First time working night shift!

RN4Little1s · Mar 30, 2008

If you are rotating between days and nights it can be even more difficult! To transition to nights, I try to stay up late the night before so I can sleep all day in preparation. However, the day before my first night it is hard to stay asleep usually. When you work 3 in a row, it becomes increasingly easier to sleep all day after being up all night. Make sure you are still eating on a semi-normal schedule to keep up your energy. Protein is good in the middle of the night.

If you're anything like me, nights make me sick to my stomach... So I have to really be careful to eat nutritious food that doesn't make me sick. When you're at work, it will be much easier to stay up all night since you're busy doing your job rather than trying to mimic a night shift at home staying up til 7am.

Good luck!

diveRN · Mar 30, 2008

Big question is, is it for one shift or are you doing a stretch of nights? If it's just for one night, try a few energy drinks. Yeah, most taste crappy, but they'll keep you going.

I usually don't have a problem with just one night, I drink lots of diet mountain dew and redbull. Just not a big coffee hound like most I work with. I rarely nap the day before, I just catch up later.

Nights are pretty much all I work. I have a set schedule of 6 days on then 8 days off. I'll do some flip shifts to days during my off stretch (BIG $$) when I'm saving for something. After the first night in my 6, I'm pretty well adjusted and don't have a problem.

For my first night back, I stay up until 0100 - 0200 the night BEFORE I go back and then get up by 0700. I then nap from 1300 to 1700 in the afternoon I'm scheduled. I usually don't have a problem. I also have black out curtains and a quiet house. Throughout the week, I take 5mg melatonin, B complex vitamin, and 25/500 Benedryl/APAP. I sleep from 0800 to 1530 - 1600 most days.

NICURN04 · Mar 30, 2008

I will be working night shift for the whole month of April because I'm in orientation...mostly 2 days on, a day off and 2 days on again

diveRN · Mar 30, 2008

I will be working night shift for the whole month of April because I'm in orientation...mostly 2 days on, a day off and 2 days on again

Kinda tough... that middle day off is goofy to try and do much. Before my 6/8 schedule, I worked 3 on / 1 off / 3 on then 7 days off. I stayed on the same schedule for that one night.. to try and flip over for one day is too hard. I quit with the one day off in middle, just got bored with sitting and watching late night TV. I prefer having the 8 off where I can completely check out from the unit.

I would STRONGLY suggest trying melatonin. Can be found just about anywhere vitamins and supplements are sold. Start with a small dose, say 2mg. Some people wake up feeling loopy/groggy if they take too big a dose. The B complex is good too... Tylenol PM, well, you have to figure that one out. I take it only in my "on" week because it helps keep me asleep. Oh, and I would suggest laying off any fluids after about 0300 or so otherwise you'll have to pee mid-morning.

preemieRNkate, RN · Mar 30, 2008

I will be working night shift for the whole month of April because I'm in orientation...mostly 2 days on, a day off and 2 days on again

Usually when I have to work a couple of days on, and only have one off before going back in (and I try not to do that often), I don't reverse my schedule for the one day off. I go to sleep in the morning when I get home, and sleep till whenever in the afternoon (usually 3 or 4 pm) and then get up and do whatever I have to do. I wind up watching the tv shows that I have DVR'd while working, or reading, or cleaning my house in the middle of the night. You get to know all the 24-hour stores when you work nights! Then I go back to bed at 2 or 3 am, and then when I get up the next day (early afternoon usually) I can get some things done before going back into work.

Will you be working nights after orientation? It's much easier when you can have more control over your own schedule, rather than working whatever your preceptor works. I prefer to do 3 or 4 shifts in a row, and then I have 3 or 4 nights off. After my last shift, I go to sleep when I get home, but I try to wake up around noon or so and then I go back to bed at night.

I go to days in May after 4 years of nights, I can't wait! :yeah:

NICURN04 · Mar 30, 2008

"Will you be working nights after orientation? It's much easier when you can have more control over your own schedule, rather than working whatever your preceptor works. I prefer to do 3 or 4 shifts in a row, and then I have 3 or 4 nights off. After my last shift, I go to sleep when I get home, but I try to wake up around noon or so and then I go back to bed at night. "

More than likely yes...as a new RN, we pretty much have to take some left-over shift after we get out...I'm not looking forward to it at all!

preemieRNkate, RN · Mar 31, 2008

More than likely yes...as a new RN, we pretty much have to take some left-over shift after we get out...I'm not looking forward to it at all!

I hear ya, I'm going to days after working nights for the last 4 years. I will definitely miss my coworkers at night, and the somewhat quieter (as in less parents and less doctors) atmosphere at night.

Good luck!

hikernurse · Apr 10, 2008

kinda tough... that middle day off is goofy to try and do much. before my 6/8 schedule, i worked 3 on / 1 off / 3 on then 7 days off. i stayed on the same schedule for that one night.. to try and flip over for one day is too hard. i quit with the one day off in middle, just got bored with sitting and watching late night tv. i prefer having the 8 off where i can completely check out from the unit.
i would strongly suggest trying melatonin. can be found just about anywhere vitamins and supplements are sold. start with a small dose, say 2mg. some people wake up feeling loopy/groggy if they take too big a dose. the b complex is good too... tylenol pm, well, you have to figure that one out. i take it only in my "on" week because it helps keep me asleep. oh, and i would suggest laying off any fluids after about 0300 or so otherwise you'll have to pee mid-morning.

and after a couple of nights i find my bladder has relocated to my puffy, puffy ankles and i just plan on getting up to pee.

as hard as it is to stay up nights, esp. for the first several weeks, it will get better. i love my fellow noc nurses; we're a pretty fun bunch :). some sleep during their lunch break, but i know i'd never get up, so i don't.

get as much rest during your time off as you can. even if you end up with enough hours of sleep during the day, it isn't the greatest quality. best you can do is hope for enough sleep to get you through the noc and make up for it with naps on your days off. bring something to do just in case your night is qu#%& (that word should be against the tos), although bringing stuff will pretty much guarantee a busy shift . bring a light snack (something with protein and fat) to ward off the 0300 ick and stay hydrated :)

diveRN · Apr 10, 2008

and after a couple of nights i find my bladder has relocated to my puffy, puffy ankles and i just plan on getting up to pee.

interesting that you mention that you have puffy ankles. i've been in the working world more than 20 years and most jobs i've had, i've been on my feet. had a fun teaching job that kept me outside in the central california summers, on hot asphalt in hiking boots 8 hours at a whack... and i didn't get puffy ankles.

the morning after my first night shift i was ready to check into the ed because my ankles were so swollen. well not really ready for the ed, but i did talk to my doctor about it. 2+ pitting edema in me is crazy.

i started wearing compression socks, almost like teds... but with only 30 mm/hg. huge difference. swelling gone. rite aid has them for men and women. pricey at $15 a pair, but well worth it. no swelling and my feet don't hurt at all.

i don't get any swelling when i work days, only nights.

preemieRNkate, RN · Apr 10, 2008

Bring something to do just in case your night is qu#%& (that word should be against the TOS), although bringing stuff will pretty much guarantee a busy shift .

It never fails...I think, ok our census is down, I'm going to bring a book or my bills or something to try to get done between rounds. You know I wind up with the trainwreck admits, or transports or I'm in charge and all holy hell breaks loose! I don't even bother anymore. If I do get some downtime, I try to grab one of the neonatal books that float around the unit, or look stuff up online pertaining to NICU. And of course, there is always allnurses.com!

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Apr 10, 2008

I finally stopped bringing in books to review..... I NEVER had time to pick one up. And I got tired of lugging them in all the time...(also didn't have a locker yet)