How do I survive this schedule?

iluvivt, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2017

How is your schedule set up? Do you have three 12 hour shifts in a row.Is is12hours of work and an hour lunch? If you have several long shifts in a row..you must prepare.I get all my clothes ready....I mean everything..scrub pants...top...socks..undies.I even put my necklace and earrings in a xip lock bag .Then you must prepare for meals..will you bring food...eat from the cafeteria...eat at home and just eat snack bars and munch on healthy foods. Then you need to prepare for sleep...do you need black out curtains..what do you need to do to avoid interruptions...what other responsibilities do you have to take care of before you can sleep? What is making you miserable..need more detail to help.

3ringnursing, BSN · Sep 17, 2017

If you can get sleep then it is doable. You will need a sound machine for white noise (because ear plugs eventually will bruise inside your ear canals), black out curtains or a sleep mask, cool temps, and to be left alone.

I remember moving into our house in June and discovering the cooling system sucked (no insulation blown into the ceiling, the swamp cooler was rusted through, and no AC ... what's a swamp cooler you say?). :wideyed:

I had moved to a house with an elementary school across the street - they had a PA system and used it - often. Also an air force base was near by - they played music loudly twice a day via their PA system, plus the planes (oh God). My son was not quite 2 y.o. and my husband stayed home to care for him (kids scream and squeal loudly at that age when happy and finding their voices). The worst was the neighborhood kids that played basketball - the reverberation on the asphalt drove me nuts.

I had been a light sleeper before all that, but had to adapt fast.

If you can address every single thing preventing you from sleeping, then you too can be a well rested, happy girl again. Hydrate up and take benadryl if you have to.

Apply for day shift as soon as possible too. People leave, people get hired - you'll move up quickly in the hierarchy.

Best of luck - you can do it!

LovegelatoRN · Oct 20, 2017

Night shift works for some and not for others. I did it for 3 years...and hated every minute of it. I didn't have much energy on days off at all...so I will never do it again. I didn't have the luxury of scheduling my shifts all in a row, but even if I did, it wouldn't have made a difference. I was also much younger than you at the time. You didn't mention how long you have been doing it. I would say....give it some time...also...the working 2 jobs in 2 states sounds exhausting....can you manage somehow to work one full time nursing job? Sell your house if mortgage is too high...working two jobs is not healthy for anyone. I hope things get better for you...

PixieRN1 · Oct 22, 2017

I would drop the second job before abandoning nursing all together. Abandoning your profession is drastic; it seems like losing one job first would be the less drastic option.

Even if you need the money, working one job with OT would seem less stressful? I don't know. YMMV.