I want to quit 4 months in

Nurses New Nurse

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Hi AN,

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

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.

> so much time off

You must be kidding. Every single calendar day I have to work. I get a night off in between, but I have to be at work the morning before and the night after. I have spent about 28 days straight at work and this was my first 2 day weekend in 3 months.

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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.

Yeah and i agree with you too..but you said "it seems like they're making excuses to quit" which sounds a little harsh.Time to see the psych md!! nothing wrong with that. or get sleeping pills or something. I would think that after 4 months she would adjust...but it is 5 days/wk so it is a lot, but as a new grad you're lucky to get a job at all. At night after work, you would normally run errands, or workout, watch Tv...instead of doing that after work (normal shift 7a-3:30p) at around 4pm, just do it at 11ish. work your 8 hour shift, SLEEP for 7 hours, then wake up and do your thing before you head to work. It is difficult to get used to i'm glad i don't have to do that. I mean even with a 3p-11p shift 5x/week I have the same amount of hours to sleep as her. Difference is the timing. 4 months and she's not used to it by now.? I guess everyone's different. And doesn't she have the weekends off? It's a crappy shift, but it's a job/experience.

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> so much time off

You must be kidding. Every single calendar day I have to work. I get a night off in between, but I have to be at work the morning before and the night after. I have spent about 28 days straight at work and this was my first 2 day weekend in 3 months.

I understand your frustration, but there's a solution. What do you typically do when you get off from work? Having a routine is necessary now that you're working 6 days a week (6days/wk or 5/wk???)...Now you'll have to pick a time to go to sleep and stick to that time. I would sleep after my shift. If you're sleeping at different times everyday, that'll mess you up obviously. So try to make a sleep routine (7 hours is sufficient or 8 if you don't have anything to do the next day) and stick to it. That will take some getting used to, but if you follow that routine you'll be able to work more effectively and be happier :) a tired nurse is a burnt out nurse. Tylenol PM first, then sleeping meds (like trazadone or seroquel) if that doesn't work. If you haven't gotten used to it, and i may be wrong, then the problem is that you are not sleeping at the same time every night consistently. PLUS, you switched from sleeping during the night, to working during night.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
> so much time off

You must be kidding. Every single calendar day I have to work. I get a night off in between, but I have to be at work the morning before and the night after. I have spent about 28 days straight at work and this was my first 2 day weekend in 3 months.

No not kidding. You only work 8 hours at a time, gives you plenty of time in between shifts to go to the gym, make dinner, go grocery shopping, have a life. Just like the other 90% of the population that works 8 hour shifts.

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No not kidding. You only work 8 hours at a time, gives you plenty of time in between shifts to go to the gym, make dinner, go grocery shopping, have a life. Just like the other 90% of the population that works 8 hour shifts.

90% of the population sleeps at night and I am jealous of them.

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Yeah and i agree with you too..but you said "it seems like they're making excuses to quit" which sounds a little harsh.Time to see the psych md!! nothing wrong with that. or get sleeping pills or something. I would think that after 4 months she would adjust...but it is 5 days/wk so it is a lot, but as a new grad you're lucky to get a job at all. At night after work, you would normally run errands, or workout, watch Tv...instead of doing that after work (normal shift 7a-3:30p) at around 4pm, just do it at 11ish. work your 8 hour shift, SLEEP for 7 hours, then wake up and do your thing before you head to work. It is difficult to get used to i'm glad i don't have to do that. I mean even with a 3p-11p shift 5x/week I have the same amount of hours to sleep as her. Difference is the timing. 4 months and she's not used to it by now.? I guess everyone's different. And doesn't she have the weekends off? It's a crappy shift, but it's a job/experience.

Look, I would kill (not literally kill) to have 3p-11p shift. You can't criticize me for wanting your hours. You have the best hours around. I did that for a few weeks and it's wonderful. You can take care of business in the morning, and then sleep at night.

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Instead of writing, you should cook or clean. lol.

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I understand your frustration, but there's a solution. What do you typically do when you get off from work? Having a routine is necessary now that you're working 6 days a week (6days/wk or 5/wk???)...Now you'll have to pick a time to go to sleep and stick to that time. I would sleep after my shift. If you're sleeping at different times everyday, that'll mess you up obviously. So try to make a sleep routine (7 hours is sufficient or 8 if you don't have anything to do the next day) and stick to it. That will take some getting used to, but if you follow that routine you'll be able to work more effectively and be happier :) a tired nurse is a burnt out nurse. Tylenol PM first, then sleeping meds (like trazadone or seroquel) if that doesn't work. If you haven't gotten used to it, and i may be wrong, then the problem is that you are not sleeping at the same time every night consistently. PLUS, you switched from sleeping during the night, to working during night.

I sleep 6-8 hours pretty much every day. It's not that I don't get enough sleep, it's that it's not good quality sleep.

I am going to stay at this job for as long as possible, but unless I get placed on the 3-11 shift I am quitting the moment I hit that one year mark.

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Instead of writing, you should cook or clean. lol.

I had 2 nights off in a row for the first time in months and I took care of everything already.

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I understand you get enough sleep, but WHEN do you typically go to sleep every day? When you sleep at that time, do you sleep at that time every day?? After 4 months your body should be used to it. If you're watching people sleep all night, and you're not running around like a mad women (like in ICU, lmao), then as long as your getting enough sleep, and sleeping at around the same time consistently, then you should be used to your schedule by now (4 months...).

I guess it's a transition for someone who hasn't had to work 8 hour shifts, 5 days/week.

Try sleeping at the same time consistently and then you'll have a routine you can get used to, because you'll have to get used to it if you want to reach that 1 year mark.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
I sleep 6-8 hours pretty much every day. It's not that I don't get enough sleep, it's that it's not good quality sleep.

I am going to stay at this job for as long as possible, but unless I get placed on the 3-11 shift I am quitting the moment I hit that one year mark.

So what are you doing to try to get better sleep? Other than complaining? Are you getting enough exercise? Going to sleep at the same time every day? Black out curtains? Ear plugs? Meds? Work on the things you can change rather than complaining about the things you can't, like your schedule.

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So what are you doing to try to get better sleep? Other than complaining? Are you getting enough exercise? Going to sleep at the same time every day? Black out curtains? Ear plugs? Meds? Work on the things you can change rather than complaining about the things you can't, like your schedule.

I sleep from 10-4 every day then from 7-9. I can't sleep 8 hours straight unless it's my day off, when I sleep about 4 hours in the day, spend time with family or friends, then pass out for 12 hours in the night. I don't want to take sleeping pills or medication. These medications mess you up even more in the long run. So so so many night shift workers I know take sleeping pills and are dependent on them just to get like 4 hours of sleep. I am not going to get myself into that situation.

I exercise about 1 hour before I sleep and 1-2 hours after.

I don't plan to quit today, I don't plan to quit tomorrow, I plan to stay and endure as long as I can, and hopefully that will be a year. But if it is less than a year, I know I will be forced to leave nursing, and at that point I won't even care because I am burned out, bitter, and angry at myself.

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