night shift depression!

[Blink2182]

SO I have been working nights for roughly 3 years now and it is starting to get to me. I have begun feeling depressed I don't want to do anything and to top it off I am making my fiance suffer for how I feel. She is on days and is also a nurse, I talked with my manager but she is going by first come first serve so the nurses that have been here 6 months get first dibs before me. I talked to her explained how I feel and my concerns. Due to my sudden mood change I haven't been sleeping...sometimes 6 days in a row but I refuse to take a sleeping med during the day I'd rather wake up early and spend the day with my fiance but that affects the nights I work. I have noticed taking less care in talking to patients, I've even skipped an assessment this is not how I used to be but I'm just so unmotivated she said it could be 6 months to a year before another day opens. I have now applied to floors with day spots that I actually hate (med surg, OR, Endo). Sadly though I'm desperate enough to the point where I will just smile through the hate and do it just to be on days. I don't want to feel like this but don't want to take antidepressants or anything like that. Also with the lack of sleep I am really concerned for my nursing care on my acute tele floor. Mistakes may be made and I won't be up to my full ability if need be. Please any advice would be great because I have run out of options except playing the wait and see which comes first day shift position, or patient error...

[Blackcat99]

I don't like to take pills either. However, I feel the patients have the right to expect a "well rested" night shift nurse. I take Benadryl 25mg and Motrin 600mg when I go to bed after working all night.

[ChelseaHindwood]

I have faced this situation for a long time, I get used to this. When i start doing work at night it's quite difficult my social life and health all these things a normal person have been just ruined but after sometime my life is just my work nothing else, I just cut off to the outside world which is not a good thing. Anyway working at night when everyone is taking rest at there bed and you are working it's really depressing thing. Some nurse in here in aged home works at night and i really feel pity for them.

[tinybbynurse]

I totally feel you. I've been on nights for the most part for over 3 years now. I've always been a night owl and I tend to adjust well, especially opposed to some people who literally just CANNOT do nights.

BUT. it doesn't mean that it doesn't get to me after awhile, or start to affect me, or make my quality of life less than what it could be.

When I started I was 23, I'm now almost 27 and Just in those few years, I'm more tired and just want to SLEEP at night....there's some kind of comfort knowing no matter what happens during the day you get to sleep in your bed at night. Except when you're on night shift.

my bf works evenings, but it'd be nice to see him awake before I sleep. I come home to him passed out in bed or the couch. He works til 2-3 am on weekends but on the weekends i can stay up if I want if I didn't work nights and had either every other weekend off like I do now or even every weekend.

What I'm finding, is after working a few different nursing jobs and shift lengths, I just might prefer something easy and chill with normal hours. I can say I got my feet wet and experienced hospital work, so maybe now I won't regret just going for an easier 9-5 job. Or I've thought 4 10 hr shifts during the day would be nice.

i think when you first start out as a nurse you think you HAVE to work in the hospital and be challenged. And honestly at one point that's what I NEEDED. To be challenged. I was dissatisfied with my job at the time for not using many skills. So if you feel that way I recommend getting your feet wet for a bit, then if you feel like taking it easier no shame!!

after 3 years on nights and going on 2 years in the hospital, med surg then NICU, and having experienced a couple other areas of nursing outside of the hospital, I just might look for something else eventually. Especially since a lot of people are ahead of me for days.

How I cope: usually a coffee on break gets me through. I typically fall asleep when I get home but is it quality sleep? I don't think so. I generally eat healthy and exercise but it's easy to slip up. I'm chronically tired on days off and it takes me forever to do simple chores or wash clothes. This seriously becomes a chronic issue in your life when things pile up. It affects your mental health when things are messy in your home or you feel like you spend a lot of time off cleaning or washing stuff instead of relaxing. I also feel like it's hard to take care of myself...finally on days off I can take a longer shower. Use face masks, give my hair attention. I swear part of the reason I still deal with breaking out at 26 is from working nights. I also try to get up at a decent time on days off and sometimes it's nice and other times I'm still so sleepy and I drag all day and am not productive. I do allow myself to do nothing on my first day off. I learned to give myself permission on that first day to either sleep in or get up earlier and just be a zombie so I can recover. Some days off I just accidentally end up sleeping late all week and that sucks cause there goes my day. I find myself picking between a shower, sleep, or eating even though I live super close to work...when you get home all you want to do is sleep still. Nights can be ok but also suck after awhile when it messes with your life and mental state.

itd be nice to get off work, and have time to actually eat, relax and do a load of laundry or clean something, AND sleep.

also the people on days at my job are kinda catty. Not all but a lot of them. And I do like how it's generally more chill at night. AND NO NOT ALWAYS. but that's why I think eventually I'd like to switch to a day job that's also not insane during the day.