Noc nurses, how do you organize your life?

[noelly10]

So I was considering switching to nights. This isn't an overnight decision, its been on my mind for months now and a track opened up for nights. I'm highly considering grabbing it, but I'm trying to figure out how to organize my life, for lack of a better word I guess. It's just me and my dog, so I don't have a family I have to come home and take care of, yet. Do you stay on night schedule even on your days off, or do you flip flop? Also, I know this sounds weird, but how do you plan meals? Thank you!

[BirkieGirl]

I was a night nurse for several years before taking a daytime position in an outpatient clinic where I've been for many years.

i generally worked two in a row, then took one or two nights off, then did the third. there were also 'weekender only' people on my unit who exclusively worked ONLY the weekends, Fri, sat, sun nights.

i too stayed up later than usual (2-3am) then would go to bed and sleep till mid-morning. on my work nights, i would come home and only be able to sleep 4-5 hours.

honestly though, scheduling life is not hard. you just plan ahead. know when you have commitments and schedule around it.

as for meals- i would eat a small meal when i woke up, a small meal around 5pm, then a main meal around 12am, but as time went on in my job, i found myself grazing from 1a-5a to help stay awake. i loved nights, and prefer it to working 5 days a week, and it is a lot of fun. good luck in your decision!

[noelly10]

I was a night nurse for several years before taking a daytime position in an outpatient clinic where I've been for many years.

i generally worked two in a row, then took one or two nights off, then did the third. there were also 'weekender only' people on my unit who exclusively worked ONLY the weekends, Fri, sat, sun nights.

i too stayed up later than usual (2-3am) then would go to bed and sleep till mid-morning. on my work nights, i would come home and only be able to sleep 4-5 hours.

honestly though, scheduling life is not hard. you just plan ahead. know when you have commitments and schedule around it.

as for meals- i would eat a small meal when i woke up, a small meal around 5pm, then a main meal around 12am, but as time went on in my job, i found myself grazing from 1a-5a to help stay awake. i loved nights, and prefer it to working 5 days a week, and it is a lot of fun. good luck in your decision!

Thanks! I mainly need to switch to nights to pay off some old debt. The shift diff at my facility is crazy good on nights. It won't be a permanent thing, thank goodness, but who knows! I may grow to love it as well!