freaking out just about to go to nights!

Nurses General Nursing

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i am almost done on my orientation. I had 6 weeks on med-surg and another 4weeks on the unit i was hired for which is tele step down. I have two weeks on nights before i go on my own. I am freaking out, i am not sure if i can do nights!!!!!!!!!! I need my sleep. I have a son who is 2 and is up at 530am every morning. I plan on him stay in day care while i sleep or with my mil. But just from working days i am exhausted after work, i cant imagine after working all night=( How do nurse do this? please tell me it will be ok? I am conflicted if i should just ask for a day position or give nights a try and see. Every time i think about it i think maybe it will be better at night and i will be fine, or it wont and i will know from now on i cant do nights ever again. any adv or hugs=)

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
how do nurse do this?

coffee and work-outs. both provide me the o2 and energy i need to get through my shifts. besides, once you get used to working nights, your nights become your days. yes, i have kids so at times i have obligations that require me to be awake during my night (during the morning). however, if at all possible i make sure all family related needs are taken care of when i wake up in the afternoon and during my nights off (wal-mart is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week).:D

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

I am going to warn you. IT WON'T BE EASY! I was on nights for about 3 weeks. The first week was ok. The second was bad. The third was worse. Now I get nights every now and then and I still can't get used to it. But then again I am not constant nights. My problem was the noise. My family is spanish and loud. They would not let me sleep. I almost moved away. So I had to go back to days. No way I would have survived nights. But working wasn't the problem. i was fine working nights. It was being at home that did me.

Remember it takes time to adjust. Congrats on almost being done with orientation! :D

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Specializes in Psych, med surg.

You will be ok. I did nights for a year. The very first night was rough. By the end I was literally swaying with exhaustion but after that I was fine. I love coffee and Coke and used them liberally. I don't have children, but do have plenty of co-workers and friends with small children who work nights. Most prefer working nights as it helps out with their family schedule. Sorry, I don't have the details there.

You might have to make some adjustments in your sleeping arrangements. My neighborhood is kinda loud so I moved my bedroom to a quieter part of the house. Also, try a sleeping mask, keep the bedroom cool, etc. All the things you'd tell a patient trying to sleep.

Personally, I loved being up all night with my patients. There is something essential about night nursing. For the most part, it is just you and the patient. If the patient is doing well, then there are usually no tests, no doctors, sometimes no family. I loved looking in on my sleeping patients, knowing that I was the one keeping watch.

And when they weren't sleeping - well, patients think about things in the night. I had many, many quiet and profound conversations in the still of the night, in the dark, with the lights off. Holding a hand and listening to a life's story. These are the moments that remind you why you became a nurse.

Try not to freak out about nights. You might actually come to like them.

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It's hard at first. For a lot of floor slow down some around 2-3 am. That's when I would get really tired. Drinking coffee does help, and sometimes a red bull. If you don't adjust after a couple months, and you don't feel good, I would go to days.

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Get blackout curtains. Use a fan to cover any noise. If you're doing nights regularly your system will switch over. Probably best if you don't try to switch back to being up all day on your days off - this does not work well! Be prepared to not know what day of the week it is. Maybe it was just me, but I always felt a little disoriented about time when I did nights.

The good things? It's generally less chaotic than day shifts - no visitors, no doctors. I had nights that were amazingly peaceful.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

It takes a while to get used to working nights....sometimes several weeks or even a few months. But it is tiring. Give it a try, you might like it. We had several new grads that wanted day shift but had to go to nights. When openings happened and we needed them to come to days they declined because they were used to nights, liked the crew they worked with and liked the automony of not having a lot of people around.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Mostly geri :).
It's hard at first. For a lot of floor slow down some around 2-3 am. That's when I would get really tired. Drinking coffee does help, and sometimes a red bull. If you don't adjust after a couple months, and you don't feel good, I would go to days.

OMG I thought I was the only one. Well, 3 or 4 am for me. If you sit still staring at the other employee, it'll get worse. Find something to do, bring a book.....I used to work with a lady that knitted blankets the whole time. Never underestimate what five minutes of fresh air will do :)

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Specializes in Cardiac/ Telemetry.

I was the same way when I started night shift. It can really be exhausting, but you will get use to it.:heartbeat

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During nursing school, my preceptor worked nights. I cried when I first found out that I would be completing over 900 hours of clinicals at night. The good news is I really liked nights!!! I was hired as a pedi nurse yesterday and I will be working nights. The advice about the fan is very good advice. The box fans that are super loud are perfect! Good luck!

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

I worked nights for 30 something yrs I loved it! Even when I was a kid I went to bed late I hated mornings. When I worked before I was a nurse I still worked nights in a factory. So it was absolutely perfect for me. I have been retired for 4 yrs and I still find it difficult to sleep at night. A box fan is a necessity. And turn the phone off in the bedroom or people will call you all day and you will never get any sleep. If there is an emergency with your child have a designated person to call they can come over and wake you.

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Hi,

I have worked nights for over a year now. 3-5 am is usually the most difficult time for a nurse to get through. Coffee/Pepsi & believe it or not eating is helpful especially something with protein. I usually have a bagel with peanut butter if I feel my level is dropping.

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. Run some WHITE NOISE in your room while you are sleeping in the summer that is easy a fan or AC worse great you have to get more creative in the winter. The white noise creates a continue noise that helps to distract your body from hearing the continual noises of the living during the day.

I hope this helps.

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