3 Cheers for night shift nurses

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

I am in my senior year of my BSN. This summer I am doing a preceptor-ship in L&D (and totally lovin it). I am working 12hr NOCs at the oddest of hours, 11pm-11:30am; Thurs-Sun...I am taking a summer class during the week from 2-4, so on Thursdays I try to sleep in, go to class, sleep a few hours at my SIL house who lives close to the hospital (I live 45 mins from the hospital which is in the same town as my school) and then go to "work"; when I get off Monday morning I go to my SIL house again and sleep about 5 hours before getting up and going to class again.

Needless to say I am ready for finals next week...so I do not have such a crazy summer and only have to think about my preceptor-ship. There are so many things I like about night shift, and the shift I am working is great because I get to experience NOC as well as some days (until 11:30 at least). If nothing big is happening, right around 5 I find myself fighting to keep my eyes open. I know that it will take some time to get use to it, and when I become a nurse, if I work NOC I will not be taking classes (well, I shouldn't say that, I want to take some Spanish communication courses eventually).

When I get home, depending on how the last few hours have gone, I am either pumped or drooling for my comfy bed (ironically when I have had a busy night I am more wide awake).

Anyways, this experience has earned me a new appreciation for night nurses (not that I did not appreciate and admire you before); and I just wanted to let you know!

[babyktchr, BSN, RN]

:thankya:

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Thankyouverymuch!

[68RN]

I worked a total of 19 years on night shift before I had to retire due to medical reasons. but, I learned alot and you have to be able to problem solve as their is limited resources on night shift. Anything and everything can happen on night shift. Usually you are staffed as "the patients are asleep"! Well, that is simply not true. At least 1/3 of your assignment will be awake with one problem or another and you will be thankful for the few that do sleep. If someone is going to fall, it is usually night shift,as it is notoriously short staffed and the patients think they can make it on their own to the BR.

You learn when a problem is really an emergency and if you decide to bother a physician. You really have autonomy and I feel like a much better nurse having done a stint on night shift. And yes, their are families present on night shift, good ones and demanding ones.

So, enjoy your time on night shift. I had a wonderful team and did not hesitate to help the aides as many nights there was just one aide. They in turn knew what to lok for and alert the nurses as they knew their patients.

I had no problem with the day nurses as they knew I got as much done as possible and usually everything so they could start their morning meds and insulins. Once in awhile a lab would come in and I would get an order for blood at the last minute, but their was nothing more I could do, so even the other shifts were pretty good about working together.

I think if a unit canlearn team work, then the rest falls into place and of course you are not always going to have a nurse pull her weight, but that is just the nature of nursing.

Enjoy your career, and it will be an unforgetable experience. Good Luck

68RN

[Morning-glory]

All I can say is that working those hours is tough. Before I went into nursing I was an on-the road supervisor and my shift ran from midnight to noon. I would pull over at 6 in the morning in a park on my route and catch a couple of minutes of shut-eye, then grab a coffee hoping that I wouldn't cause an accident in the next few hours. I would never choose to work those hours again. I would get so tired that I felt like I was going to be sick. 7pm-7am is hard, but I still do it. It is getting home (without A/C at the time) in the hottest part of the day and trying to sleep. Gag!!

Otherwise, working nights is wonderful. Good luck to you.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

Yep, it takes a special breed....but I personally prefer it because you have to be a much closer unit...know who can do what....Also, I second the whole more awake when something has happened thing....it takes me more time to wind down if somebody had something happen...I get home and I'm still "jazzed"...