. I have been asked what my shift preferences are, so I need some suggestions! Is it best to work 2 nights in a row and then take one off and work the 3rd one after that? I am a night person, so this shouldn't be too hard for me to stay up all night, but I just need some ideas on what works best! Thanks! :)

[KarmaWiseRaven]

I always did 3 on 3 off it seemed to always work well for me. I hope this helps and Yes always night shift 6:30p - 7:00a ... Good Luck ... Anthony

[jorjaRN]

Another vote for at least 3 in a row here. I actually do 6 in a row...and I love it that way-sure, I'm exhausted by the end, but having 8 days off in a row, and not having to "flip-flop" is great.

Ultimately, however, I think you have to do some experimenting and figure out what works best for you. Some of my co-workers hate doing even 3 in a row-most of them think I'm crazy. If you decide you want to try doing a long stretch, I would recommend starting with three, working your way up to four, and seeing how it goes from there. The key is getting good sleep during the day-I'm home by 8 most mornings, eat some cereal, read a little bit, and usually turn off the light by 9:30, and I sleep until 5:30. It helps to live really close to work.

As far as the PP who asked about noise reduction-a fan is your best friend. And turn your phone OFF (or on silent)-not on vibrate. I also have a dark colored blanket hung over my window to keep light out. I never have trouble sleeping-I actually sleep better during the day than I do at night.

Hope that helps, and good luck with the beginning of your career in nursing!

[NoviceRN10]

I vote for only 2 in a row. It depends on what kind of unit you will be working on and how much running around you will do the whole shift. I hate doing three in a row, it's just too much. I do two in a row and then have 2-5 days off in a row after that.

[vickybabymama]

Another vote for 3 in a row! And as far as sleeping during the day-- get some light-blocking curtains and a white noise sound machine. I liked to go straight to sleep after work, no breakfast, no chit-chat, just zzzz.

[Caffeine_IV]

I think 3 in a row is a good option if you can handle but sometimes that is tough. If I work 3 in a row I need a min. of 3 shifts off as the first is a recovery day. I have a coworker that does one shift on and one off and I think that is the WORST schedule possible. Your body never adjusts.

I have done 4 in a row and it was HORRIBLE but I think it can vary depending on your work environment. I just had a heavy load of patients!

I sleep with a sound machine (white noise, rain, rainforest etc.) and I have blackout curtains in my room. I also take supplements to help me relax and rest more sound.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I'd also agree with 3 in a row. In response to the earplugs...I wear them every day. They block out noise, but you will still hear your alarm. My apartment is next to the generator room, and the humming drives me nuts. So I have no choice but to wear them.

[pers]

I wear earplugs most days and still hear my alarm just fine. I currently have a dark and heavy curtain in the window because I found it blocked more light than the room darkening curtain I'd been using! I tried a sleeping mask but I'd take it off when I slept and then when I'd do the groggy roll over where I'm just awake enough to register it's daylight, I'd suddenly be wide awake.

I think with my next move I'm going to make some styrofoam window blocks that I can pop in and out of the windows based on my schedule. The current set-up is great for when I'm working but in the evenings when I'm home and in the bedroom, I find myself wishing for more light without having to leave the curtains open.

[paularry,rn]

3 nights!! i have wrked sun-mon-tue for a few weeks now!! i love it!! Finishing up my last night now!! Then i am off all week!!

[nativenurse74]

I've worked nights for 4 years and I have three kids. I have found that some sort of constant noise at a low level is my bestfriend, that way if the kids make a sudden loud noise its not so startling. i dont have a problem with light coming in that never has bothered me, but sometimes the coffee i have to drink to stay awake keeps me getting up in the morning to use the bathroom:banghead:

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

3 12 hour day shifts in a row leaves me exhausted. I can't imagine what 3 night shifts in a row would be like.

[nativenurse74]

The hospital that I work at requires us to work 40 hrs a week. I work SUN,MON,TUES. 7p-7a, then 3p-7a, then 7p-7a. Some weeks are worse than others. the part that I dislike the most is when my kids tell me "i'll see you tuesday" and its only Sunday.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

3 in a row if you can swing it, for all the reasons already mentioned.

About the noise and light - I have two floor fans that I turn on. They work great as they are at slightly different 'frequencies' and block out household and outside noise. My son can be loud in the house OR running around screaming outside and I hear nothing (the one exception being the day someone kicked the soccer ball against the side of the house right where my head was...). I don't wear earplugs because they tend to drown out the fan sounds while still allowing me to hear the louder sounds that would wake me up. My husband put cardboard in our windows and covered any cracks therein with blue painting tape, which works like a charm. It's darker in there during the day than the rest of the house is at night.

The biggest thing that hampers my day sleep is that teeny bit of exposure to sunlight on my trip to the bathroom. If I can stumble in there without really opening my eyes, getting back to sleep at 1330 is a lot easier. :)