I took my first nursing job...

P_RN, ADN, RN · Mar 26, 2002

Congratulations !

Finishing school and getting a new job mark the beginning of hopefully a happy lifelong career!

P

BrandyBSN · Mar 27, 2002

Congrats!!!! I am SO happy for you! That will be an awesome opportunity.

Sorry though, i cant give you much advice, as I will be graduating in May too!!!! I start my new job in the ER May 28th, and I will also be trying to make the transition to working the night shift. So, even though I can't offer advice, ill give you a HUGE hug! Congratulations. That is truely awesome!

And, i will be watching this thread closely to see if I can benefit from any advice they offer YOU :)

woohoo!

BrandyBSN

sharann, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2002

Conratulations Tattoochick!

My best advice is to ask many, many questions. You will not feel like you know it all, well, ever. However in a year you will be a pro! The right preceptor is key. If your preceptor is truly involved and a nurturing but firm teacher you will flourish. Have you checked out the length of orientation and preceptoring? Is this a teaching facility? You have to make sure before you begin if this hospital staffs with new grads, or truly is orienting not only a "new grad" but an entire specialized way of nursing of some very fragile and valuable (and itsy-bitsy tiny)_ human beings!

Sounds really exciting!!!!

Oh, at risk of repeating myself again...ASK, ASK, ASK and OBSERVE every new oppurtunity. If they see you WANT to learn, they will teach you (hopefully!)

babs_rn · Mar 27, 2002

transition to night shift advice:

turn off your phone ringer, turn your answering machine down, set a regular time every day for sleep. Keep in mind that after your first night back you will likely have a sleep debt that will take some time to recover from. It's tough working as a night nurse in a day world but there are things you can do. I'll go hunt you some good links and post them back here. Physical and psychological survival depends on good habits from the start. Hope you don't have a far commute! And good luck!

Babs

babs_rn · Mar 27, 2002

Here ya go....

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/publications/shiftworker.html

http://www.nurseweek.com/features/00-01/sleep.html

http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/articles/0299joinson.htm

good luck!

judy ann · Mar 27, 2002

Brandy Congrats!!! As a nurse who has worked nights for many, many years, (most by choice!) I want you to know that there are advantages to working nights! You can always schedule an appointment (I suggest early or late in the day) take your car in for service (have them take you home and bring the car back when it is done), run those quick errands when everyone else is at work, even schedule an occasional lunch out with non-working friends. After having worked nights for so long, I have trouble trying to figure out when I'm supposed to do all this stuff that used to be so easy to find a good time to do. I guess its all in what you get used to. There is a special comraderie between staff at night. And there is a special feeling of a hospital at night. It is very quiet, in a very special way, even if there is a lot of noise. Enjoy the night shift and think of me every so often. I'll envy you your job.:)

Hooligan · Mar 27, 2002

Congratulations on your new job!!!! Actually, I'm looking forward to working nights when I graduate! My husband has been working nights for almost 2 years now and I miss sleeping together at night!!...Or at least I think I do...I don't miss the snoring though...or those wierd sigh-like noises me makes...hmmm, maybe I'd better rethink this!!

Enjoy your new job!!!!!

~Bean

whipping girl in 07, RN · Mar 28, 2002

I bought a white noise machine to use to help me sleep, but I started using it while I was still on day shift, so I would get used to hearing it while I sleep and associate the noise with sleep. It has worked wonderfully for the month that I have been on nights. I find that it helps to try to divide your work up so that you can do something sort of "active" during the time that you start feeling a little sleepy (usually for me its around 0400). Also, I pack plenty of snacks and try to eat a little something about every 2 hours. Congratuations on the new job! Have fun.