Does anyone else like working night shift besides me?

[Joyfullme]

Hello; I've tried dayshift a couple of times and always retreated back to nightshift. I like the staff. I like the quiet. I like the extra pay. Day's and swing shift have administration, overhead paging, visitors, meals, and doctors to deal with. Each with their own level of anxiety that they cheerfully pass along to the nurses. I've adapted to the sleep cycle and can easily flip from day to night sleeping. I'm just wondering if anyone likes to work nights?

[kcochrane]

i love night shift...worked 7p-7a for 6 yrs. i am working days now while i am in school and i hate it! i cant wait to graduate and get back on nights. i sleep so much better during the day than i do at night.

I sleep better during the day too. I have always been a light sleeper. But when I started working nights last year, I found out what it was like to sleep soundly.

[oneLoneNurse]

I like my co-workers, supervisors and patients. and don't have a problem sleeping. How many of us over the age of 50 get a good, solid night's sleep, anyway?

I also love Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=way+out+twilight&search_type=

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

hello; i've tried dayshift a couple of times and always retreated back to nightshift. i like the staff. i like the quiet. i like the extra pay. day's and swing shift have administration, overhead paging, visitors, meals, and doctors to deal with. each with their own level of anxiety that they cheerfully pass along to the nurses. i've adapted to the sleep cycle and can easily flip from day to night sleeping. i'm just wondering if anyone likes to work nights?

i loved night shift when i was young (in my 20's-30's) but not anymore. i can't handle a night shift anymore.

[TNnursejane, BSN, RN]

I'm so glad to hear the positive things about nights. After 25 yrs of nursing I'm going back to night shift. I've been out of ICU/CCU for about 9 yrs and I remember loving nightshift when I worked it occasionally because it was quieter and I was able to give really good nursing care to those who needed it, like vent patients. I'm looking forward to the change! I've missed 12 hour shifts too!

Janie in TN

[HisTreasure, BSN, RN]

I love night shift. I normally don't do more than 3 night shifts per week although I did apply to a full time night position in chemical dependency. I hope I get it. Day shift is, well, not my cup of tea. By the time I get home I have to cook dinner, bathe the children, help with homework, and the day is over. Wherein when I work nights I get home, sleep for about four hours, and I have all day to run errands, go to lunch/dinner, enjoy life. I am going back to school in September and I hope to only take 2 classes on campus so I can do the rest online. I don't particularly like only getting 4-6 hours per sleep per day, but the lifestyle fits me better. I have a 20 month and a four year old at home right now. This summer I'll have a 6, 5, 4, and 2 year old at home...that will be interesting.

[BayouLPN]

I have always been a night person. Something in my chemical makeup, I reckon. The sun goes down, I come alive. My mom use to call me a vampire because I would read with a flashlight under my covers all night or clean my closet out at 3 in the morning when I was a kid. When I became a mom, my schedule changed...my choice to have a certain lifestyle for my son. This was when I was 22 y/o. I adapted fairly easily for the jobs I had then. Secretarial. But, day shift in NURSING....oh brother. Talk about busy, hectic, crazy. Management around every corner. And the fact that it is about 9 am before the clouds leave my head. I did my day shifts though and have been here for my son. Baby just turned 17 y/o in February. I go to nite shift 2--7p to 7a and 2--11 to 7's in two weeks. I sleep much better after the sun comes up but can easily stay up all day and sleep that night if I am off and have family things planned. WhOOOOHOOO I get to sleep all day. I am so excited.

[FLIPA]

Any suggestions for sleeping/eating schedules for night shift?

I am going to do 3 months of nights in a month. I worked nights for 2 years, 25 years ago. I had babies then and went to 3-11 pm because I wasn't getting enough sleep working nights. (I didn't get a baby sitter which was wrong, but anyway....)

So, also, I have never done 12 hour shifts. This will be 3 12s on the weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun) on OB. Actually, now I stay up until 2 or 3 am and get up around 9 or 10 am. I would like to enjoy my days off during the day. But then how to transition back to nights on Friday? I knew someone on nights who just kept sleeping during the day on her days off. I asked her what she did on her nights off when she was awake (at night). She would read. (That would put me to sleep!)

Also, when do you eat "dinner" on nights? (I know, if we get to eat...) When I am awake I usually need to eat something every 4 hours. (Fast metabolism). Do you bring mostly small snacks to munch on, or the meat and potatoes routine?

I hope this works. I am over 50, but pretty fit otherwise.

Greatly appreciate any advice! Thanks.

[solneeshka, BSN, RN]

I am debating as to which shift I will take. I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 10 month old, and I am worried about my ability to get sleep on my days off with them.

Do any of you have children and work nights? How does that affect your sleep?

I am nervous, because I have never been much of a napper.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of night shift?

thanks

Uh, yes, with a 2 1/2 year old and a 10-month old at home, you are going to have a hard time sleeping during the day. Unless they take VERY long naps!

[limestone]

I sharted working shiftwork at age 62. We do 12's, and I found out that I prefer nights for all the reasons other posters have cited. I work in psychiatry so we can have nights when many of our pts are up a lot, which makes it hard to get our charting and other night duties done. But I still find it quieter and there is more time to talk with patients.

I switch back and forth between days and nights a couple of times a week, which is hard on my mind and my body. I sleep poorly and am "out of it"

a lot, which worries me. But I am part-time and take what I can get. Hope I can last another 3 years till retirement!

I enjoyed reading all the posts. Seems there are lots of nurses who love working nights b/c of the many benefits, and who are willing to trade a "normal" life to do that shift. Tough trade-off, but worth it if you can do it.

[husker_rn, RN]

I love the night shift !! Worked one day shift to help out and never again !! I am a night owl and getting up in the middle of the night for a 7a-7p just wore me out.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I miss working night shift so much. I can't wait until I can do it again someday. I love it, other than what it does to my body. I love how there is so much less drama with staff, less visitors, less doctors... I love the team work of staff... There is so little staff you HAVE to work well together or who knows what will happen... Staff members become like family... Oh how I miss it.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

After the awesome night shift I had last night, I have to agree. I love the bunch of awesome women I work with (we have no men as nurses).