Night shift: how to ask to quit from that.

[Ape1985]

Hi! I've worked in Itu for 5years in a hospital...I did night shift but only once in a row...it's not easy but I managed well... Then I change and move to an other bigger hospital and here they do 3/4 night shift in a row...because I don't want to seems "listless" about work...I ask to my manger to do not more than 2nights in a row...because all my colleaugues don't seems to have difficult to do 3/4 night shifts in a row...

now I have to say that 2night in a row is too much for me...it's difficult to stay awake during the night, it's difficult to sleep when I came at home and I don't have a good rest for the next shift...

At the moment I'm thinking to ask to be removed from night shift.

I've been in this hospital since end of january...not so long...so I'm scare that maybe they could say no...or that they could move me into an other ward...

What do you think? What is the beat thing to do to ask that?

I have to speak with my manager? It's better to see my doctor first? I have to speak with the occupational health department first? Or speak with my union?

It's the first time that I would ask for a special condition so I don't know how to do it.

Many thanks for your help.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I have to speak with my manager? It's better to see my doctor first? I have to speak with the occupational health department first? Or speak with my union?

Definitely do not run to the union first. Managers dislike when employees skip the chain of command and go over their heads to involve the union for issues that could be resolved by management.

Talk to your doctor first. You might have an undiagnosed health problem that causes you to be too tired to work more than one night shift in a row. Hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other disorders can cause a person to feel too tired to do the simplest of things.

After you consult with a physician, talk to your manager about any scheduling options you may have. Good luck to you!

[brownbook]

You may be over thinking this issue.....making a mountain out of a mole hill. Thousands and thousands of nurses feel the same way you do. They honestly tried to work nights and just felt ill....tired....could not function.

You may be "stuck" with nights for a short time, but you can simply ask the manager or human resources to let you know when a day position is open. Or keep looking for other positions, other hospitals, other jobs, that have day shift openings.

I worked nights 17 years......I got very annoyed (mostly with myself) when I switched to days and many co-workers on the day shift said....."oh I hated nights, I did it for two months....I applied for a day position and got hired".

Try to be a model employee, have good recommendations from your charge nurse or manager for if, when, you start applying for other positions.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

It's true that nightshift has those effects on a lot of people. There are pluses to nightshift...difference in pay (usually) and somewhat quieter after a certain hr. (usually). I'd just request to switch to dayshift at my manager's convenience and try to tough it out.

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

Just apply for an open dayshift on the same unit.

[Ape1985]

Yes I know what you mean but actually it's 6years that I do night shift and in the last 1years and half I feel really bad after night shift, low blood pressure (it's happen to collapsed) tachycardia when I go home and try to have rest, very bad migrain (so I went to neurologist who prescribed strong medications) so it's not an issue because I did night in the past and I always manage well...but not anymore...maybe I can't do it... I feel really tired 'because of the blood pressure and I tired to do the simple thing. I also have a lot of ectopic beats during the day after a night that makes me unconfortable... I want to be an happy employee and feeling well... At the moment I'm

really struggling with nigh...