shift work

[sweetieann]

I work 5 8-hour shifts/week. here is a typical schedule:

Monday-day light (7am-3:30 pm)

Tuesday-night shift (11:15pm-7:15am)

Wednesday- "off" (but I come hoem from night shift and sleep)

Thursday and Friday= day shift (7am-3:30 pm) again.

This is really, I feel, starting to take a toll on me after a year. I'm gettign headaches all the time, just feel lethargic all the time. I feel like my body is it's own worst enemy.

What do you think about this type of schedule? I can see 2 weeks of nights then switch to 2 weeks of days or something, but this is all over the place is one week. Thign is, we have a full time night nurse, and I'm day/night, so this is how it works out alot.

Thanks for any comments :)

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I was a shift worker at a factory for 3 years, and it was hell on me.

I'd work 5am-5:30pm (day shift) for three weeks, then switch to nights (5pm to 5:30am) for three weeks before switching to day shift again. Even though I'd work the same shift for 3 weeks straight before making the switch, it was difficult. My body never adjusted. It was unhealthy.

Are there any other workplaces in your area that don't require nurses to engage in ridiculous shift work? Your health and quality of life depend on this.

[CHATSDALE]

agree with commuter, definitely need a different pattern, your body doesn't have time to adapt to sleep

look around for anything that will help you

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

That sched looks AWFUL to me. Good Lord...i would rather work 2 part time jobs than have that sched.

[LAnightnurse]

I work the late shift. Sometimes it's borin and sometimes it's so crazy and can't sleep the next day.

[Hilinenursegrl]

I started my job on day shift 7am-730pm. Three days one week, four the next. After 4 months of this I went to nights same shift but backwards. I started this the first of Novemeber In the middle of November I will be switching back to days, this time it will be 4 weeks days then 4 weeks nights. I am hoping now that we have hired new nurses that I will get the coveted day shift back. When I get home I have such a hard time getting to, and staying asleep. I only get about 5 hours of sleep during the day as opposed to 8-10 at night.

[Straydandelion]

I worked that schedule a couple of years and agree, there comes a point no matter how much you like where you work, the schedule has to go. I didn't want to work full-time nights which didn't have to rotate so wound up changing floors. The next floor's short time was evenings, and the day/evening rotation was a lot easier.