me and nights

[oramar]

I honestly don't know what I did for 8 hours last night. Now that I am home I realize I did not finish my charting. I also did not finish filling out the blood form or the discharge summary on which I was working. I wondered around bumping into people and messing things up but did not get much done. The floor was not unusually busy. The problem was all mine. Same old problem for me on nights, all my energy goes into staying on my feet. I feel like I am swimming up stream through a river of molassas.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Thats how I feel when I work a dayshift

yuck

[agent]

I think i'd prefer to work nights.

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

I just don't understand why administration makes people work shifts they don't like, there would be less turn over if day people worked days and us night people worked nights. Just my 2 cents. I can sympathize with you as I feel like that the few times I had to work days, it just isn't natural for me.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

Oh Badbird I totally agree. My all time fave is 3-11 which is pretty hard to do when the rest of the world is doing 12h shifts. So I went to days and enjoyed it sometimes. I enjoyed 7p-7a except when flippin back to days with less than 48h between.

[oramar]

I have said it on these boards before, "I love night shift but it hates me". By that I mean I love the steady night crew. I like the fact that their are not to many bosses around or family for that matter. It is just that I have a problem adjusting my system to it.

[passing thru]

I know what you mean, we do get "disoriented" on some shifts.

To prevent leaving something important undone, I keep a red pen handy and circle the pending task in red. That way, I don't leave anything undone.

At the end of the shift, i check over my worksheet and make sure everything in red has been completed. It usually means staying over an extra 30 minutes to an hour, but I do it.

This method works well for me.

I come on requently and find patient meds in med cups still in their med drawer, etc. A little note to oneself and a red circle prevents a lot of lapses.

If only I could win the lottery!

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

I had been on nights for about 5 years. Did fine. Was also working WEEKEND NIGHTS, which makes a big difference. Had the SAME three nights every week, and 4 long days to recuperate. Switched hospitals and was put on a night shift "track." BAD IDEA. The two nights on, two nights off, switching back and forth was murder. Then perimenopause hit. Was not able to adapt as well due to all the hormone changes--couldn't sleep much during the day anymore. I was getting very, very sleepy during my shift and especially driving home (actually falling asleep at the wheel--very dangerous.) Now that I am working a day schedule, I feel 1000 times better physically and mentally. But I agree with you, Oramar--nights are so much better. No suits, not as much politics, a lot more peaceful. Hope you're able to get adjusted.