Ever quit night shift b/c you couldn't "deal"?

pacupat, BSN · Apr 17, 2005

Well, it's been 6 months in the job of my dreams; first nursing job out of school in L&D. Sounds great, doesn't it. The only draw back is it is night shift. I'm still not sleeping and have realized I must quit or my health (especially my mental health..can you say IRRITABLE?) will really suffer. Anybody ever been in the same boat in regards to trying nights?

What hospital's don't realize is that nights isnot for everyone. Sure in the old days you got the best experience and some awsome cases but I quit nights three years ago after returning to an area that had no day jobs and had to eat. I realized after 4 months I felt worse than death and it didn't go over well. I ended up quiting, hospital's don't care @!I've been doing acute care over 25yrs. and it will never change. Look out for your best mental heath because they won't.

simao pt · Apr 17, 2005

It's true. Not everybody is made for night shifts. And, as we say to our patients, our health is mainly in our hands. If you think it's afecting you don't wait for it to get worse. The beautiful about nursing is that there are so many areas in which we can work in. :)

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Apr 17, 2005

It's funny because I quit dayshift because I couldn't deal with it! Too many people, too much stuff going on, could never find my charts, too much extraneous nonsense. I could never sleep at night because I so hated getting up at 5am every day that I would get too stressed to sleep. Now I do nights I sleep better, I enjoy the night time, and I get to drive home while everybody is driving to work! I guess I'm just a night owl. I can't see myself ever working days again. It's just too insane.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 17, 2005

Day shift IS insane. Not only do you have to deal with more 'suits', more families, more orders, more docs, more admissions, more post-ops, more general busy-ness.......you do it for LESS money! :angryfire

That said, I had to quit night shift some time after I turned 40 and began to notice that I was developing some odd sort of early-onset dementia........actually, my family and co-workers noticed it about a year before I did :uhoh21: I'd wake up in the afternoon and panic, not knowing where I was, what day it was, or whether I was supposed to be at work......I'd forget appointments, the kids' school things, important dates, etc., I was irritable and depressed by turns, and I was ALWAYS tired. I also thought I was losing my mind. I didn't know until I took my first vacation in 20 years (this was back in 2000) and had to live like a normal person for two weeks that the problem wasn't perimenopause, or burnout, or early Alzheimer's.......it was NIGHT SHIFT!

Shortly thereafter I took a job with 'normal' hours, and other than 18 months on the 3-11 shift, I've worked days ever since. My current shift, 11AM-7PM, is the best.........I am sooooooo not an early-morning person. :stone While I still forget things and get tired and crabby from time to time, I'm at least not a complete zombie, and I'm only about half as ditzy (I've learned to write everything down that I don't want slipping my mind). I really did enjoy nights, but as I've gotten older I've found that the spirit may be willing, but the flesh says "Huh-uh, no way, Jose". :chuckle

live4today, RN · Apr 17, 2005

Well, it's been 6 months in the job of my dreams; first nursing job out of school in L&D. Sounds great, doesn't it. The only draw back is it is night shift. I'm still not sleeping and have realized I must quit or my health (especially my mental health..can you say IRRITABLE?) will really suffer. Anybody ever been in the same boat in regards to trying nights?

Yes, I've been in that boat myself recently, and had to give it up for the same reasons. I stayed sick all the time, never could sleep, felt dizzy a lot, drove home in a daze all the time almost killing myself a few times, and became very moody and irritable.....among other things. Any time something messes with my health.........I drop it like a hot potato. I have one life.......there are many jobs.

Nights used to be my shift of preference when I was younger, but now that I'm on a downward spiral towards a better life away from Planet Earth, my mind might say I can do something, but my body now has a mind of its own, and it does NOT heed anything my brain says. It rules everything I do these days. If my body says NO, as far as my body's mind is concerned the rest of me can go to hell. :rotfl:

Get rid of that job before it gets rid of you. :)

live4today, RN · Apr 17, 2005

Day shift IS insane. Not only do you have to deal with more 'suits', more families, more orders, more docs, more admissions, more post-ops, more general busy-ness.......you do it for LESS money! :angryfire ...........

Exactly. :stone THAT's why I always preferred nights until my "dementia" hit like yours did. And those "out of body experiences" I started having from working nights lately. Can't do it...won't do it....ever again. It's either days, part time eves, or nothing at all. And I'm self supporting, but I'm no good to anyone if I'm sick or dead. :uhoh3:

zacarias, ASN, RN · Apr 17, 2005

I've been working nights for the last six months on a tele unit and while I deal, there are days where I struggle to get any sleep before the following shift. I notice that if I don't get a lot of sleep, the following shift is one from hell lol. I do it OK and I am able to stay awake for the shift fine, I just wonder how long I can keep this up. I'm sure my body is totally against me doing nights but so far it's doable.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2005

Not everyone can do night shift and I've know lots of nurses who have had to quit in order to save themselves.

I myself had to quit after working 14 years of nights at the same job, as my old tired beat up battered body couldn't take the abuse any more. Fortunately I got to stay on the same unit, but had to wait a few months for my replacement to be oriented.

Do what you have to do for your health and sanity. Good luck.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2005

It's funny because I quit dayshift because I couldn't deal with it! Too many people, too much stuff going on, could never find my charts, too much extraneous nonsense. I could never sleep at night because I so hated getting up at 5am every day that I would get too stressed to sleep. Now I do nights I sleep better, I enjoy the night time, and I get to drive home while everybody is driving to work! I guess I'm just a night owl. I can't see myself ever working days again. It's just too insane.

That's exactly why I'm on nights as well, for almost 7 years now. It's just too stressful for a night owl like me to have to force myself to go to bed and wake up at 5am. I've never been a morning person.

Plus, way too crazy on days for me.

tendeRNess · Apr 17, 2005

That's exactly why I'm on nights as well, for almost 7 years now. It's just too stressful for a night owl like me to have to force myself to go to bed and wake up at 5am. I've never been a morning person.
Plus, way too crazy on days for me.

I have been on nights for most of the last six years. I am a night person, but I take my sleep seriously. The room is dark, I have an air conditioner that I run for white noise. The phone ringer is off. Nobody, but nobody is to bother me for anything.

I did days for a short time and I really hate getting up at so early. So early is defined as anytime before the crack of noon.

newgrad2005 · Apr 17, 2005

I came to this forum to post a question about how in the world anyone survives the night shift!! I have an offer in L&D 7p-7a and I am simply dreading it! I am a 10-hours-a-night-in-bed-by-8-pm kind of person and I am so scared that my body will not be able to function working all night. There are no postions available in L&D on days where I am job searching (believe me I've looked!!!), so I am at the point now where I feel like I have to give up my dream of being an L&D nurse or be a zombie for a year or 2 until I can get switched to days. Any advice would be much appreciated!!!