Nights or Days?

[mom2ccg]

I start nursing school in August and I work nights full time. Reducing my hours to part-time is not an option but there is a possibility I will be able to switch to dayshift. I realize that day shift will be easier for my sleeping schedule but maybe harder to find time to study(no down time) during my shift. Working nights does give opportunity to study on occasion but I will have to deal with the switching from night schedule to day schedule.

Would love to hear thoughts on which you think would be better (days or nights?)

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

If you go to days when would you go to school?

[mom2ccg]

If I went to days i would work Sat., Sun., and Thurs.,

[Sharon7RN]

This sounds like quite the conundrum! Is working full-time an absolute must during NS? If I were in this situation I would try to take the morning shift. Working nights and then going to school in the a.m. could be quite grueling on your physical body. Your grades might suffer if you're too tired to focus on your classes. Will NS be full-time or part-time? If you still have to work nights however, definitely make sure you set aside some good sleep time! I use to work night shifts as a hotel night auditor on the weekends. When I got home in the a.m. I would collapse in bed and sleep for at least 7 hours. My hubby would watch the kids and keep things quiet for me. All I know is I would not be able to do that and then attend NS the next morning! Maybe you could try to at least schedule one or two nights off that fall before classes the next morning; assuming your classes are in the morning?

Hope that helps a little....

[mom2ccg]

I will be taking 13 hours -(Pharm and Fundamentals) All class in AM and will end in the early afternoon. Wed. will be clinicals. I have considered taking a day off on weeks that tests, papers, or other projects are due. But yes, I do have to work full time. No way around it at this time.

Thanks for the input.

[pookapooka]

Personally, I would go with days. I've been working a night shift (in a completely different field) for the last 6 years, and boy is it catching up with me. I have a great deal of difficulty "flipping" my schedule on my off time to "normal people hours." It has been my experience that if I'm on a regular schedule, my body can do with a little less sleep. It seems paradoxical, but I seem to have *less* time to study when I work nights because I need more sleep to function. Good luck, hope you find what works for you.