MadJackie

Think that is what I'm going to try, thanks MB. Switching from nights to days is not standard as such, but we self-roster and I have been trying to find the easiest way around doing nights. Also, we only have a couple of nights workers, not enough to cover many really. I think I am going to try doing 3 weeks in a row, with a few days off in-between. Thinking of doing something like: Week One: Mo, Tu, We, Th Week Two: Fri, Sat, Sun (gives me a week off between). Week Three: Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat Or Something like that anyway. Thanks for listening to me moan!

Thanks RN. xx

I have literally JUST thought of an idea when I submitted the last reply! It is a sort of adaption to your idea, Joolia of doing two weeks of nights, then two weeks of days. I suppose I could have a couple of days rest between the two sets of the two weeks of nights - not enough to try and turn around too much, but just enough to have a bit of a rest. I might try that one! Say four nights tues, weds, thurs, fri. Have Sat Sun off, sleep all day Saturday, go to bed late, then three or even four nights mond, tues weds, maybe thurs! That would get 7 or 8 out of the way in 2 weeks, with only 3 or 4 left to take another time! I am going to try that one in the next schedule!!! Thanks for the inspiration. xx

I have thought of many different ways around doing nights. I can appreciate what you are saying about going from nights to days and back, and trying to do them all at once. That would mean me doing 7 nights (7 days off we then get), then doing another 4 another time. Yes, there would be less day to night switching, but I don't think I could face doing 7 nights all at once. I find doing 4 a killer and depressing, but I can manage it. It IS something I am considering, but I wouldn't see hubby (or anyone) for 7 days and I would get very lonely and very tired as our nights are 12 hours. He does shifts (no nights) and on some weeks, I would not see him at all. Incidentally, I don't really work my nights/days around him. Plus, "they" don't like more than one person doing 7 nights at once, for reasons I cannot fathom. I have also considered doing permanent nights, but the management don't like it unless you have child care issues. Also, I think my social life would suffer more, plus I would still have to switch to days each week in order to live a normal life. Thanks for the suggestions anyway, it is much appreciated. Also thanks for listening to me moan. Half of me wanted just to moan! The other half was wanting someone to think of a miracle cure for it! :nuke:

Sorry, this is a moan, and It'll go on for a while! I work in Neuro ICU (in the UK), where obviously we have one to one nursing, plus a nurse in charge, day and night. Due to this, we have to work a lot of nights. Full time staff work 40 hours a week, and we have to work 11 nights per 8 weeks, which I worked out to about 40% of our hours. Our night shifts are 8pm to 8am. Thankfully, we self-roster for nights, so I try to spread them as much as possible. I hate doing more than 3 night shifts in a row, but will do 4 sometimes as I get depressed with it. So as a consequence, I am nights virtually every other week, sometimes 2 weeks in a row, with day shifts in between. The trouble is, I am finding it harder and harder. When I finish my last night of a set in the morning at 8am, luckily I work not far from home, so home quickly and bed. I then get up about 1 - 1.30pm to try and turn myself around. For the rest of the day, I am extremley tired, often have a headache that won't go and often nauseas - like having a hangover that lasts ALL day! Plus, I am a nasty, grumpy cow, who snaps at everything. My poor husband has to put up with me being so horrible and it isn't fair to him as he's so kind to me. By bed time, I am utterly exhausted and fall in bed, and usually sleep for 11 to 12 hours and still have to drag myself out of bed. I am often tired for this day too. The day after that I am often back on days (lates 1230pm to 830pm or ealy shift 7.30am to 3.30pm or sometimes a long day 7.30am to 8.30pm). Either way, I am sometimes still tired. My days off after nights are just spent feeling ill and sleeping. I wouldn't mind if this was once a month, but because this is so often, I am getting really down about feeling so ill, so often. Now, don't get me wrong, I knew when I starting at University, I knew I would have to work nights when I qualified, but I didn't realise I'd be doing so many and how I would feel. I'm 34 next month, and can't see myself working so many nights in years to come. I know I have a choice, I could work somewhere where I do less nights. But I like my job (mostly), it is interesting and stimulating. I have worked in a few different areas, I don't want to go back and work on the wards, and like the people I work with, as well as the job. According to the EU Working Times Directive, amongst other things, night workers are entitled, by law, to free health checks. Now, we have an occupational health department, where I could go and have a medical. I know my mental and physical health is suffering. The other problem is money. Nurses are not well paid in the UK (another issue), my take-home pay is about £1650 a month, which is about $3300-$3400 or so. Now a lot of this pay is made up by working unsocial hours. My nights earn me about £200 to £250-ish a month ($400-$550). So, as you can appreciate, I would be losing a lot! Something we could just about afford, but not easily and only just. But I would probably be working more weekends, so might make up a little of that. End of the day, what price is my health? I just don't know what to do. I know you probably won't be able to come up with a solution, but it's nice to have a moan to other people who truly know what it is like working nights. Thanks for reading my moan!

Firstly LOOK and ASSESS your patient. If your patient is sat there, talking to you or happily reading a book - don't panic! Check all your settings/equipment etc. If your patient is laid there, going blue, then SHOUT for help!

For a few years now, the UK has been performing non-heart organ donation (NHBOD), and I fully support it. I really cannot see the problem with it. The procedure is obviously not the same as "routine" organ donation (heart beating) as the patient has to be certified brain-stem dead for this. Whereas for NHBOD, the patient is still going to die, and the situation is hopeless, BUT the patient does not fit the criteria for being brain-stem dead. Many of our relatives approach us regarding organ donation, but prior to NHBOD, many relatives were left feeling frustrated because they couldn't give this wonderful gift as their relative didn't fit the criteria. The UK Translant Team are independent and play no part in the decision-making process of the patients treatment withdrawl. They are only contacted after decisions have been made. There are thousands of people waiting for organs, and if I am dead or if someone I love dies, the organs are no longer needed. I know it would make me feel a little better if I knew the organs of my loved ones are "living on" in someone else. Or mine are living in someone else after my death. It's the free gift of life.

Sorry to hear about the loss of your father. May he rest in peace xx You have been treated appallingly. Don't you get sick pay or compassionate leave? A collegue of mine's father recently passed away suddenly, and she had a few days off compassionate leave, then was off sick for a few weeks. All on full pay. That is standard for the NHS employees in the UK.