Frustrated and Ready to Call it

Sour Lemon · Dec 21, 2018

As many I have read, I have only been a nurse for 6 months now, and my first job was actually in my dream population; mother baby. I've been on my own for a couple months now, and I am absolutely miserable. I work nights, and there just doesn't seem to be any brightside anymore. I tried taking a vacation, and have been trying to look at the better of things but I'm just really wondering what to do.
I feel like nights is completely taking over my life, and it's kind of affecting my mental state. Always tired, gaining weight, feeling spacey all the time, I can never get enough sleep, and sometimes walk around in a daze. The way my unit functions is...well, less than smooth to say the least, but theres no manager so it makes sense.
Any advice? Tips? Anything? I hate dreading going to work every day, crying on my way to and from work. I've used all my PTO already because I keep volunteering for standby...and I'm just stuck.
Sorry for the rant, but I'm desperately looking for any suggestions or advice. Or maybe I'm just nuts. :/

if night are the problem, try looking for a day position. Other than that, you might also consider trying to go per diem. A lot of places wouldn't allow it with so little experience, but if they've already trained you, they like you, and they need nurses, they might bite.

Per diem at least gives you a little control over the days you work and you can make a "set" schedule that's easier to adjust to.

AxelNewRN86 · Dec 22, 2018

I really want into labor and delivery. It is hard to get into in my area, especially for new grads. However I had a friend that landed it as a new grad. For this person they ended up hating the hospital hour schedule and realized it was not the dream job anymore due to the schedule. They ended up leaving for a job in a clinic instead. Sometimes people can't handle hospital's schedules.

I think it is important to work a few years in the hospital setting. But I admit I would love a job with better hours. I think if I lived in a bigger city with better opportunities I would try to find a speciality clinic to work in.

Anyways maybe you may want to consider trying an OB clinic after you get a year under your belt.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jan 16, 2019

On 12/20/2018 at 8:20 PM, Idiosyncratic said:
As many I have read, I have only been a nurse for 6 months now, and my first job was actually in my dream population; mother baby. I've been on my own for a couple months now, and I am absolutely miserable. I work nights, and there just doesn't seem to be any brightside anymore. I tried taking a vacation, and have been trying to look at the better of things but I'm just really wondering what to do.
I feel like nights is completely taking over my life, and it's kind of affecting my mental state. Always tired, gaining weight, feeling spacey all the time, I can never get enough sleep, and sometimes walk around in a daze. The way my unit functions is...well, less than smooth to say the least, but theres no manager so it makes sense.
Any advice? Tips? Anything? I hate dreading going to work every day, crying on my way to and from work. I've used all my PTO already because I keep volunteering for standby...and I'm just stuck.
Sorry for the rant, but I'm desperately looking for any suggestions or advice. Or maybe I'm just nuts. ?
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Night shift is a fact of life for nurses. I've worked them on and off for forty years. If you change jobs or move to a different city (husband in the military), you'll be back on night shift. So it's great if you can figure out how to make it work for you.

https://allnurses.com/night-shift-for-newbies-t369938/?tab=comments#comment-3636219

Here's an old thread, but there are plenty of great ideas here. There are many others as well.

Idiosyncratic, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2019

What about the issues physically being developed in relation to? 160/109 BP, worries about dvts...all from my doctor. Being on hypertension meds already, an antidepressant, and sleeping meds. All of which will change from the imaging and lab results.

This all arised today at a doctors appt where i cold get beside myself with a pounding headache.

Seaofclouds, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2019

On 1/15/2019 at 11:26 PM, Idiosyncratic said:
What about the issues physically being developed in relation to? 160/109 BP, worries about dvts...all from my doctor. Being on hypertension meds already, an antidepressant, and sleeping meds. All of which will change from the imaging and lab results.
This all arised today at a doctors appt where i cold get beside myself with a pounding headache.

What did your doctor say/recommend? What is your current schedule? Are your nights clumped together or spread apart? Have you tried switching things up with your schedule a bit to see if anything helps? What seems to make it hard for you to sleep during the day? Is it the light, noise, or something else? What do you do during your time off from work? Are you being sure to take time for you when you aren't at work?

As for your unit and how it functions, what issues seem to make it not function well? What do you think could be done to fix those issues? You mention not having a manager, but is there someone else watching over and handling the unit?

Idiosyncratic, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2019

18 hours ago, Seaofclouds said:
What did your doctor say/recommend? What is your current schedule? Are your nights clumped together or spread apart? Have you tried switching things up with your schedule a bit to see if anything helps? What seems to make it hard for you to sleep during the day? Is it the light, noise, or something else? What do you do during your time off from work? Are you being sure to take time for you when you aren't at work?
As for your unit and how it functions, what issues seem to make it not function well? What do you think could be done to fix those issues? You mention not having a manager, but is there someone else watching over and handling the unit?

My doctor suggests that I switch to days since this is a very new thing for me, and the numbers that he kept getting were not something he liked. I ended up having to call out that night because my pressures wouldn't come down, and the debilitating migraine. I work 3 in a row, because I have 3 small children I try to be human for during the rest of the week. When my days were spread apart(a few months ago) I felt like I never had a day off. I have had insomnia for years, so that just makes it worse.

There is no semblance of management, balance, or anything. No, we have a director, but she has 4 other units she has to watch over on top of it. Our individual needs are kind of just left to the side lines.

Seaofclouds, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2019

@Idiosyncratic Have you tried room darkening curtains, eye masks, white noise, etc to help you sleep during the day during your stretch of nights? Have you tried talking to the director to see if day shift may be a possibility? If it's not, you may have no other choice if your doctor really thinks you need to be on day shift than to look for another position.

Idiosyncratic, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2019

On 1/17/2019 at 6:17 PM, Seaofclouds said:
@Idiosyncratic Have you tried room darkening curtains, eye masks, white noise, etc to help you sleep during the day during your stretch of nights? Have you tried talking to the director to see if day shift may be a possibility? If it's not, you may have no other choice if your doctor really thinks you need to be on day shift than to look for another position.

I have three small children, so these only work so far without being a complete neglect of a parent to them. I attempted to speak with the Director a few times, but there literally is no openings. Even got as far as had an ADA accommodation request filled out by my doctor(consistently elevated blood pressure, now turning into palpitations - all new, unfortunately.). I feel like I've hit a brick wall.

Trauma Columnist · Apr 2, 2019

It sounds like you might need to just change units. If the schedule causes you to be physically ill, its not your "dream job."

I worked nights for 15 years straight in several different settings when my sons were young. It wasn't fun at all. Before they were school age, my husband took them to daycare so I could sleep. Once they got a little older, I slept when they were in school or if on school break, they went to daycare.

It wasn't my ideal but it got me through since I had to work.

Idiosyncratic, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2019

1 minute ago, traumaRUs said:
It sounds like you might need to just change units. If the schedule causes you to be physically ill, its not your "dream job."
I worked nights for 15 years straight in several different settings when my sons were young. It wasn't fun at all. Before they were school age, my husband took them to daycare so I could sleep. Once they got a little older, I slept when they were in school or if on school break, they went to daycare.
It wasn't my ideal but it got me through since I had to work.

I commend you for being able to do this for 15 years - that's seriously incredible. I am pretty much trucking along as best as possible until a feasible solution comes up. Currently, I'm locked in a 2 year contract.