rotating/night shifts-how do you do it with a family?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2004

I had to sacrifice some of my life to become a nurse. The best part is working only three 12 hour shifts a week. That leaves four days off which is nice. I am currently working a schedule with weekends off, but sacrificed my "Tuesday movie night out with the gang" night, and a couple of other things.

So it's a bit of give and take. But you must go into nursing with the understanding that if you're going to work in a hospital that opens 24 hours, some adjustments need to be made by yourself, and some understanding must be had by your loved ones.

Most all schedules have a downside if that's how you look at it. The hard part of those 12 hour shifts is not having time to "get centered" to work out well, it's just get up, cook, eat, shower and off.

You'll find something that works for you. Good luck.

BarbPick · Jan 22, 2004

It is rare that you have to do the traditional rotation of one week nights, one week evenings, one week days.

When I was a young nurse, that was a common practice.

Now people are usually scheduled either 7a to 7 P or 7p to 7 a.

There are many police departments who still do the traditional old fashioned rotation. Best not to get stopped by one of those, as they still don't know if it is day or night. They are so cranky, they would write their mother's a ticket.

hartsbur · Jan 22, 2004

hi,

i appreciate your help and responses!

LydiaGreen · Jan 22, 2004

Give and take is exactly how I would describe it.

I am doing my preceptorship right now (graudate in May) and we must work a total of 600 hours with a nurse... in other words, we work his/her full-time schedule for four months. We work 0730-1930 (days) or 1930-0730 (nights). Some weeks it's three twelve-hour shifts in a week, sometimes four, and the odd time only two. Sometimes you're off two weekends in a row, sometimes you work two weekends in a row, but it works out in the end (over four months) to half of the weekends off. When you work twelve hour shifts, don't expect to have any time during the other twelve hours for anything social or even familial. My husband and I have a six and eight year old.

On days, I am up at 0500, showered by 0530, make the kids' lunches and my lunch, set out their clothes, pack their backpacks, lay out the winter coats, etc., feed the dogs, get dressed, wake the kids up at 0630, husband gets their breakfast while I do my daughter's hair, I'm out the door by 0700, my husband drops them off at the sitter at 0730 to be at his work for 0800. My husband picks the kids up at 1630, makes them dinner, gets them showered and in their pj's. My children are in bed by the time I get home, I always go up and hug and kiss them - sometimes they are already sleeping, sometimes they are just drifting off. So, I see my children a total of a half hour on dayshift.

On nights, my husband still takes the kids to the sitter at 0730 because I am not guaranteed to be home before 0800 (shifts have a habit of getting very busy right at the end and you have to stay late to finish). I feed the dogs, let them out, have a glass of juice and am in bed by 0900, up at 1400, shower, pick the kids up at school, make their lunches for the next day and mine for work that night, set out their clothes for school, help them with their homework, my husband gets home at 1630, I go back to bed til 1800 while he makes their dinner, I TRY to eat dinner with my family (it's hard to eat supper right before a 12 hour shift, you don't want a full stomach when you are repositioning large clients), get dressed and am out the door at 1900. I see my children a total of two and a half hours on nightshift.

The great part is the days off though. You more than make up for the missed time with your family then. I hope that I am not making it sound like a bad thing - it isn't. It's great and certainly doable in my situation because I have a wonderfully supportive husband and I budget my time well. If I am off during the week, I do all of the laundry while the kids are in school and we have closet organizers with seven shelves where I place their outfits for the next seven days. I use a grocery list and plan meals that fit into our schedule (easy meals for my husband or myself to make on evenings that the children have activities) and the kids lunches for school for the next week. With a lot of planning and organization, you DO have time for your family and friends.

BarbPick · Jan 22, 2004

WOW!

hartsbur · Jan 22, 2004

hi,

i have heard that many hospitals have a weekend option where nurses can only work the weekends.

do you find that this helps relieve some of the weekends you have to work?

thanks!!!

BarbPick · Jan 22, 2004

Originally posted by hartsbur
hi,

i have heard that many hospitals have a weekend option where nurses can only work the weekends.

do you find that this helps relieve some of the weekends you have to work?

thanks!!!

As the myth goes, in the early 70's Baylor University was credited with a way to fix the nursing shortage, devised the Baylor Plan.

The original was making sure weekends were covered. They offered working every weekend 12 hours, a total of 24 hours and get paid for 36 with full benefits. The rest of the hospital worked the regular schedule M-F.

Then the modified Baylor, letting everyone else work 12's as well.

More time off for the staff and the weekend people could be called in sometime during the week for 8 hours. Some were called some were not.

Another plan was 7 10 hour nights, and 7 days off full benefits.

Now it is all and none of the above.

Sigh

Geeg · Jan 22, 2004

Night shift takes years off of your life. Your sleep, eating habits, and social life is compromised. I don't care what anyone says the body does no acclimate. It is against nature to be awake all night. Avoid it as much as you can.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2004

Originally posted by Geeg
Night shift takes years off of your life. Your sleep, eating habits, and social life is compromised. I don't care what anyone says the body does no acclimate. It is against nature to be awake all night. Avoid it as much as you can.

Many studies support this claim that night shift is hard on the body. I don't disagree with that claim at all. Our bodies are hormonally programed to sleep when it's dark and daylight triggers you to be awake.

However, your social life is what you make it. I do pretty good working nights and still having a social life. The worst shift for me socially was working 8 hour shifts working 3-11. When I worked days shift having to go to be so early to get up so early was a drag too.

There's ups and downs and sacrifices to all shifts if you ask me. But night shift is the hardest on the body. (But for me gettting up at 5:00 is unnatural and unhealthy as well.)

BarbPick · Jan 22, 2004

Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy
Many studies support this claim that night shift is hard on the body. I don't disagree with that claim at all. Our bodies are hormonally programed to sleep when it's dark and daylight triggers you to be awake.

However, your social life is what you make it. I do pretty good working nights and still having a social life. The worst shift for me socially was working 8 hour shifts working 3-11. When I worked days shift having to go to be so early to get up so early was a drag too.

There's ups and downs and sacrifices to all shifts if you ask me. But night shift is the hardest on the body. (But for me gettting up at 5:00 is unnatural and unhealthy as well.)

I agree.

RNKPCE · Jan 22, 2004

I don't know anyone who actually rotates shift anymore, and only knew one person who I went to school that ever did it.

Yeah working weekends, off shifts and holidays can be a drag but the positive is the flexibility there is. If able, you don't have to work full time, can work part time ,opposite shift from spouse and kids aren't in childcare much. Can get lots done during the week while other people are working such as shopping, appointments. Commute during non rush hour. Can work 12 hours so more days off than the traditional job. Also where I work lots of new grads were hired onto day shift as our night shift was fully staffed and content.

Right now I work 2 8 hr shift as hosp on 3-11 and per diem mornings(while kids at school) at a surgery center( usually 1-2 mornings a week). I have lots of time with my family and my husband is a real hands on dad.

I could never do the m-f 8-5 grind!