new nurse

As a new nurse would it be too overwhelming to work nightshift? I am considering working 84 hrs or 96 hrs every two weeks.

I would like to work on saturday and sunday, or is that too much to ask?

I think you can be accomodated, at least on my side of the planet (NYC). Most people call in on weekends, and knowing that there is a staff member that is willing to give up their weekends is a plus.

Working on nights can be strange to the body, from what I am told, at least at first. Depending on where you work, there is work to do, such as many admissions, patients usually crash at night, also, many are more afraid at night. Most times, at the beginning of the month, the night staff in my hospital start new narcartic sheets to be signed, add up the totals of intake and output from the previous three shifts and begin new sheets. Also, there are not as many resources, such as other nurses, CNAs, supervisors, and pharmacists. This can leave you on your own for things, and most of the time, the physician on call is not the regular doctor (who may know even less than you do). He/she can be depended upon for STAT doses, but will not usually change a medication regimen. Some people tell me that they have to get used to not being in their own beds, and it is harder to get to sleep immediately upon getting home because it is daytime, and get pre-occupied with Saturday grocery shopping and laundry, for example.

The advantage is that there are not many administrators crawling around like roaches, may not be that many medications, almost no visitors and less distractions of patients having to leave the floor for diagnostic procedures (which interrupt the med-pass on day shift very often).

Good luck!