In need of some advice

missdeevah, NP · Jul 30, 2010

trust me...there is not "a lot of downtime" on the night shift. at least not on my floor. this seems to be a commom myth. try the shift and see if you are able to adjust. worst outcome is that you don't like it, and try to get a different shift if at all available. plus side: you will make shift differential, which is normally quite a bit:yeah:. i wish you all the best and congratulations on the new job. in this economy, i would take it, and try to work out the kinks as i go along, unless you have other offers on day shift.

eta: i'm not a night person per se, but i am adjusting to working nights, a night at a time. you'll learn what to do as you go to make it easier, like having blackout curtains (plus i use a patch over my eyes) and ear plugs to allow me to sleep during the day. i set my phone to vibrate as well. a lot of friends just don't seem to get the fact that it's difficult enough trying to sleep during the day, without having the phone ring. these are just but a few tips.

LouisVRN, RN · Jul 30, 2010

I am a night person. I do not like getting out of bed for 7am meetings, but I do it. In fact, I usually leave at 0630 so i can get coffee first. So it can be done. That being said I don't think I will ever like it. I usually get so anxious about having to get up and what if I over sleep or dont wake up or am so tired that it keeps me up the night before. That being said when i am work I'm never tired, I blame it on adrenaline.

himilayaneyes · Jul 30, 2010

well, i actually worked nights for a year switched to days and now i'm switching back to nights for the money at a different facility. i work cardiac tele which is like step down from the icu and on our night shift we typically had downtime from 11pm to 5am. keep in mind you do have your crazy nights...and confused people become extremely bonkers at night...yeh for sundowners. however, i'm glad i did nights as a new nurse..it gives you more time to become competent as a nurse before dealing with the rush of dayshift (doctors,family,visitors,lab,etc.). plus, once you get your foot into the door working nights you can always request a transfer to dayshift. good luck. :rolleyes:

anonymurse · Jul 31, 2010

The truth is, nobody is a born night shifter. Everyone's basic circuitry is hardwired diurnal. So none of us perform as well at night as during the day. Sounds grim, however, nobody else is going to be outperforming you at night.

There's a hidden cost to working at night, and that's the loss of a day to sleep coming off one or more night shifts. That's why the advantage of being paid night differential is pretty much a fiction.

I, like many others, regularly have to commit to an "on call" night where they can call me in. To be prepared, I have to sleep all day not knowing whether I'll be called. This is a complete waste of a day.

Others in your household will have to be re-educated to not disturb your sleep. It takes a long time to get across the basic fact that 3 in the afternoon to them is 3 in the morning to us.

You may find yourself experimenting with blackout curtains, fan noise, and sleep drugs varying in cost and sophistication from benadryl to Provigil.

On the flip side, it's easy to make and keep daytime appointments. And the cameraderie and mutual help ethic of the night shift may hook you.

Welcome to the dark side!

taraleesky · Jul 31, 2010

Thank you guys soooooo much for your insight! I now have a new perspective to the night shift and I feel less nervous. Who knows maybe I have a little owl in me after all?? :rolleyes: Much thanks:redpinkhe

DayDreamin ER CRNP · Jul 31, 2010

I took a night shift job back in March. I am a single parent to a 10 year old but she stays with her dad when I'm working or sleeping.

Getting your friends to understand the hours of night shift and the need to sleep was tough. Even tougher for my friends. I used to always sleep with my cell phone beside the bed on vibrate but it would still wake me up when someone texted or called. I finally had to keep my phone on airplane mode so no one would wake me up. I use the alarm clock on my phone vs using a real alarm clock so I need to keep it close.

The thing I really enjoy about working nights is that there aren't any doctors around and fewer family members to bug you. Yeah, sometimes I hate working nights because I do miss some stuff due to either the work itself or because I'm sleeping. One thing I've gotten pretty good at is eating better to suit my day. What I mean is, sometimes I can't sleep 6 hours after a shift. There have been many times I've gotten home at 7:30, showered, eaten a little, and asleep by 8:30 and I'm up again by noon because I have to do something with the kids or whatever. I just get up and eat some fruit and try to keep my metabolism up with some good food throughout the day and I'm usually ok until about 10 and then I MUST go to sleep. I'm often pretty beat the next day but eating right really helps me get through it all.

good luck!

meredith

RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2010

Sometimes there is a lot of downtime and some times not. It is not as busy as days

as I have worked both shifts. I like dayshift better because the days off seem like more

quality time off. Hopefully a day position will open up soon.

katkonk, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2010

I am a night person, stuck working days. UGH....on my days off, my body always tries to pullllllllllll me back to staying up late and sleeping in. I worked all nights for years, and really did not have that much trouble doing it (but again, I am a born night person-I would have gone to evening high school, if there had been such a thing.) One caution though, referenced by another person here....you really have to change your WHOLE life. I found I did best if I kept similar hours on days off. Instead of staying up the whole night on nights off, I would stay up until 0400a, then sleep and get up slightly earlier the next day. If you keep flip flopping your schedule for your "work week" and your "days off" and try to live two different lives, then you will suffer. So you will have to change times when you see friends, talk to parents, and your social life may take a dive. But, if you got the job, go for it and try to adjust the best you can. Sometimes THE most important thing is just getting a paycheck! Good luck!

violet_violet · Jul 31, 2010

I worked night shifts as an CNA (per diem) while still in nursing school. It was quite an adjustment but over time, it worked out just fine and was easier. Now that I think about it, I'm glad I went through it and now not so afraid of working night shfits. At the time, I would usually work Friday nights and usually try to do a couple or a few nights in a roll especially during holidays. For me, it was easier to start the first night (usually the first night I never slept before going in my shift [11pm-730am]) but definitely for the rest of the nights I worked, I had to sleep.

What worked best for me was, I always had to sleep in a dark room. If there was any light coming in, I wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. You'll be surprised at much light can bother you. I had to use foil and cover my windows and make my room dark. I couldn't afford the light blocking curtains. I also slept wearing some eye pad/cover to block out any light - that helped me sleep a lot better. Usually when I came back home from working my shift, I would go to sleep right away. Then, usually I would wake up around noon or 1pm. I would stay up the rest of the afternoon until sometime in the evening... then, I would sleep again and wake up before 9:30pm or so and get ready for work. For some of my co-workers (they work regular night shifts, not per diem like me), they totally switched their day from night. They would wake up before work and eat breakfast when everyone else is having dinner! I guess you can do whatever works best for you, really. But some RNs who have been doing night shifts for a very long time, some have a difficult time falling asleep. That would be something I would be worried about. Because on your days off, you would have to switch back to everyone's day and night schedule but when you work, you would have to swap it again. It's hard to not have a regular sleep/wake pattern. YOu get the point. Anyhow, some have to take Bendryl to fall alseep. I never had to go that route nor would I ever want to use other measures...

You'll be surprised that night shift can be very busy! I worked in the OB unit night shift as an CNA and sometimes you barely have any time to sit down or even take your break and have your lunch! Some nights are dead... but most nights you're running around like crazy still. However, because this was my first CNA job, working nights was better for me than if it was day shift. Day shift was much harder for me and I just found it easier for me with nights and that is why I decided to do nights first. After I got a better hang of things, switching to day shift was not bad anymore.

taraleesky · Jul 31, 2010

I took a night shift job back in March. I am a single parent to a 10 year old but she stays with her dad when I'm working or sleeping.
Getting your friends to understand the hours of night shift and the need to sleep was tough. Even tougher for my friends. I used to always sleep with my cell phone beside the bed on vibrate but it would still wake me up when someone texted or called. I finally had to keep my phone on airplane mode so no one would wake me up. I use the alarm clock on my phone vs using a real alarm clock so I need to keep it close.
The thing I really enjoy about working nights is that there aren't any doctors around and fewer family members to bug you. Yeah, sometimes I hate working nights because I do miss some stuff due to either the work itself or because I'm sleeping. One thing I've gotten pretty good at is eating better to suit my day. What I mean is, sometimes I can't sleep 6 hours after a shift. There have been many times I've gotten home at 7:30, showered, eaten a little, and asleep by 8:30 and I'm up again by noon because I have to do something with the kids or whatever. I just get up and eat some fruit and try to keep my metabolism up with some good food throughout the day and I'm usually ok until about 10 and then I MUST go to sleep. I'm often pretty beat the next day but eating right really helps me get through it all.
good luck!
meredith

That is a good idea! I will most def. be trying the healthy food trick. Thank you KeeperMom:hug:

taraleesky · Jul 31, 2010

I am a night person, stuck working days. UGH....on my days off, my body always tries to pullllllllllll me back to staying up late and sleeping in. I worked all nights for years, and really did not have that much trouble doing it (but again, I am a born night person-I would have gone to evening high school, if there had been such a thing.) One caution though, referenced by another person here....you really have to change your WHOLE life. I found I did best if I kept similar hours on days off. Instead of staying up the whole night on nights off, I would stay up until 0400a, then sleep and get up slightly earlier the next day. If you keep flip flopping your schedule for your "work week" and your "days off" and try to live two different lives, then you will suffer. So you will have to change times when you see friends, talk to parents, and your social life may take a dive. But, if you got the job, go for it and try to adjust the best you can. Sometimes THE most important thing is just getting a paycheck! Good luck!

THank you for that advice KatKonk I think the only way I could live a normal life is to do what you said and readjust my routine. I appreciate you giving me this advice, I'm starting to think that I can do this thanks to you guys!!!:redpinkhe:redpinkhe:redpinkhe