Night shift nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello all, I am a new nurse who will be starting a new job very soon. Next week is my "hospital" and "nursing" orientation, then the following week I'll start working night shift with my preceptor.

My question is to all you night nurses out there: What do you do on your nights off? I am a night owl, and plan to stay up all night on my nights off, but I'm thinking that watching T.V. all night might get boring pretty quickly. What do you all do?

Looking forward to hearing about it~

:p

I go right back to a usual day schedule, I hate working nights but the money is good and the shift calmer...I know some people maintain that biorhythm but I just can't! Good luck..

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when i have a few days off, i stay up the entire day, once i get home 8am.

yes, i'm spacey that day but have no problems in catching up on a reg schedule.

by nature, i am a noc owl too...typically staying up til 3am.

but i love getting up early too, so sometimes, there is a conflict.

as for drinking coffee, i have to have my last cup by 4am, if i expect to go to sleep by 9am.

but that's me.

everyone is different.

there are definite benefits to working nocs.

but if i had my choice, i'd do evenings/2nd shift.

best of everything, to both of you.

leslie

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Specializes in NICU.

Well I defintely don't keep my night shift schedule all week. On the days I'm off I don't stay up the entire night and sleep the entire day.

I've always been a nightowl, so on my days off I go to bed late and sleep in if I can ...... but I've always done that.

Waking up at 5 am every morning would kill me faster than working nights.

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If am not logged on to all nurses.com, u can find me at 3am doing laundry,cleaning the house or doing my grocery shopping thats pretty normal

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Specializes in Onco, palliative care, PCU, HH, hospice.

I'm a night owl too work 3 12's on Fri. Sat. and Sun. but since I have classes Mon-Thurs I have to have a normal sleep schedule during the week. When I don't have class though I just stay on a night shift schedule, do a lot of reading, t.v., cleaning house, shopping at Wal-Mart, go out with friends, just normal stuff. It is hard on your body but night shift works for a lot of people.

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i sleep, sleep, and sleep again.

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Specializes in med/surg.

I was glad to see this thread, I start on nights 4x/wk beginning next week. I'm planning to return to "normal" hour on my days off. I tend to be a night owl too, but I do so like my sleep. However, I have a young son & I'll be limited on sleep more days than not, so I think I'm going to have to use a nap before my shift to offset that.

Any tips on how to switch over for when I have my first couple of nights?

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Specializes in Homecare Peds, ICU, Trauma, CVICU.

You cannot live a life of 7 nights. I think your body would fight it.

Two/three night shifts in a row is all one can reasonably do. And boy will you be tired after them. Sleep when your body tells you to. Some of my coworkers do not "pre-nap". I feel better if I do. Others don't sleep as long after a shift if they're not working again. You'll learn what works for you. But no, do NOT stay up the other nights you're not working.

You need to find what works for you. I cannot do what this poster says to do. My bedtime is from 8am to 4-5pm every day regardless if I'm working. If I try to switch back to day shift hours on my off days, I get ill physically. To me it would be like asking a day shifter to stay awake all night long every time they have a day off. I know I would burn out if I had to do this. I sleep well only if I'm consistent.

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Specializes in Antepartum, L&D, Postpartum.
You cannot live a life of 7 nights. I think your body would fight it.

Two/three night shifts in a row is all one can reasonably do. And boy will you be tired after them. Sleep when your body tells you to. Some of my coworkers do not "pre-nap". I feel better if I do. Others don't sleep as long after a shift if they're not working again. You'll learn what works for you. But no, do NOT stay up the other nights you're not working.

You need to find what works for you. I cannot do what this poster says to do. My bedtime is from 8am to 4-5pm every day regardless if I'm working. If I try to switch back to day shift hours on my off days, I get ill physically. To me it would be like asking a day shifter to stay awake all night long every time they have a day off. I know I would burn out if I had to do this. I sleep well only if I'm consistent.

I agree with you totally Pipsqueak- I sleep from 11am-7pm everyday...but then again, I work full-time 8-hour graveyard shifts (11pm-7am) and sometimes I don't even get two days off in a row!... so by the time I switched to a day schedule it would be time to work the night shift again. Maybe if I was on 12-hour shifts I would try to switch back and forth.

I have been having a hard time with the boredom myself- in part because I live in a rural area with no night life and also because my husband is a day-liver. Its been hard to get together with friends due to my wacky schedule so my social life has taken a turn for the worse. I am just hoping I can switch to days or pm shift soonish. Honestly, it hasn't been my cup of tea. I do as others have said- internet, reading, movies, bills, cleaning....but yes it has gotten very dull. :(

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Specializes in HOME HEALTH.

I have had some trouble adjusting to less hours working nights. For the past year I worked 5-6 days a week 12 hr nights mon-fri. On saturday I would not go to bed until that night then sleep sunday night monday day to be ready for the next wk I felt great no life but sleep and wk but everyone has to do their share I never saw my husband and small children no school but they understood and suported me now I work 3 eight hrs with 1-2 12 hrs and as you can tell by my brainfunction now I am alittle lost I have a lot more time with my family whom i had forgotten how wonderful they are the simple joys in life savor those moments because they will still be there in the end the money won't stay strong and just find your niche p.s. otc melatonin helps me with ear plugs and foil on the windows good luck

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Specializes in Cardiac, Hospice, Float pool, Med/Peds.

I work 2-3 12 hour shifts a week... On my first night I take about a 2 hour nap before my shift... I will go home and sleep as long as my body lets me then I go to work again... If I don't have to work I only sleep for 3-4 hours so I can fall asleep on my nights off... This works for me, but may not for others... Each night when I work, my bad time is from 3-4 and I get VERY tired no matter how much I have slept... Good time for a walk or some reading... I get my second wind about 6 when everyone gets up and I have pills to pass... I could not stay up everynight. My body would rebel something fierce...

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I came to these boards to get some advice from a profession that knows the night schedule better than most.

I'm currently working a 4 10s (9pm-7am) schedule but like many with families, I would like to be up on the days I am off (at least 2 of them).

After doing some research, it seems like people are just going back to bed on that first evening you have off. How is that possible w/o resorting to medicine? I can't force myself to go back to sleep after only having been awake for

Also, I've heard of a gene called Period 3. Should I get something like this tested to find out how long my body needs to sleep? As well as finding out what my personal natural circadian rhythm is?

I do have the option, unlike many in this economy, to switch to day schedule, but in the past I've always been a night owl (staying up to 1-2 am weekdays, sometimes 4am on weekends). I have no problem staying awake during the nighttime for this night shift, but it is unfortunate on the weekends when life would be less stressful for the family when I am awake during the day.

I don't think I'll find better help online than from medical professionals.

Thanks in advance

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