I am getting burned out of my job and I am only 4 months in. I work 11pm - 7:30am night shift 5 nights a week and I don't think I can take it anymore. I actually like my job and I like my coworkers, but staying up all night so often is hurting my well-being. I get 6-8 hours of sleep per day but I am still tired all the time. I never have time to cook or clean and I constantly feel nauseous and fed up. I want to quit now.
I know that quitting with 4 months of experience looks really really bad. But I can't take working nights anymore. Every day before I go to work, I want to quit because I never have time, never have energy, and am tired. I don't think I can manage a year. I know no one wants to hire someone who quit after 4 months, so I may just leave nursing entirely.
EDIT: I can't exactly job hunt now, as my schedule is too messy to allow for me to go to a job interview
I just started in ICU, i only have 3 months orientation, so you can imagine how nervous I am because I don't want to get let go after 3 months because you're right, that doesn't look good at all..even though they may refer me to another unit within the hospital...Anyway, I'm lucky because, at least for now, I am working 3 days a week on average..12 hour shifts in the morning. but that is just for orientation, since during the interview I agreed to work 3-11 5 days/week and 1 day on the weekend every other weekend.
I would stick it out if I were you. You're getting enough sleep clearly. Maybe it's the time management that you're having trouble with. Your career is your number one priority, at least for now. So if you can't go shopping or workout after work or whatever it is you try to accomplish off the clock, then you may have to sacrifice. Although exercise is very important. I think you're just not used to your work schedule. working nights clearly messes up your sleep schedule. You already agreed to the shift, so you might as well get used to it. If you feel unsafe taking care of people, you need to talk to your manager or the department of nursing education. I don't know if there's any point to asking this but, what are you feeling unsure about when you take care of your patients? the nursing judgement or passing meds? Know where you're resources are and don't be afraid to use them. At this point, as a graduate, and as an RN 4 months in, you should know how to question something. It's perfectly ok to not be able to "critically think" your way through it and to not have an answer, but know when you need an opinion. Don't blindly follow orders and get paperwork done, take the time to look at your patient and interact with them. I don't know what kind of unit you're on, but frequent assessment in ICU where I'm at is key, which means I'll have problems with time management, that's for sure! especially for those critical patients since the patient is #1.concern-forget about documentation when it's absolutely necessary to pay attn to your pt..Anyway, I hope I addressed your concerns.
Review: Utilize your resources when you want a second opinion or you don't know someone. an Ex: unless you're 100% positive 2 drugs are compatible, double check. there's a ton of drugs that I do remember from school, but i do not remember compatibility. That's when I refer to the drug book in the med room. If there's resources, such as books or internet, I use those before I consult with another nurse. But some things require second opinions
...and lastly: don't quit. it sucks at first, I'm only 2 weeks in and i'm realizing how much i need to review material, which scares the hell out of me. I'm totally supervised (my preceptor checks in with me and makes sure things are done, but I am not always prompted) and I am given one patient now (I'm not given the critical or new admission patients yet). Things are coming together, but I definitely don't feel like I can provide safe care to critical high acuity patients.
Sorry that was long. Good luck.
I WISH I WAS WORKING 3pm to 11:30 pm!!!!!!!! I did that for a few weeks at my job and I loved it!!!! You get to sleep at night, take care of things in the morning, and then work hard for 8 hrs then sleep. Goodness I would die of joy if they gave me that shift!!!!!
i work 11pm to 7:30 am and that doesn't kill my every day life, it just kills my entire quality of life.
AND I DONT USE ANY SKILLS IN MY UNIT! Zilch. No med passing at night. Just watching people sleep.
I'm sorry you're having such a rough time, however the odds of you finding a day position are pretty slim. If you want to work in a hospital you generally have to work nights until a day spot opens, which can take more than a year. The other options are clinic jobs and those can be hard to get as a new grad with minimal experience.
I don't really have any advice other than sticking with your night shift schedule on your days off and just sticking with it. Good luck.
trust me, when I started working I was grateful just to have any job. Now I am burned out and fed up. Again, I am not working 3 12's per week with 4 days off to rest. I am working 5 8's graveyard shift (11p-7a) with 2 divided nights off to sleep.
The fact that it would ruin my career to leave and not work these hours anymore is why I want to leave nursing.
I am not asking for a 9-5 job with weekends and holidays. I want a 3-11 job or a 7p-7a job. I am tired of working 11p-7a constantly. I was grateful to have any kind of job in this market, but my happiness is gone and I am depressed and burned out.
Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.
I'm not a night shift person either but I'd hate to leave a job I enjoy (until a day shift position opens).
I know it's a little tacky but aluminum foil on your window makes it completely dark.
There are these "sun boxes" which are lights you use (like when you're getting around for work) so your body thinks it's day time. There's also alarm clocks that simulate sunrise.
Make sure to take some vitamin d also!!
I made it 9 months then, thankfully, moved to days. Might also check and see if you can work 12's. Then you at least get a couple of days to feel KIND OF normal.
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
I worked nights all through nursing school. Thank god for caffeine. Just do it for a year. You are young and it won't kill you. Then you will be in a much better place for job hunting. No offense intended, and believe me I HATED nights, but you are kind of being a wimp!
I WISH I WAS WORKING 3pm to 11:30 pm!!!!!!!! I did that for a few weeks at my job and I loved it!!!! You get to sleep at night, take care of things in the morning, and then work hard for 8 hrs then sleep. Goodness I would die of joy if they gave me that shift!!!!!
i work 11pm to 7:30 am and that doesn't kill my every day life, it just kills my entire quality of life.
AND I DONT USE ANY SKILLS IN MY UNIT! Zilch. No med passing at night. Just watching people sleep.
Do you do any thing at all? Even "little things"? I think everything is a learning opportunity, even the little things. the other day, I put on electrodes (the things that stick and get hooked up to telemetry) so I got to learn how they do that in icu...I also learned how to trouble shoot my way through a problem with electrode placement on the cardiac monitor. These little things aren't a big deal, but if i know them, I'll be able to do my job, which is important to me. I'm sure you're putting yourself to work somehow, but you may want to be busier. And i totally understand that.
I would still stay there. I always think to myself "I may be let go at the end of my orientation", or, "what do they expect from me at the end of my orientation?", Or "I want to move back home" (moved 3.5 hours away to take this job), and that's after only 5 days. But during those 5 days I left feeling happy, literally smiling as i walked to my car (hoping no one was watching me smile as I walked ALONE to my car, lol) because I was gaining knowledge in something, whether it be how to transition into a nurse, learning new skills, or observing and demonstrating (sometimes i did on my own) critical thinking...You may be on a unit where you aren't doing as much as you thought you would be doing, but look on the bright side: you're working as an RN in a hospital, you're getting paid and you have good benefits i assume, and you are gaining knowledge in something (you have to be).
I think most of us are agreeing that leaving a job at 4 months isn't gonna look good. And if you absolutely have to leave the unit, come up with a good excuse and ask to be moved to another unit. I'm thinking about an excuse you can give, and I realize that you still get enough sleep (based on what you told us) and your manager will expect you to sacrifice things (so don't bring that up), so it's not like you can say, "I feel like patient safety is being compromised because... I'm tired?". Your manager will be wondering why you're tired, so honestly...you can't give a reasonable excuse. If you did say that, what else could she/he offer you? If you can't do it on that floor, you can't do it on a floor somewhere else. And if you're only watching people sleep, why do you think you're compromising patient safety? Actually, if you're only watching people sleep I guess that is compromising patient safety, lol...but no, i knew what you meant. You need to get into gear. You may (or may not) have downtime, so use that time to understand your patients.
(NOTE: patient safety is important but they're expecting you to provide patient safety because you took your boards AND because you've been given an orientation. I mean, I feel the same way- I feel like I may compromise patient safety but that's only because I haven't fully developed my critical thinking skills. Since I'M in ICU, at the end of my orientation, I could get away with the "comprising patient safety" excuse, and they may try to move me into telemetry...but med surge is not high acuity, soo I would suggest sticking it out).
Boy that was a long post, sorry about that! I should be studying right now :/
I am not asking for a 9-5 job with weekends and holidays. I want a 3-11 job or a 7p-7a job. I am tired of working 11p-7a constantly. I was grateful to have any kind of job in this market, but my happiness is gone and I am depressed and burned out.
you would work 7p-7a but can't stand working...11p-7a? maybe it was a typo
Yeah that struck me as odd too. The OP has so much time off with only working 8 hours a day. It seems like they're just making excuses to quit.
I was simply pointing out the fact that she hated working overnight shifts, and then said she would rather work 7p-7a...i assumed it was a typo. Unless i didn't read that post correctly.
I was simply pointing out the fact that she hated working overnight shifts, and then said she would rather work 7p-7a...i assumed it was a typo. Unless i didn't read that post correctly.
I was agreeing with you. I thought it was odd she couldn't handle 11-7 but wants to work 7p-7a, makes no sense.
I was simply pointing out the fact that she hated working overnight shifts, and then said she would rather work 7p-7a...i assumed it was a typo. Unless i didn't read that post correctly.
You read it correctly. 3 overnight shifts per week with 4 days off is much better than 5 overnight shifts with only 2 days off. Every single calendar day this month I have been at work.
Nonetheless
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I WISH I WAS WORKING 3pm to 11:30 pm!!!!!!!! I did that for a few weeks at my job and I loved it!!!! You get to sleep at night, take care of things in the morning, and then work hard for 8 hrs then sleep. Goodness I would die of joy if they gave me that shift!!!!!
i work 11pm to 7:30 am and that doesn't kill my every day life, it just kills my entire quality of life.
AND I DONT USE ANY SKILLS IN MY UNIT! Zilch. No med passing at night. Just watching people sleep.