NG regretting picking nights, am I irresponsible?

[holdensjane]

I am a NG on orientation 14 weeks total. I was on days for 10 week and just started my last four weeks of nights. I had my first shifts this week and I am starting to regret it. I worked two nights one off and another back on again and to be honest i feel like i wasn't off at all. I'm getting nervous about not learning as much now. at first i wanted the down time at night to think about what i was doing, but now I feel like i'm missing out on experience. I want to talk to my manager about this, but i feel so irresponsible because she did give me the option of doing days when i accepted the job. I think the sleep/social impact its having on my life is not going to be worth the money or free time cause whatever I do have time to read up on at night, I never get the chance to do anyway. WOuld it be outrageous of me to ask to be put back on days? what would you do? I think i should tell them before orientation is over right? or should I wait it out?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i'd say your instincts were right when you picked nights because you'd have more down time for reading/studying/looking things up. give nights a chance. sometimes it takes a while to adjust -- it almost never happens right away! after you've worked nights long enough that you've had a chance to learn most of the medications you see on a regular basis, look up most of the diseases and/or surgeries you see regularly, become familiar with the standard order sets and get some of your skills down pat (isn't it always on the night shift when a dear little old man gets confused and pulls out his ivs, ng and foley?) will be time enough to move to days and take on some new challenges!

if you're having trouble adjusting to night shift, search some of the many threads here about the topic.

good luck!

[kcochrane]

Nights are not for everyone....but I think you need a little longer to determine that. It took me awhile to adjust. I go to sleep as soon as I get home and sleep until about 3-4pm. At first I was ready to get in bed as soon as I got home. Now I can stay up awhile if needed.

IMHO sleeping during the day is similar to having a day job. I'm up with my family in the evening. I go to bed a little earlier on my days off, about 3-4am.

Honestly I've learned a lot at night, since I have to be responsible for more. I don't have any RNs right on the unit to do the things the day RNs do. Once you get off orientation, you will probably have more downtime. I don't get to study every night, but most nights I can get 1-2 hours in.

Good luck!

[Laughs-a-lot, RN]

I started in Aug, new grad. Iwork 12h nts. At first I was working 8h, 5 nts a wk, and cried almost every day, because I was tired and hated nt shift, and hated nursing, and felt like I didn't know anything. Only had 6 wks orientation as a new RN. It has been 4 mos on nt shift, 3 days a wk 7p-7a. I love it, and I wouldn't change shifts if they offered it to me. I have kids and love to have the option of being home even if it's half asleep if they have an assembly or something for school. But it seriously took me until a few wks ago to adjust to the routine, and realize that I know more than I thought.:redbeathe

[kcochrane]

I started in Aug, new grad. Iwork 12h nts. At first I was working 8h, 5 nts a wk, and cried almost every day, because I was tired and hated nt shift, and hated nursing, and felt like I didn't know anything. Only had 6 wks orientation as a new RN. It has been 4 mos on nt shift, 3 days a wk 7p-7a. I love it, and I wouldn't change shifts if they offered it to me. I have kids and love to have the option of being home even if it's half asleep if they have an assembly or something for school. But it seriously took me until a few wks ago to adjust to the routine, and realize that I know more than I thought.:redbeathe

ITA about the kids part. It is so nice to be home if they need you. I no longer have to miss school activities or any other activity (i.e. cheerleading competition). Once you are on nights for awhile it is pretty easy to adjust sleep here and there if needed. Its great when you have teens at home. You are still there to keep at least a small eye on things. My kids took awhile to learn the "my mom is asleep, she works nights, call after 3:00pm" And my husband finally learned that mowing the lawn right under my window is not the best idea. In other words it took some adjusting. But I think there are lot of benefits. I'm serously thinking of staying on a night supervisor after I get my RN - if there's a spot.