Hey there. I am 7 months in to my first hospital job and it's policy that you work 12 hour shifts 50/50 day night rotation (once you hit three years you have the option to go full time days). I'm really struggling with nights. I've always been a morning person and they are very hard on me and my body. I tried different schedules: a month of nights and a month of days/ two weeks nights two weeks days/ randomly doing a night shift in the same week that I work days... nothing really makes me feel any better. I don't sleep well during the day, so I'm a walking zombie on nights, and very nauseous. I tried Prilosec and Tums for my stomach but no effect. I purchased black out curtains, a sound machine, I stop eating/drinking 3 hours before I attempt to go to sleep.... I eventually went to a doctor to get a prescription for trazadone, xanax, and zofran to get to relax enough to get more sleep (slight improvement there, but still struggling) zofran kinda helps when i feel sick but then i get sleepy so.... pros and cons.
Now, I love my unit. My manager is great, my co-workers are great, the experience I am getting is awesome. We all work hard and work as a team. I'm on the ICU and I don't ever want to go to another specialty, or even try another unit because I can't imagine it could ever be better than the one I am on. From the beginning I've felt welcomed and supported. Some days are tough, but that's okay. I can deal with being tripled and without a tech or sec, no complaints. I am good at staying calm when I'm in the middle of a code or talking to a crying or angry family member or patient.
But the nights.... I feel so awful while I work them and I feel like I've tried everything. I know everyone has to do their time.... But I am at the point where once I hit my year to just go PRN and work mainly days at a clinic. I want to tell my manager that I'm struggling with the night shifts (he is a good manager and usually very understanding), but I am nervous about it....
My sleep schedule is so horrible. I have been doing nights during orientation and I love it but it's completely messing with me. On my days off I sleep for 15-17 hours and then I'm up for 24 to 36 hours. Sometimes it just feels like I'm sleep walking, its horrible.
Itwasjustadream
9 Posts
My sleep schedule is so horrible. I have been doing nights during orientation and I love it but it's completely messing with me. On my days off I sleep for 15-17 hours and then I'm up for 24 to 36 hours. Sometimes it just feels like I'm sleep walking, its horrible.