I have a knot in my stomach, and I'm hoping to get some positive words to help me shift my thinking! I am currently orienting on days on an amazing unit. I'm in love with what I do. However, I was hired for nights, and I'll be switching next month. My floor has extremely low turnover (because the unit is wonderful!), so the waiting list for day shift is long. As a new nurse on the floor, I won't even ask for my name to be added to it until I have a few more months under my belt.
So, the reality is that I'll be a night shift nurse for quite some time. There are many posts about how to change sleep schedules, etc on this forum, but can anyone help me get excited about this change, rather than feeling dread? Part of it is that it's the unknown. If you've been in the same boat, please send some love my way!
I've worked mainly nightshift for the past three years. A few suggestions: purchase some blackout blinds for your bedroom; get at least a 2 hour nap on your first night of nightshift; don't eat anything too heavy that might make you sleepy while at work; be prepared for dayshift to never be satisfied with what you were able to accomplish (hopefully not, but it helps if you have low expectations); if working consecutive days, take full advantage of your sleep time between shifts; don't call physicians in the middle of the night for something that can wait till morning.
Larry3373
281 Posts
I've worked mainly nightshift for the past three years. A few suggestions: purchase some blackout blinds for your bedroom; get at least a 2 hour nap on your first night of nightshift; don't eat anything too heavy that might make you sleepy while at work; be prepared for dayshift to never be satisfied with what you were able to accomplish (hopefully not, but it helps if you have low expectations); if working consecutive days, take full advantage of your sleep time between shifts; don't call physicians in the middle of the night for something that can wait till morning.