Night Shift

jesskidding, LPN · Jul 16, 2011

I am looking forward to advice on this same topic as well. :)

Freedomsong, NP · Jul 16, 2011

Me too, I'll be starting night shift this month!

traveler85 · Jul 16, 2011

I worked night shift for a year and a half. Here's what I can think of off the top of my head:

1. Light blocking curtains - these are a must for sleeping during the day.

2. There will be some nights that things are slow. For the most part, however, it is usually a very busy time, as you will have some patients that will be up all night/sleep all day, sundowners patients (dementia that sets in mostly at night), etc.

3. I found that there was a great deal of camaraderie between the staff at night. I worked in a small community hospital where we had only the ER doctors and the ICU resident in the hospital at night. If there was ever an emergency, it was you and your co-workers who were the main responders. Due to that, and the fact that there was a bit of time to talk while doing charting, we came to rely on each other a great deal.

4. Expect lower staffing numbers.

5. Be careful about what you eat. I gained a lot of weight working night shift because it was easier to go on a nightly McDonald's run or grab something from the vending machine, than pack my own lunch and eat healthy. Junk food once in a while is fine, junk all the time leads to buying larger scrubs. I learned the hard way.

6. The atmosphere is a bit more relaxed, and there is greater autonomy, as there are not mass numbers of people (doctors, social workers, management, etc) milling around.

I hope this helps, at least a little. I will say, as a fellow night owl who asked for nights of my own volition, I really did enjoy the NOC shift.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2011

I'm on permanent nights for 8 months now...love it :) Try melatonin to help you sleep and make sure you continue to pack healthy meals for work. Blackout curtains also helps.

FancypantsRN · Jul 16, 2011

Great advice above - one more thing I would like to add if you work on the floor, it seemed to be a big one. Time management is much different on nights, you don't really have the whole shift like you do on days to do some things like dressing changes, phone calls, etc. Smaller windows to cram a lot of stuff in. The floors I worked, most things were crammed from 7-mn then again from 5-7 am. I am sure your coworkers will catch you up on specifics for your unit. I loved nights, hope you enjoy it.

Wolverine2010RN · Jul 16, 2011

Know your resources, because most nights, its only you! :) Cheers.

highlandlass1592, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2011

I've been on nightshift for 13 years now and I love it.

Some things to keep in mind:

1) Don't short your sleep schedule because friends/ family aren't on a night shift routine. People may want you to do "whatever" because of course they are free. Remind them you need your rest, while they were sleeping you were working. Some people were pretty hardheaded that while sleeping till 11 am may seem late to them, I had only gotten a couple of hours at that point. It took my calling a few people at 3 am and asking them to go do "whatever'. When they got mad, I gently reminded them this was how I felt! It got the point across

2) Continue to strengthen your nursing skills.As others have pointed out, you will have greater autonomy and a higher stress level due to limited resources. Learn all you can to make the difficult nights a bit easier

3) There are going to be some nights when you won't stop running at all! While many of our peers think our patients sleep all night, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Remember to try to take breaks when you can. I can't tell you when the last time was that I had a full 30 minute uninterrupted lunch

4) Remember to hydrate. All that running around can make it a challenge to get the fluids/food you need.

5) I maintain a night shift schedule even when not at work. It makes it easier for me to get consistent rest, something to think about

As I just got up, those were some random thoughts...I had to work last night :-)

Wolverine2010RN · Jul 16, 2011

4) Remember to hydrate. All that running around can make it a challenge to get the fluids/food you need.

Take that message to heart. Lots of studies have shown you are more alert while on nights when properly hydrated. Caffeine and sugar are highs and lows; overall hydration with water is key to life. Good advice.

LuxAeternaRN · Jul 17, 2011

I've been on nightshift for 13 years now and I love it.
Some people were pretty hardheaded that while sleeping till 11 am may seem late to them, I had only gotten a couple of hours at that point. It took my calling a few people at 3 am and asking them to go do "whatever'. When they got mad, I gently reminded them this was how I felt! It got the point across

LOL, I got a kick out of this! Starting nights soon and will keep this in mind!! :lol2: