edwindelahiggins

I'm honestly worried that I'm liking nights TOO much. I've been an RN coming on 2 years now, all nights. I've always been a person who has had some night time insomnia. During nursing school there were times when i'd toss and turn all night before clinicals. Now, I'm generally able to sleep pretty well during the day. I find most nights to be VERY laid back. I'm usually done with charting, assessments and meds by 2300. And to think that we get PAID MORE. I just started dating a girl who works a 9-5 so we'll see how this works out. But count me in the 'nights are awesome' camp.

The long commute is killer. My old hospital was 20 miles north and if i hit traffic at the wrong time could take 50 mins to an hour. That makes things difficult. Definitely making sure you're getting enough sleep. I find that when i'm sleep deprived I crave more carb heavy bad for me foods. Obviously drink a lot of water. I've cut out artificial sweetners/sweetened creams in my coffee. That's great that you've almost eliminated booze from your life. That's something I've cut down but I do enjoy a drink or a few. I hate cardio but I've been doing a half an hour on the treadmill 4 or so days a week and my jeans are fitting better and i feel the old love handles firming up.

Just because she bases all of her life choices on a piece of fiction doesn't mean you have to... hate people jamming their religious beliefs down others' throats

A little background. I'm a 28 year old male who has been an RN working nights for a little under 2 years. I've always been pretty health conscious and in decent shape. Over the past couples years I have packed on about 10 pounds (not the good kind). The night schedule took a toll on my lifting schedule, and my diet suffered. Recently, I've recommitted myself to fitness and healthy eating. The real wakeup call was when I realized my old jeans didn't fit. I just figured this would be a good area for people to share their tips/routines, as I know this is something a lot of night shifters struggle with. 1. Plan meals & pack food: I have tried to go back to bringing most of my meals. I'm trying to focus on meat, veggies and eggs and avoiding a lot of carbs. I feel like it better controls my appetite. 2. Try to do something physical everyday. Whether it be 45 minutes of weight lifting, 30 minutes on the treadmill, or 100 pushups, I think this mentality has helped me focus on staying dedicated. 3. Try to avoid snacking. This is my achilles heel. Im a snacker. I've found that by packing healthier, more satiating meals, i'm less inclined to munch. Hope to hear from others.

no offense, but it sounds like you're someone who needs some tough love. I have/had about 35K in student loans that i started paying immediately once I started working as an RN in April of 2013. I worked a lot of overtime and really cut down on my ancillary expenses (clothes, etc.) I still go out and have a good time and have managed to pay off around 17k in 1.5 years. Doing that while paying $750 in rent plus utilities renting a condo in Atlanta. Where there is a will, there's a way. I've heard travel jobs can be lucrative, if you look hard enoug you could find one that would pay a good hourly wage. It might not be your ideal job, but you've got 115k of debt that's accruing interest, so beggers can't be choosers. Like others said you're gonna have to hustle and bust your ass to pay these loans off.

"When I'm done with school, I want to fulfill my lifelong dream and move to Connecticut!" Said no one ever I say this tongue-in-cheek as I spent the first 26.5 years of my 28 years of existence in CT. All seriousness though, what makes you want to move to CT? If you're married or engaged and your sig-other got a job there I can see why, but I can think of a million other places I'd move first, especially with a great degree like nursing. But if you insist- I'd say try to get a job at Stamford hospital. It's close to NYC and is a very underrated city. Harftord is a dump. The hospitals are great (St. Francis, HH) but the city itself is a crime-ridden cesspool with no night lift whatsoever. Good luck. Hope I didn't scare you too much.

*was in your shoes.

congratulations on landing the job. I wasn't in your shoes too long ago. I got my first RN job in April of 2013. It was a night shift job. Once you're on nights, I'd suggest scheduling your days consecutively. I find it much easier on my body to get onto the nocturnal schedule. i'm at the point now where I can't fall asleep until 5-6 am when i'm off (pain in the butt). Also whatever you do make sure you get enough sleep. If you wake up early make it a point to go back to bed. I can't tell you how much better it feels after waking up at 1 pm to get another 2 hours of sleep before a shift. if you can adjust to nights you'll like it. It definitely has some draw backs (namely on your social life). But the work load is much easier (in my opinion) and the pay is better Good luck!

sorry, but why in God's name would you post that on Social Media? It blows my mind some of the personal/professional dirty laundary that people air on facebook/twitter/linkdin.

Thanks a lot for the thoughtful responses. Like I said, they have been good to me. Deciding to leave wasn't easy. They hired me as a new grad and I have only been there a year and a few months. Ideally I would have stayed at least 2 years, but I don't know when an opportunity like this will present itself again so I had to pounce. Cutting my commute down from 45-50 minutes each way to less than 10 minutes. I think coffee supplies is a great idea. The coffee on the floor sucks and lord knows we go through a lot of it, especially on nights. thanks again.

A week from Wednesday will be my last day at the first job I have had as an RN. I work on a med surg floor since April of 2013. I love my co-workers and my manager is fantastic, but an opportunity arose on a cardiac stepdown floor at a hospital significantly closer to home. I am a guy - and I guess by nature I'm not the most creative gift giver. I'd like to make a gesture showing my appreciation for all the help they've given me, whether that be ordering them food or something more thoughtful. I'd be open to any suggestions. thanks.

I'd advise working as as CNA during nursing school. I was working about 32 hours every weekend while in my ASBN program. On top of giving me money so I didn't have to further burden myself with more student loan debt-I think that it made me more time-conscious and definitely helps when it comes time to apply for RN jobs. Don't be fooled- nursing jobs ARE NOT PLENTIFUL, especially for new grads. I applied to 10+ jobs in a major metro area, got 3 interviews and ONE JOB OFFER. you need to stand out from the rest of the herd- that either means you know someone in management or have previous healthcare experience.

I'm sorry to hear that, that is brutal. I still think that you should go see your doctor and maybe bring these concerns to the unions? 90 minute drive you've become a threat to society, not to mention yourself. Good luck

That is horrible, and I'm really sorry to hear that. I fall into the description of your co-workers. I've always been a night time insomniac (would go to clinical on literally no sleep-tossed and turned all night). This might not be feasible, and might not be the answer you're looking to hear, but you need to go to your doctor and get a diagnosis of shift work disorder. Having that in hand will give you some leverage into getting a day shift position. No job is worth destroying your body like that. Not only are you ruining your health, but you're endangering yourself and other people driving. I think that you should be able to get a job, hopefully at your current employer, with a doctor's note. You compromise your ability to practice safely by running on no sleep, and you're not doing your body and mind any good. It sounds like you've already tried the blackout curtains, sleep aids, etc. My only other advice, which has worked for me, is to cut off caffeine around midnight. I hope you are able to find peace (or better yet, find a day shift job). Good luck

That's great that you're considering joining the ranks. Most schools that I looked at prior to applying had a statute of limitations on science courses of 5 years, unfortunately. I would start by enrolling in a community college to knock out the science pre requisites (anatomy, microbiology, chemistry, etc). There are a lot of 2nd bachelor programs, like the one that I enrolled in back in 2012. They scare you with the "you can't work during the program." I was able to go to school in Mass (where I rented a room) and commute back to CT on the weekends to work 32 hours. That's just one person's experience. If I were you, and you're committed to this idea of changing fields, I'd get the BSN out of the way right away. Good luck

Glad to hear you're considering moving to ATL. I've been here for a little over a year (relocated from Connecticut). A lot of it depends on what you're looking for. Do you want to live inside the city limits (or inside the perimeter, as us ATLiens call it). If you're really looking to live inside the heart of the city, Emory Midtown is smack dab in the thick of things. Piedmont is about 3 miles North of Emory Midtown, in an area known as Buckhead. I don't know if you're single, married, kids, etc, because that would obviously have an impact on where you'd want to move. Emory's main campus (where the medical school is) is toward an area called Decatur, which is also pretty nice. Grady is downtown and is definitely more gritty-but known for being a great trauma hospital. I'd steer clear of Atlanta medical center. Northside is a liltte north of the city but is also pretty well reknown. good luck and let me know if you have any other questions

check your private messages

I accepted the offer for the CV position. I can provide some insight. In January of 2013 I applied for the residency at Piedmont. I wasn't ever able to get a definitive no, I tried calling and emailing. Needless to say, I didn't get the job back then. I've worked as an RN for a year and reapplied. As a new nurse, I can't stress enough how important it is to work hard, get in the good graces of your managers, don't burn ANY BRIDGES and most importantly N-E-T-W-O-R-K!! Lets just say my networking skills at my current job have helped me immensly. Good luck to everyone and don't get too discouraged. I was in your shoes not too long ago.

welcome to the dark side I'm a new nurse too. I've been working nights in a hospital a little over a year. Here are some observations and tips. 1. There will be an adjustment period. For me, i'd say it took a solid 2 months before I was really adjusted. i don't know what your commute is like, but with traffic it can take me up to an hour to get home in the morning. BE SAFE. By now I can drive home with ease and I don't find myself dozing at the wheel. At first you'll probably struggle. Roll the windows down, pull over to nap, whatever you have to do. 2. In terms of improving sleep quantity/quality, I definitely echo the 'cut off caffeine early crowd'. The past month or so I've been cutting myself off from caffeine around midnight and it makes a big difference. I don't find myself waking up nearly as much. 3. Make sure you're getting enough sleep during the day. I try to get at least six hours. Keep your room as dark as possible as it makes a big difference. 4. Try to eat healthy on nights. This is the one complaint I have. I'm usually pretty health conscious guy, but nights have made it really difficult. I find I"m always tired and I really have to force myself to work out. I've lost strength and motivation, but it's a constant battle. Good luck. Nights have a lot of positives. Let us know how your transition goes.

Or maybe PRN jobs are advantageous to people, such as myself, who would rather provide their own low premium, high deductible health insurance because, we, you,know, take care of ourselves. It's ridiculous that healthy people have to subsidize healthcare for overweight, diabetic people who don't take care of themselves. But sadly, there's no financial incentive for being healthy and taking care of our bodies.

I've been a nurse for 8 months, 5 months of NOC. I love my floor and have adjusted well to the night shift hours. I've always been somewhat of an insomniac so sleeping in the day has been easier for me. I don't love not being able to get a lot of sun and sometimes I don't think it does wonders for my mental well being, but that's a whole different issue. My main problem has been that I have had a lot of trouble falling asleep before 7am on my nights off. I think my circadian rhythm has completely flipped. I"ve tried Lunesta, not sleeping much the days that I'm off (get up at 2pm), but I still can't seem to fall asleep before the sun rises. That makes it difficult to get up early and do things on my off days. I'm willing to try non-pharm measures such as meditation, yoga, etc. I'd love to hear from other people.

I'm a new RN (Feb 2013) and I've been working NOC since about July. It's definitely an adjustment and I have the utmost respect for people that are able to do it with kids. There is a huge adjustment period and the only thing I can really stress is try and sleep as much as your life obligations allow. It's essential to your health and to the safety of the people that you're going to be taking care of. Make your room as dark as possible, get a fan and try to slience your phone if possible (realize that might not be an option with a child.) Good luck

the geriatric, medicare recepitient 80 year olds with 20 co-morbiities who are full codes, but expect the moon when it comes to medical services (no procedure too expensive for grandma or grandpa!). It's easy to treat hospital stays like an all you can eat buffet when its only someone else's dime! As you can see I've become pretty jaded, but I know that medicare is going to be a black hole that is long since completled drained by the time I'm a old geezer.

Normally, I'd say you should stick it out the entire year. I'm in a similar sitution as you. I love the place I'm at, but the commute kind of sucks. There are major hospitals within 2-3 miles of where I live now which would make life easier. I'm going to give them a full 12 months. That being said, I'm a single guy with no kids. If I were in your shoes, that opportunity seems too good to pass up. While the place might be unhappy that you're leaving, the reality is that it's a good market for employers right now and they shouldn't have a hard time finding someone to take your place. 9-5pm at a place that will provide you more learning opportunities is a no-brainer. You only get to see your kids grow up once. I say go for it. Good luck.

One of the nurses that I worked with said the best bet is to get a per diem job. She says that the pay is more and you supposedly don't get taxed as much