Night shift and family time?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I've just taken a full time job as a CNA on the 11p-7a shift. I will be working 5 nights a week, 8 hour shifts. I am worried I will never see my husband. He leaves at 5 am and comes home at 3-4 pm and works 5-6 days a week (changes a lot because he is military). How do you guys balance out spending time with your family and keeping a healthy relationship while working nights? Thanks so much! I am new to healthcare and I am trying to adjust.

Specializes in NICU, L&D and ED.

Personally I find that I am able to come home from work and go straight to bed. I'm asleep by 9am and I will get up between 3:30-5:00. So I am able to spend the evening with my son and husband. I get ready for work at about 9:30 and leave at 10:15 pm. It took a little getting used to but that is what works for my family.

Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

I would love to work 11p to 7a! I have three kids and a husband who works at the same facility as a Sergeant (I am nursing supervisor in the prison infirmary). He leaves for work around 6am and comes home around 2p. With those hours, I would be able to be home, get my kids ready for school, drop them off, go to bed and be up shortly after he gets home. Then hang out with the family until around 8:30-9pm at which point I would probably go to the gym since hubby and kiddos would be heading off to bed. Come home, clean up and go to work. Perfect! But I've had lots of experience balancing out nightshift with kids, husband and life in general. There were times when he worked Sun-Tues and every other Wed night then I worked Thur-Sat and one Wed a month. We slept in the same bed once a month. That sucked. It lasted for two years and while our kids benefited as there was no daycare or babysitters, it sucked for our marriage.

You should have time to spend with him upon him getting home as you would just be waking up. Then, you can do things for yourself once he is in bed and before you have to go to work.

Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

I've worked nights for years but my concession is part-time. Having to work 5 shifts a week would be rough with my commute. I am essentially a sahm during the week then I work thurs/fri/sat 11-7a. I sleep from around 9a-4p then get up and have dinner and do bedtime routine with the kids and husband then sleep again after the kids go to bed 7p-9:30p before my shift. I flip to a day schedule on my days off.

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