As I've mentioned here before, I was hired on as a new grad for nights on our hospital's birthing center in August after graduating in May. I began orientation on days and just switched over to nights this week. I'm "older" - 44 - had been a stay-home mom for a long time and finally followed my dream of being an L&D nurse. The first few weeks of orientation (mother-baby) were rough simply because I had never worked as a nurse before and WOW - there is so much work; so much to do, so much to know, to remember, etc (as you all know). But gradually I have begun to "get it" and it's getting easier and less stressful. It's still really hard at times though and I get a feeling of dread occasionally before I go in (that seems to be somewhat common in nursing), and truthfully there are times when I say to myself "I just can't do this", but it's all finally starting to come together for the most part.
I tend to be really good at teaching breastfeeding - something most of my coworkers HATE to do, so along with everything else mother-baby entails, I have begun to find my niche with breastfeeding.
Well, let me just say that after the first few night shifts, I am ready to throw in the towel. I can feel the dream slipping away. I can not imagine having this schedule for one more WEEK, much less indefinitely. I am not sleeping well, I am exhausted, I feel awful. I've done everything the experts suggest including the dark room, earplugs, noise machine, unplug the phones, etc etc and I still can only sleep for about 2-4 hours total during the day. It is not even close to enough.
I worked Saturday, Monday and I was supposed to work tonight, but after Saturday's night shift I have had a total of 10 hours of sleep in 3 days' time. When I got home from work this morning I did my bed routine and slept from 8:30 to 11:00am. Then I was wide awake. I had a mini-emotional breakdown because the thought of going back for another 12-hour shift tonight on so little sleep was too much for me to handle. I called our CDC and told her what was happening and she basically said "don't know what to tell ya sorry". I called the charge and told her what was going on and she told me not to worry about it and to just not come in. But the problem is, I don't think staying home from one shift is going to make a huge difference. I think it will only prolong the inevitable. I'm feeling very unsure of this whole situation. I'm really questioning my decision to work there and especially to work night shift. They have no openings on days and the truth is, I don't want to work days. It's too hard on my family.
I feel desperate and at the end of my rope. I don't know if I can do this to myself anymore (and it's only been a week on nights! ugh!). I'm wondering if I should look into something other than a hospital setting. I would much rather work part-time but I have so little experience in nursing that it's tough to find a p/t nursing job that requires no experience. Sorry this was so long... just needing some real support and advice.
Thanks so much for your input. Hey, at least you have EXPERIENCE now!! If I had experience I could easily find a job on days. Good for you for not only hanging in there and doing it, but for recognizing it just isn't for you. There are people who swear by nights, and I'm glad. We need night nurses just as badly as we need day nurses. I'm just not a night nurse myself.
I've been a nurse for 10 years for about 8 of those 10 years I have workded night shifts. It is a very difficult shift to work. I have worked this shift due to conflicting schedules with my spouses and also due to daycare issues. I am a mother of 2 have always worked so I don't really know what it's like to be at home for an extended amount of time, except for the past few weeks after surgery. I still convinced my md to let me go back to work. LOL It is very hard to get an adequate amount of sleep especially during the day. When I worked Medical and ICU I worked 3p to 3a. That was a nice shift in the essence that I could be home by 4a and still get at least 6-7 hours of sleep. My husband gets the kids up and ready for school and takes them to school before he goes to work. So I would sleep till my kindergartner got out of school @ 1130. Then I transferred to our OB unit and worked the same days but 7p-7a that is tough in 3 days I averaged about a total of 4 hours of sleep. Six if I was lucky. Untop of being sick it made things worse due to the sleep deprivation and pretty much being up 24-30 hours in one day was tough. So I decided to see if my head nurse would work with my schedule and explained my circumstances. What I did was separated my work days. For example: Fri, Sun, and Tues 7p-7a. This works because I actually get a day off in between. I also teach yoga on one of the other days, teach religious education, and also volunteer at the schools. So it can be done. At work about 2 a.m. I drink yogi tea (Green Tea for Active Body's) which will give me the energy I need to get through my shift and then when I get home I drink a sleepy time tea and when I lay down for my 4 hours I use a eye pillow over my eyes. If you can sew you can make a small eye pillow with flaxseed and add some scent to it like lavender or chamomile which can be found at your local health store including the yogi teas. I warm the pillow up for about 5-10 secs in microwave and I'm good to go. On my nights off I take Lunesta to help me sleep it is one of the better sleep aides. Working nights and taking care of a family is tough but it can be done. It takes a family effort as well. You can also work per deim or agency if your financial situation allows. Working per deim or agency gives you the flexibility of saying yes to a shift or no and it pays a little more than a regular staff nurse of a particular unit. What we do on our unit when our census is low is we split shifts, so instead of working a full 12 you can work a 6 hour shift. Example: 7p-1a or 1a - 1p. Don't throw in the towel you worked very hard to achieve your goal of becoming a nurse you just need to find the part of nursing and the hours that work for you. I must say our field is very demanding but it is also very REWARDING! I'm sure there is someone out there who is willing to accommodate your schedule, but always remember your health and your family come first. Good LUCK!:wink2:
i've worked nights for 20 out of my 26 years (in labor and delivery). you do have to have time to adjust, and sometimes i just run on minimal sleep.
i beg for most of my 12 hours shifts to be scheduled 3 a row. my first shift, i get up as usual in the am and do housework, run errands, and cook something that will have leftovers. if i can, i rest (not necessarily sleep) for 1 or 2 hours in the afternoon.
the first night, i might be a little tired, but usually it's not bad.
after most of my 12 hour shifts, i spend about 2 hours doing chores before i go to bed, but sometimes i have to go to bed immediately.
turn off the ringer on your phone. the school can get in touch with your emergency contact people if they can't reach you (but i found i have a 6th sense and have never missed a call from the school).
i bought blackout shades (redi shades brand) from amazon.com a few years ago, and they have helped tremendously. (only about $38.00 for 6 shades)
i can usually fall asleep in the darkness, but i use melatonin tablets occasionally.
i usually get up 2 hours before i need to leave the house unless i've been up until noon or later.
i stay up as long as possible after my 3rd shift doing chores and errands. about 9pm i shower and crash.
i get up the next morning at a normal morning hour, and i'm a day person until the first of my next 3 in a row. you'll have to see what works for you, but i'd give it a little longer because there's more money with the night shift diff and it's so much less stressful without all of the clipboard nurses and important people around!
hang in there! night people are the best!
this is almost exactly what i do! it works for me too!!! i don't take melatonin but everything else is the same. i could never work my nights broken up. i'd never get enough rest. try scheduling your 3 in a row and give it a couple weeks or so to get used to.
Just wanted to say I hope all the suggestions you have received have helped. You need to find what works for you and everyone is different what works for one person may not work for another. Some like their 12 hour shifts in a row and then there are some like myself who like to separate them. I chose to separate them because averaging 6-10 hours of sleep in a 3 day period did not work for me. I had been ill and the sleep deprivation was adding to it. I like the black shade idea! It's a good way to keep your room dark and my husband before he leaves to drop the kids of at school and go to work he disconnects the phone so I can get uninterrupted sleep. You have some great ideas from nurses who have experienced night shifts and/or are still working night shifts. Good Luck! Namaste (Peace)
Cfitz
85 Posts
Thanks so much for your input. Hey, at least you have EXPERIENCE now!! If I had experience I could easily find a job on days. Good for you for not only hanging in there and doing it, but for recognizing it just isn't for you. There are people who swear by nights, and I'm glad. We need night nurses just as badly as we need day nurses. I'm just not a night nurse myself.
Still looking for a job on days...