night nurses talk to me

twinner2 · Apr 8, 2009

I am not miserable! It does seem that it is a bit harder to sleep during the day, but I still manage to get about seven hours of sleep after a shift.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

jschut, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2009

I love my night shift. Manage to get alot more done, and have autonomy.....

It is hard to get used to , but you'll manage, I think.

Spritenurse1210, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2009

Night shift tends to be less hectic than dayshift, as far as families, administration and physicians dropping by. It may take some getting used to staying up all night and sleeping all day, but it can be done, and remember, when all else fails, tyelenol pm is your best friend!! good luck to you.

firechalice · Apr 8, 2009

I am awake now but I did get 8 hours of sleep. I have been a nightshifter for a bit over six months and I cannot get used to it. I'm not completely distraught by the schedule but I am not happy about it either. I thought it would be for me--fewer people around and more autonomy. :up: While this is true, I do not sleep well and school has been more challenging. :down: I miss living life during the day. :down: I generally hate rotating shifts but I'd rather have some part of a life than none at all.:redbeathe Try it out. You may find that it works for you.

I return to rotating shifts with the next schedule.:) I'll miss the money though:twocents:.

Good luck.

(Aren't the smilies fun!)

PanteneCurls · Apr 8, 2009

I really like working nights. It took me awhile to figure out the sleep pattern that works best for me. I have no problem getting my 7 hours of sleep. I think you have to be a good napper to not be miserable. I've always been someone who could sleep almost anywhere at anytime. Turning your bedroom into a dark, cold, quiet cave works wonders too. Although I used to not drink coffee at all and now I drink anywhere from 2-4 cups during my shift particularly if I have a light group.

Just in case you're curious, this is how I do it. Today for example, I'm coming off of three shifts. Slept for 5 hours until 2pm. Have the rest of the day to "have a life". Then go to bed around 11pm. Have a "normal day" (up at 7-8am) and continue having normal days until the night I work. Around 1pm, I lay down and take a 3-4 hour nap, then go to work. I always make sure to block my shifts together. One on, one off, two on, one off, one on..etc - will drive you and your body to exhaustion.

But with a baby is there going to be a definite cut-off point when someone else cares for her/him? I have a co-worker who has an infant and sometimes gets stuck caring for him during the day and gets very little to no sleep which is not good. Particularly at nights. Nodding off at work gets you fired.

forever nursing 35 · Apr 8, 2009

I currently work night shift and I enjoy having the day to myself when the rest of the world is working.On the nights I am really tired I look forward to the work load to help the time pass more quickly. I like the down time that I have to get to learn my resident better and talk to co-workers about nursing expanding my education. At night there is no frustration of having to deal with the traffic during the day and evening. I find a new way each night to look forward to going to work 11-7. When I get to work if I think the night will pass slow I look forward to catching up on things I need to do expanding my education by reading up on new nursing material etc. If I feel like it's going to be a busy night I look forward to learning something I did'nt already know because sure enough there is always something new to learn with nursing it never ends. Good luck and try not to watch the clock before you know it your night will be over if you just take your time and enjoy your job as being a nurse. All nurse's must have patience adjusting to things and healing all takes time.

BEDPAN76 · Apr 9, 2009

Hi forever nursing 35....You have the perfect attitude for working night shift! I worked nights for many years and still miss it! I enjoyed going to the grocery store on the way home when it wasn't crowded. Looking at some mindless TV and going to sleep at 12 or 1 o'clock. One of the hardest things to deal with was my friends who didn't really "get" the all-night thing. I think they thought I got off at 1 or 2 am. They would call me at 3 pm, "Oh you're still asleep?"... :nurse:

allnurses Guide · Apr 9, 2009

I've worked nights for over 20 years. I've always been a night owl. Its just a matter of getting into your own groove, some like it, some don't. I used to go take naps in the back yard on the grass with the full sun shining on me.

My kids tended to stay up late on my off nights just to spend more time with me in the evenings after I'd slept all day.