Nurses General Nursing
Published Jan 18, 2008
You are reading page 8 of Does anyone else like working night shift besides me?
gibson0726
160 Posts
I have been working nights for about a month and a half now. I love the shift, it's my days off that I can't get the hang of. I tend to stay "up late" until about noon and then sleep until 7pm. This messes up my errand running! I then feel like a prisoner in my apartment, staying up all night alone with only the tv and computer to keep me company. I need a hobby or something! I have tried flipping to a day shift schedule on my days off and it just doesn't work for me. I have always been a natural night owl and it feels incredibly natural for me to stay up all night, I just get really lonely.
patientadv
33 Posts
I'm a new grad who was just offered a full time ICU new grad position. I'll be working nights and am excited! Any words of wisdom for a newbie working nights? Planning to purchase black-out duette for the room and removing the telephone. Suggestions, advice ...would be greatly appreciated!
kcochrane
1,465 Posts
Try to keep the same schedule even on your days off. I stay up until 2 or 3am even on my nights off. That still gets me up by 9 or 10 to be with my family. Get your sleep and try to avoid using the day as extra time to do stuff. It will take some time, but make sure your family, friends, etc understand you work nights and sleep during the day. If worse comes to worse and they continually wake you up - do it to them at 2am. They will get the picture. Turn off the home phone and only have your cell phone with you for kids, family that may need to get you in an emergency. If you get someone that just doesn't get the picture and continually calls during the day for no reason - set their ringtone to silence if you can.
Give it time - it does take a good 6 weeks to not feel like a zombie at 7am. And another 6 months to really feel good.
Good luck on the new job. :)
Hoozdo, ADN
1,555 Posts
I even have my doorbell permanently disabled. My dogs will tell me if there is
someone at the door if I am awake. If I didn't invite whoever is knocking out there;
I feel no obligation to go open the door.
I even turn off my cell phone. My husband takes all emergency calls during the day.
If he needs me, he can physically come home from work and wake me up.
I rather enjoy night shift!
CLC172
141 Posts
I'm a new grad and about to start working nights. I'm really excited, but also really nervous about how this will affect my mental and physical health. The posts I've read on here so far have been positive and encouraging. Any extra advice would be greatly appreciated. I really want to make this work and make it a positive experience for my first nursing job. I'm thrilled that I got the first nursing job I applied for, at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. I feel so lucky and I want to do a great job!!
BronxRN28
22 Posts
I'm an "old" grad and I just started working the night shift (11-7:30am) this week after orientating for 2 weeks on days. Like others have said I'm glad to hear so many encouraging words about the night shift. Hopefully I will be able to adjust :).