Frazzled New Nurse Stuck on Rotating Shifts

DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 17, 2020

If your health is suffering, can you involve occupational health? I don't know how it works where you are, but in my experience in both the UK and France, it's possible for occupational health to impose or at least suggest that you should be on day shifts only.

If your year is up in January that's only five months to go. Do you have any holiday to take before then? And if you start job hunting a good two or three months in advance, that will give you the impetus to keep going with a goal in sight.

I'm a night nurse and I love it but I realise it's hell if your body can't take it. Some people just can't do nights. Have you tried Melatonin for sleeping in the day? Do you black out your windows, have no screen light in the room etc.?

Best of luck!

beekee · Jul 17, 2020

I could be wrong....and I hope I am, but has there been any discussions with your manager about your performance? They could just be trying to get you to quit. At least, that’s where my mind went when I read your post. Honestly, I’d start looking. Other employers will understand switching jobs due to schedule.

JustAnotherNewGrad24 · Jul 17, 2020

Beekee, I was recently praised by my manager for handling a critical situation very calmly and efficiently. Not really sure performance is my issue.

I have been receiving the same old “Where the needs of the floor are” for when I get put on continuous night shifts.

Yes, I am planning to start looking for jobs in places like pre/post op, doctors office, things where it’s daytime hours only and no chance of being put on night shifts again. I would love to go into outpatient surgery if given the chance.

londonflo · Jul 17, 2020

With my first job, everyone had to rotate to nights if they wanted days. I just couldn't handle the weeks when I had both day and night shifts. When I couldn't remember driving home on Easter morning, I realized I just wasn't ever going to get used to it. I transferred to evenings (we had 8 hour shifts then). Of course that does not seem to be an option in your case but are there openings in hemodialysis or day clinics/infusion areas? Many times you can transfer after 6 months on the floor.

Please don't think of yourself as just another new graduate. You are You and worthy of a (reasonably) normal life. Have you considered going to straight nights to get a rhythm to your days/nights?

BTW years later I did work an extra PRN job that involved rotating days. evenings and nights. I handled it much better then. Sometimes things work out better later in life.

JKL33 · Jul 18, 2020

7 hours ago, JustAnotherNewGrad24 said:
So far it has worked out okay, however I've found out that I absolutely cannot work night shifts. I am tired all the time, can't sleep during the day, and lose focus in the middle of the night.

This is common; it's exactly how it is for nearly all except the less common few who are true night owls. Nights are not easy for too many people, period. Innumerable nurses have struggled to sleep while at home and then struggled to stay focused when about 0300 rolls around. Struggling to stay focused is an understatement...it's more like constant yawning, yawn-tears, a cycle of feeling cold/chilled and just flat out sleepy. Zombie-like days off, not getting anything done but trying to catch up on sleep. It is very difficult, but it's also kind of the nature of the beast.

8 hours ago, JustAnotherNewGrad24 said:
hired on as day/night rotate

Definitely a problem. You are officially not being treated unfairly, you are being scheduled according to the posting you signed.

8 hours ago, JustAnotherNewGrad24 said:
When I look at my coworkers and their schedules, nobody else has to do this rigorous rotation schedule of constantly flopping back and forth.

It's unlikely that all of your coworkers were hired into rotating-shift positions. But even if every other one of their positions was rotating, they may never be asked to rotate unless/until the employer needs or wants them to.

8 hours ago, JustAnotherNewGrad24 said:
I was 1 of 2 new grads hired, and the other new grad that was hired is somehow on straight day shifts, never rotating at all.
I feel they are most likely favoring her because she is pregnant, but I still can't help feeling like a second class citizen that they throw around.

Who knows why she isn't rotating; it doesn't really matter.

It does seem that there could be a discrepancy; OTOH it all comes back around to the part where you signed a rotating position.

8 hours ago, JustAnotherNewGrad24 said:
My management team is of course not willing to put me on straight day shifts like I have formally requested before, even though others already are on straight day shifts and never have to rotate like I do.

No, they probably wouldn't be willing to put you on straight day shifts, that's less common as a new grad in the hospital. Some people are working day shifts, yes.

8 hours ago, JustAnotherNewGrad24 said:
I emailed my concerns to my manager who was very dismissive and told me what I already know: my management team only cares about having somebody to fill a need on empty slots, not about people's actual wellbeing.

Pretty much true, they are concerned with staffing all the open hours/shifts and care much less about what people have to go through to make it happen. I suspect their conscience is somewhat eased by posting positions as rotating; no need to feel bad for anyone because it's what they signed up for.

8 hours ago, JustAnotherNewGrad24 said:
I am very seriously considering leaving my job, but I know it will look so bad for me if I leave before its been a year.

You may have to leave if you can't adjust and they can't move you to day shift or at least non-rotating shifts (days or nights). It would be better if you could work out a routine that helps you make the best of the situation.

IMHO what is unfortunate is that these positions don't get rejected altogether. Obviously when a job is needed "beggars can't be choosers," as they say, but I've noticed this "rotating" trend in my area and feel it's just another way to minimize obligations to employees. Rotating days, shifts, weekends, holidays...floating/crosstraining (rotating units) and now locations (campuses), too.

How often are you switching back and forth between nights/days?

And what have you tried in order to get some semblance of a routine for sleep/wake times?

RNperdiem, RN · Jul 18, 2020

I do know someone who was hired to rotate as well. She noticed that weekend days always seemed short, so she started requesting to work weekend days, and in return works fewer nights. Is weekend staffing an issue?

Begin your job search early and take your time to see what else is out there.

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2020

Have you tried just working straight nights only without rotating to days?

When I started years ago, I was hired for days/nights rotating and was absolutely miserable on night shift - I thought there was no way I could survive, told my leadership I need to switch to days as soon as possible, etc. Since that wasn't going to be an option anytime soon, they allowed my to try working just nights only. I went into it thinking I would still be miserable but to my surprise I found it was much easier to handle when I was just straight nights versus rotating between nights and days.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2020

Your health is at stake here. Management does not care. You are just a warm body to fill the staffing needs. Certainly start looking for another position NOW. Also see your PCP for help with managing the sleep issue, and also sending administration documentation that u are not fit to perform day/night rotation.

Good luck.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jul 18, 2020

I would request straight nights. Remember that you are the low man on the totem pole and theres another group of new grads coming shortly. Stick it out and things will get better.

londonflo · Jul 18, 2020

31 minutes ago, canoehead said:
theres another group of new grads coming shortly.

And probably another group there that are looking for non-hospital acute care work or retirement. It always cycles. You do have to "pay your dues" but maybe it will be a short payment period.

kp2016 · Jul 19, 2020

On 7/18/2020 at 1:45 AM, JustAnotherNewGrad24 said:
Beekee, I was recently praised by my manager for handling a critical situation very calmly and efficiently. Not really sure performance is my issue.

I have been receiving the same old “Where the needs of the floor are” for when I get put on continuous night shifts.

In my personal experience “bad/ unpopular” shift patterns were routinely given to staff that management hoped would quit or to “reliable” staff if there were issues with under preforming or difficult staff.

As you mention recent favorable performance reviews I would say they for some reason see you as the reliable person who will accept unfavorable shift patterns the other staff would not.

Leaving before the 1 year mark isn’t great so you need to carefully weigh your options and exactly how far you are willing to go on this. As your unit is about to start new hires I would say it is a perfect time to talk you your manager and who ever does the roster about your schedule. Schedule a meeting if possible, be clear when it is scheduled that you wish to discuss your schedule so they arrive knowing what your “problem” is.

Try to avoid referencing other staff, it goes down badly even if you are 100% correct that they are being unfair.
Focus on your contributions to the unit, the positive feed back you have received and finally the fact that you can not sustain this schedule and will need to look for something else if they can not change your schedule in the future.

Obviously this is basically a threat to resign, but honestly I don’t really see how that could make things any worse for you, what is the worst they can do? Give you a worse schedule while you actively job hunt? Best of luck!