Night Shift And Cancer

rebelwaclause, ASN, RN · Jul 12, 2003

The links aren't working. I get an error message.

Burr · Jul 12, 2003

I have been a night shifter for over 20 years. This is even before nursing. When my children were small and I had to work - free babysitting when all my ex had to do was sleep at home. Now it is so that I can give good patient care. No outside interference with paperwork that does not count - because 2 or 3 people receive the same item to do - just busy work.

Even if it does shorten my life span - working in a better atmosphere is worth the loss of time.

Hang in there = I am.

nursechris1 · Jul 13, 2003

So, Night nurses die 7 years earlier, but 7 years earlier than what? If most of your family lives to be 104, would it be so bad to die at 97? I want to live longer than my husband ( so I can be single again Hee Hee), but he smokes, drinks more than me, and just doesnt take care of himself, so he will probably die first. I do want to live long enough to be a pain in the a** to my kids. We have two LPNs who work casual for us, both in their 70s. I sure don't want to still be working at that age. I would like to live long enough to retire and move to the mountains. I guess it depends on how independent I still am, I mean if I am sickly, I dont want to live until I am 90. I worked nights for a short time, and I actually didn't mind it, as I am definitely not a morning person. My ideal job would be to start my day around 10 am and work until 6 or 7.

Good_Queen_Bess · Jul 13, 2003

Originally posted by nursechris1
My ideal job would be to start my day around 10 am and work until 6 or 7.

My ideal job hours would be get up when I wake up and get in for around 11am, hour break, home at 1pm.

mobyrn · Jul 13, 2003

I have been working night shift for almost 16 years and absolutely enjoy it. Interesting to find out the link between cancer and working nights. I have never been a morning person, so it works out for me very well. Initially, I worked 11-7 which worked out fine at that time with my daughter and babysitting. My husband would take her to school in the morning, I would come home, sleep, pick her up, spend time with homework, etc, put her to bed, take a nap and off to work. My daughter is much older now and I have been working 7p-7a for the last 10+ years and it has still worked out well. I am able to come home, get 7-8 hrs of sleep and off to work. I was diagonosed with scleroderma quite afew years ago and have faired very well. I have learned to how to pace myself, making sure not to overstress - which makes working nights much better for me - the stress level is much less than days (at least on the floor I work on). I recently helped out on days one weekend and I can honestly say that I was more worn out when the day was over than when I come home from working nights. As far as living 7 years less, I am considering a career change in the future so hopefulluy this may not be an issue for me.

mystc42 · Jul 14, 2003

I use to work nightshift and loved it. But I was working third shift on weekends and going to school 1st shift through the week full time. I ended up getting sick for about 5-6 months before they finally took out my gal bladder and now everything is ok, but the Drs told me to stay on 1st or 2nd until everything settled down. I have to say I loved not waking up to an alarm everyday, I don't like this day shift stuff....I mean it has its advantages true, but nothing compared to my night shift peoples! =-)

babs_rn · Jul 28, 2003

Originally posted by Good_Queen_Bess
My ideal job hours would be get up when I wake up and get in for around 11am, hour break, home at 1pm.

Sign posted outside an antique shop in Statesboro, GA (no joke) HOURS: M-F, 10 - 2. Closed for lunch from 11-12.

Wish I could make a living doing THAT!! :)

azgirl · Jul 28, 2003

I have worked NOC shift all my life whether in nursing or not. What I cannot do is work days. I'm taking a 7 month course and clinicals and classes will be day shift and I dread it already. I have no life on days. I'm used to going right to bed after working NOC shift and unfortunitely when I work days I need to do the same thing. So family does not see me at all and that starts causing a problem.

I get out a lot during the day on days off and wonder how that would be any different with day shift. I would drive to work in dark and home in the dark and be inside a hospital the rest of the time.

My elimination system really gets screwed up working days. It

is an unnatural time for me.

The only problem in NOC shift is the stupid neighbors and (friends?) who insist on waking us up because "we never know when you will be sleeping".

I have worked now for 40 years and only about 6 have been days and that was all together not at one time.

HARN · Jul 28, 2003

I am nightshifter, have been since I was 16 yrs old(now 24yr). I work 3 12's now since I became an RN 2+ yr's ago. I like night shift. Like all have said, management is cooler at night, however staffing can be ruff, more unsafe admits (more at one time I mean with less staff). I agree with the guy above 5p-5a would rock, but can't have our cake & eat it to. As far as gaining weight & all the other weird stuff people are mentioning they have been dx with...I have no prob...I exercise outside, eat right (not that others aren't taking care of them selfs- I hope they are)...but I believe to live pretty normal life working nights...I enjoy it....

healingtouchRN · Jul 29, 2003

kudos to you, for caring for yourself & enjoying your shift, co-workers. you gotta either love nites or leave 'em. I've been on nites for 1/2 my life, so I'm there!

Good_Queen_Bess · Jul 29, 2003

Originally posted by babs_rn
Sign posted outside an antique shop in Statesboro, GA (no joke) HOURS: M-F, 10 - 2. Closed for lunch from 11-12.

Wish I could make a living doing THAT!! :)

LMAO!! I wonder if they were offering flexi-time as well.

PMHNP10 · Oct 19, 2003

Originally posted by EmeraldNYL
So does anyone else work nights and love it? The hospital I am considering working at pays 20% more for nights; plus I am totally not a morning person. I just hope the living 7 years less thing isn't true!

I sooooo much prefer the night shift. When I see what the day shift has to go through I step back and say....man I'd have an MI before my 30th birthday if I had to put up with those kind of working conditions. I don't know the specifics, but I'm thinking high stress might not be so good for one's health.

The key for me is that I typically keep the same schedule whether I'm off or not--I usually sleep from about 830am to 4pm; I continue to maintain my workout regimen. Possibly the best thing though is that I find that typically my biggest meal is at about 5pmish so I go the rest of the night snacking on stuff rather than having my biggest meal right before I go to sleep.