Depressed night shift worker

[LithEruiel]

Hi everyone...

I just started a new job about 2 months ago, a much needed change. Even though it's not a dream job by far, it is better than my last job...except it's still 3 12s a week and I'm still mostly working nights. I worked nights 6 months straight at my last job (my first nursing job) and at first I loved it, then it got to the point where I was sleeping all day even on my days off and now I'm back to that cycle. I have some health problems and I can't function on 3 or 4 hours of sleep like everyone else I work with it seems. The 12 hour shifts (which I also worked for 2 years as an aid) are too long for me too. I've been going to bed at 10 am (I get home around 8, but need a long time to wind down) and not getting up until 6 pm. I guess I'm TOO adapted to night shift. If I try to set an alarm and get up earlier I'm exhausted and just sit around all day. The position I accepted is rotating shifts and being the new person I pretty much have to take what they give me. I'm just so frustrated with it I don't know what to do. I only have 1 1/2 years of nursing experience and couldn't find another type of job (I looked for four months, got laughed out of some interviews, and only hospitals were seriously interested in me). I don't know how I'm going to make it until I get more experience and don't have to work 3 12s and night shifts. My health has gotten so much worse since I started this and I don't know what to do. Probably not much anyone can suggest except "get more experience", right?

[Maevish, ASN, RN]

For new nurses, you pretty much have to take what you can get and when you're new somewhere, sometimes it's the same thing. I happen to like nights, though, so it worked out well for me in that aspect. Everyone's being really helpful, but the only thing I can add is either stick it out until you have more experience (although 1 1/2 years seems like plenty to get another job) or ask to either be put on days or nights exclusively. It will be better for your health to stick to either schedule, even if it is nights, because if you flip flop, its 10x harder on your body (especially if you're not a night person anyway).

The other thing is, maybe look for a day time per diem or on call job if your place offers that cause it may be less hours, but then you wouldn't have to put up with nights.

xo