Help me feel better about this - Full time 8 hour nights

proud nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2014

Full time 8 hour shifts on nights was so hard for me. All I did was work, sleep, and be crabby. I survived 4 months. When a 12 hour weekend program position became available, I applied for it and never looked back.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Sep 18, 2014

It's not easy transitioning to night shift. You're going to have to get used to adjusting your sleep pattern to something very different. You'll also have to figure out how to maintain contact with your kids and you won't be neglecting them. Just make sure that someone responsible is watching them while you get your sleep. A very good friend of mine worked nights for basically her entire career. She did just fine and she wouldn't have wanted to work any other shift. She got used to it!

ICURN3020 · Sep 18, 2014

I did 8 hour nights for a very short period of time. I took a 3 12's position as soon as possible as that schedule was miserable. I only had 2 days off in a row twice a month (my weekends off)! Although I liked being home later in the evenings to do homework/baths/bedtime with my kids, I'd rather have the 4 days off a week.

middleagednurse · Sep 19, 2014

Sleep when they're in school. Make sure you have someone to watch them when you work weekends. Eventually you will accrue vacation time which you can use when they are out of school.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Sep 19, 2014

I could not adjust to nights. Not surprised you are sick already.... your body is telling you something.

Thinking you need to get off nights STAT. Even afternoons would be better.

Good luck, let us know how it's going.

BrendaH84, BSN · Sep 19, 2014

midnight 5 night a week is horrid. i feel like I'm dying at 3:30 AM lol, and that was just 3 12 hr shifts. I don't work midnights anymore!

Madras · Sep 19, 2014

Haha I just ran FAR FAR away from an 8 hour nights position.

It was the best decision I ever made! Took a day shift unit coordinator position and life has improved tremendously. It's more stressful work than my old night shift but I love it and now have a normal circadian rhythm.

there are many people that can do that kind of shift successfully. I am not one of them but I gave it a try and you should too! If after a few months you still can't get the hang then by all means do what is best for you, your health and your family!

Stepping stones!!! Good luck! :up:

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Sep 19, 2014

I used to work 32-hour weeks, 2300-0700. That was pretty decent, as I couldn't handle 12's and I didn't want to work 5 nights per week. The problem was I was expected to do 12 hours' worth of work in only 8, and that made me crazy pretty quickly. I ended up going to a hybrid shift (1100-1900) which was the worst of all worlds, as I did admits all morning and then had to turn them over at 1500 to pick up an entire new set of patients for four hours. :rolleyes: Never again.

allnurses Guide · Sep 19, 2014

You really are still adjusting, and it takes a while. I've done nights for nearly 30 years; it is doable and none of my children have become ax murderers.

Avoid the caffeine the last few hours of your shift, eat something light on the way to bed so you don't wake up early from hunger. Get a fan with light noise to keep you cool (circadian rhythms slow at night, your body expects "cool" during sleep); the white noise helps block other noises.

Hydrate a lot. Take some extra vitamins while your body is under extra stress right now. Don't let anyone wake you during the day... once you mess up the REM sleep it is hard to be rested enough for the night. No phones, doorbells, etc. Wear earplugs if you need to.

I like my 12 hour nights, but with the 8 hour ones, you can still get to kid's recitals, school programs, etc., before work. I used to go to Little League games, and then to the ER. 2 weeks is too early to bail, it may work out for you, it may not end up being your cup of tea. If you can, go to part time, 4 nights is soooo different than 5.

MunoRN, RN · Sep 19, 2014

I had been working 12 hour nights for years when I started at a new hospital and took a full time 8-hour night position. It was absolutely nothing like a 12 hour night schedule and I found it completely undoable. You just can't adequately recover on those 4 nights off every two weeks, especially since usually only 2 of those nights are consecutive nights, so you get two nights off in a row only once every two weeks. I then switched to 12 hour nights again and have been doing that for years since just fine, so don't let it discourage you too much in terms of your ability to work night shift, but look for a 12 hour FTE as soon as you can get one.

duskyjewel · Sep 19, 2014

I know you asked us to help you feel better about it, but I'm another who works NOC 12s and is under no illusions of being able to handle night shift five days a week. The reason I can work nights is that I have four other nights a week to recover from it. Three if I pick up an extra, but that's still nearly half the week, and I hardly ever do it.

Definitely use your kids' school hours for sleeping and be VERY PROTECTIVE of that time. Get blackout curtains and a good fan or white noise machine, ear plugs if you need them. Turn your phone's sounds completely off, and tell school they'll have to call dad for any issues. It may be rough for a while but if you can adjust and get enough sleep you may be able to swing it. Good luck.