Nights, don't ya just love 'em?

Whisper · Feb 28, 2003

After the shift I just had I would preffer to work solid nights, forget about a social life!

or may be a prison nurse...any where, where visiting hours are still enforced!

Good_Queen_Bess · Mar 1, 2003

As I said b4, there are some pro's for working nights, but they are outweighed by the con's! No social life and not seeing my husband for days. I turn into a grumpy bugger, can't sleep, feel ill sometimes and it usually takes me days to switch my body clock around.

Did you know that working night's on a regular basis (not necessarily permanent) can take YEARS off your life expectancy. It's due to the artificial 'high' your body get's at the wrong time of the it's 24-hour cycle. Also, if you have less than 5 hours of sleep more than once a week on a regular basis, that takes years off your life expectancy too. Great innit!!

frannybee · Mar 2, 2003

Nice. Thanks for that cheery info, Bess. I feel *so* much better for knowing that!

trustmee · Feb 2, 2004

I love nights, it's just a shame that I'm so damn dangerous driving home the next day. So, for that reason, I avoid any more than one or two at a time! Any tips for the 45 minute drive out of the city? Pulling up in a layby to snatch some sleep seems too risky (I've had to do it a few times).

Whisper · Feb 2, 2004

I drive back from nights with my windows down, no matter what the weather, and my music on LOUD, until I get into my street... and most times I'll park a good way away form my house rather than struggle to park nearer.

I din't trust myself not to hit another car, my cars steering is like a tank, and it takes me long enough most of the time, without me having to worry about sleep deprivation as well!

DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 6, 2004

I think night nursing is a speciality in itself.

In the good old days before the fascist hierarchy imposed internal rotation on us, made a generation of nurses unhappy and drove many away to agencies or to leave nursing altogether, I had three permanent night posts, and loved them.

There is something very satisfying about ensuring your patients get a good nights sleep, and about taking care there of those who don't when they are often most frightened, vulnerable and feel most alone in the dark with no visitors; the admission that feels lost having been taken ill in the night. The extra initiative you use without the same level of support the day staff have around them.

I have always resented the assumption that nights are somehow 'easier'. the pressures are different. In my last days on the wards it did annoy me how many more newly qualified nurses seemed to have lost the appreciation of keeping noise and lighting down, talking at normal pitch in an open ward etc. (I am convinced this is because unlike us oldies, they didn't do their 12 weeks of nights with an established permanent night nurse)

And I'll come out of the closet; in the days of the awful night sister I was a night charge nurse, before they made us all redundant - most shortsighted thing they ever did. Some of the most satisfying shifts I ever worked were giving support to some frightened newly qualified staff nurse on her first night in charge ever. Now of course you've got the NNP (but of course they haven't re-introduced the night sister as that would be admitting they made a mistake getting rid of them!!)

In France nurses don't rotate and it's better that way. Some people simply can't do nights as it makes them ill. Others can only do nights because of child care comittments etc.

I no longer work in hospital, but when I do that once in a blue moon agency shift, I always try to get a night. It's always much more fun.

corks · Feb 21, 2004

Love Nites. get more cups of tea! No Doctors. No phone calls. No politics. Just plain old nursing care! Smashing!corks:smokin:

karenG · Feb 21, 2004

Havent worked nights in years.............. but thinking of doing some soon- there will be an I grade NP lead going here and I am seriously thinking of going for it!! working in the new out of hours service which will be nurse run. looks good.........

Karen

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2004

I have never worked a noc shift that was not just as busy, if not more so than days.

Usually, never got to take a break, much less play on the net.

fergus51 · Feb 21, 2004

I have only worked in OB and NICU, and those units are just as busy at night, sometimes more so because of staffing issues. I really like the atmosphere on nights. The people just seem a little more relaxed and goofy,

zambezi, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2004

PROS:

-More money (4.00 more)

-More time with patients

-Less patient switching (due to transfers, etc)

-Less hecticness (meals, PT, OT, CT, MRI)

-The teamwork on nights can't be beat (in my unit anyway...)

-Autonomy (not so many docs running around)

-Staff is more fun (again, in my unit...)

CONS:

-Sleep (even though I sleep great during the day!! I miss not sleeping all night when I want to)

-What nights does to your body...

-When I have kids, I am sure that I will have more...

Currently, the pros outweight the cons for me...which is why I am working nights.

montanaladi · Feb 22, 2004

The nights I work, we have wonderful teamwork, great staff, and best part, no big wigs walking around with chest's as big as a buffalo. I also like sleeping during the day while the kids are in school, don't miss to much then with them. Also have learned to sleep through anything, from the neighbors lawnmower to the rock crusher down the street, this way if the world comes to an end while I am asleep, I won't know about it. LOL. More money and less families around, who could ask for more.:rotfl: :lol2:

From Montana :nurse:

Nights, don't ya just love 'em?

Night's, love 'em or hate 'em?