*SJ*

Oh, it varies. That's why I take Ambien on occasion. There are days I'm able to get a good 8-9 hours (which I do best with) and days I wake up after 3-4 hours and need to take a nap later. If I'm on a 4-5 day stretch working it's easier to get a good amount of sleep in one chunk, my body adjusts easier. Some of the CNAs that I work with sleep for a few hours in the morning and then a few hours in the evening. That would not work for me, I would be a crabby mess if I did that for more than a few days!

Very good info! I have been working nights in an ALF for a few months. It works well for me to be able to spend time with friends and family during the day. I'm also in school and love the flexibility night shift gives me for that. Sometimes I have down-time at work and am able to study. I take Ambien on occasion if I am having trouble getting to sleep during the day. Get some black-out curtains and a sleep mask. Definitely make sure you learn the paperwork and policies for your facility. That seems to be the most challenging for me, too. Supervising the CNAs can be...difficult. They are used to a lot of autonomy at night and I love that about them but it can make implementing something new in their routine challenging. They want to do it the way they have always done it and don't want to listen to the new girl. Good luck!

I agree with this. With the benefits the hospital can offer you and the experience I would do it in a heartbeat. Good luck!

I work night shift in an ALF. We have an "enhanced" AL unit that is essentially LTC. There are 20 residents there I am responsible for. My facility has two other floors that I cover for emergencies but otherwise I mainly take care of the 20. I have 3-4 NAs for the entire facility at night and it usually goes well. I only have one g-tube to do at night and NO meds, the NAs do those. I do wound care, med set-ups, process orders, and help out the NAs when needed. It sounds like you would have a lot of work for this job. Can you talk with a nurse who works nights there now and see what an actual night shift is really like? I can't imagine you would be doing accuchecks all that often or too many meds.