neetnik461

This thread has been such an encouragement to me. I want to thank you all for sharing your experiences and suggestions!!!! :thankya: Just to let you know, I did find a new job 7 minutes from my home and am in the process of transferring there. It is a straight dayshift position and unbelievably, I will get a pay increase upon transfer (even though it is a regional/outlying hospital). Just 2 more night shifts and then I will be back on days for my final 3 weeks at the current position. Now that my co-workers know I will be leaving and why, people are opening up to talk about their struggles with nightshift. It seems that just about everyone either has a problem with staying awake on the drive home -or- being unable to fall asleep and stay asleep during the day. I have shared many of the suggestions given here with my nighshift co-workers. Here's one more I heard last night to add to the list: A resident once told one of my co-workers to take a 20 dollar bill, roll down the driver side window and put her arm out the window with the 20 in hand the entire drive home. The concentration needed to do that is suppose to keep you awake. I guess the resident had actually done this himself. But . . .I wonder . . . we have some residents who have that sarcastic humor . . .I don't think driving with one hand all the way home is safe either!

The 2 year "gentleman's agreement" was explained to me by the HR representative but was never once mentioned by the Nurse Manager during my interviews with him, so I don't know how big of an issue (if any) it will be. Also, the two facilities I am going to look into first (the LTACH 7 minutes away, and a community hospital 10 minutes away) are both owned by the hospital system I currently work for, so if I can find a suitable job at either facililty it will be an intrasystem transfer. I will still be working for the same hospital system but in a different location. This might help ease the transition!

thanks for the replies!! all of you have made valid, worthy and heartfelt points/comments and I appreciate it. I know I have been irresponsible in my sleepiness/driving and thank the lord that I haven't hurt anyone else or myself. I guess I just tried to convinced myself that my body would "adjust" and things would get better on the drive the more night shift rotations I worked, but that just isn't the case. also, I know of at least a handful of other nurses who experience the same thing I do when driving home from a long night shift. I figured it was the norm and that I would just have to deal with it. lastly, I really wanted to stay at the current job for at least 12 months because I don't know how it's going to look to interview for new jobs with just 10 months of experience under my belt. it may come off as "job hopping" or not being committed in some way. all I can hope is that the managers I interview with won't think my sleepiness/driving reason is a line of bull. I also feel guilty because I made a "verbal" or "gentleman's" agreement when hired for 2 years of employment at my current position because they provided me with 6 months of orientation/preceptorship. I hate not being able to keep this commitment, but the inability to work straight days or at least evenings is forcing me to look elsewhere. but after all your replies this is my plan. I am going to call my husband on my cell as soon as I feel sleepy and talk to him until I get home (yes, I have a hands-free headset!) if I still feel sleepy even while on the cell, I'm going to pull over and nap for 30 minutes and then try again (I'll bring an alarm clock and pillow with me). I'm going to find a job within 30 minutes of my house (there are actually 5 hospitals within a 30 minute drive). first up is an RN open house on 8/22 at an ltach/rehab hospital that is just 7 minutes away (wouldn't that be nice if it works out!!). thanks again for all your replies. you guys are great !!:kiss

Wow! You got me beat regarding driving distance that's for sure! But . . . I got 20 years of age on you (I'm 45), that may be part of my problem with staying awake too!! I occassionally work with a young 30's agency nurse who does 7, 12 hour night shifts a week so his wife can stay home with their baby daughter. He lives about 80 miles away from the hospital and doesn't have any problem driving home night after night. I guess it's just not a problem for some people!

I started as a new RN 10 months ago, rotating 12 hour day and 12 hour night shifts (4 week rotations) in a busy metropolitan ICU. I actually like rotating days/nights and think it has been beneficial to see "both sides" as a new nurse. I get through the 7p-7:30a shifts without a problem, don't have to nap and have a little coffee at 5a which gets me through . . . but . . . the drive home is another story! I live 50 minutes away from the hospital. The first 30 minutes into the drive are fine, but once I hit that 30 minute mark, bam . . my body just says "nite-nite". The last 20 minutes of the drive are grueling, my eyes are rolling and even though they are open my mind is wandering and I'm not focusing right. I think I have tried just about everything to keep myself reasonably awake during those last 20 minutes including: loud music, windows down/ac on, drinking apple or orange juice, listening to talk radio, talking and singing to myself, slapping myself on the arms, getting out of the car,walking around and starting again(this keeps me reasonably awake for about 5 minutes). I'm so tired when I get home that I have found myself falling asleep in the shower (no kidding!) and fall asleep so hard once in bed that noise and light are no issue at all (I don't think an atomic bomb would wake me up before 3 pm). During those last 20 minutes I have had several incidences including veering off the road (even in my own development!), almost running into a ditch and falling asleep at stop lights. But, a couple of days ago, I feel asleep at the wheel for the first time. It was only a few seconds, but when I opened my eyes I was way left of center with traffic coming at me head on. I quickly swerved back into my lane and the fear/adrenaline rush kept me awake for the remaining 10 minutes home (whew). That incident scarred the daylights out of me and convinced me that I must find a job within 30 minutes of the house (in my current job there is no way I could get straight days or even evenings). I'm now in the process of looking for a new job, but in the meantime I'm still on night shift and will work again in 2 days. So . . . any other suggestions from you night shift nurses about staying awake on the drive home?? I have stayed away from using meds or "power drinks" because I don't want to compromise the precious hours of daytime sleep before going back to work at night. I also have not "napped" in the car along the way because I'm not sure it would work and I'm just sooo anxious to get home to my bed. But I want to hear what works for you . . . safety is definitely the issue here. Thanks!! Paula