rotating shifts

[BettyBoop01]

I cant do it anymore. I know I am a new grad and need to pay my dues, but I need either all nights or all days. They keep flip flopping me to "fill in" the open places. I am tired all the time and cant seem to ever catch up or feel normal. I have asked repeatedly for just nights or just days and I am being told it just isnt possible right now. I cant continue like this, I dont feel safe driving or taking care of people I cant think straight when I am tired. Anyoen survived this? Am I being unreasonable?

[BettyBoop01]

If you can't do the shifts. You need to start taking and talking fast. Tell them your fears and tell them I'm sorry i can't give quality care to the people i have to take care for. And be up front and honest and if it makes you decide that you have to leave then do just that.

How your talking it seems they are really trying to get rid of you. ( Just Being Honest) Look there"s signs you need to watch for. Them not willing to work with you is a red flag. You feel they are using you i personally think your right. They are doing just that to see how far they can push you to make you quit. I feel sorry for you i do start looking for another job. It's easier to get one when you have already have one. These are my thoughts use them as you wish

There are two of us that they are doing this to and we are both new grads hired on the same day (with a few others, all who have quit) by the previous director. The new director started right after we did. But we are the only two that havent quit yet and as far as I know we both plan to as soon as we find something else. I have an interview today, please wish me luck!

[AOx1]

The manager is not particularly bright. Instead of doing the obvious and putting some of the new grads on days only and some on nights only, the manager instead prefers to lose several potentially good long term employees and clearly could care less about employee morale or safety. Try to transfer to another department or quit. No job is worth potential harm to yourself or your patient.

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

Rotating shifts are normal for a UK nurse. It is usual practice all over the UK.

Yes mixing lates, earlies and nights is a pain in the posterior but no fatalities yet.

i agree with that

rotating shifts however needs the majority of staff to be working rotating shifts and it needs staffing to be determined by skill mix i.e. safe staffing on all shifts rather than certain shifts being dominated by length of service or other such 'seniority'

[mentalhealthRN]

The way I see it.....nurses are expected to trade their own health and well-being to care for others. We take care of others but no one takes care of us. I did what you are doing and had to work all 3 shifts a week. I ended up depressed, anxious, my previously stable hypertension all out of wack, palpatations and eventually a GI bleed. I refuse to sacrifice my own health to be nurse anymore. I love nursing but I am no good to anyone like that--my patients or my family. I am now seaching for a nursing job that I can manage--but if I have no luck then I will be forced to leave the field. This upsets me terribly as I worked hard to be a nurse and love my patients but I may not have a choice.

Good luck to you. You have to make a choice and decide what is important to you. I have read to many articles in the paper about nursing dying in car accidents--falling asleep behind the wheel. If you feel like you are putting yourself at too high a risk-- it's not worth it. Good luck to you.