Starting Night Shift

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Specializes in OB (with a history of cardiac).

So, YAY! I got hired where I wanted to work, and on a great floor (cardiac/tele). It's night shift though- .5, so if I get that right, it's 5 days per pay period.

SO, how does one transition to nights? I never worked prior to this, I'm a new grad. Any suggestions? My hubby is unemployed, and we have a 2 year old and a 3 month old, who I breastfeed. She only wakes 2 times/night, so it's not going to be a big deal to bottle feed her (not to her anyway). But during the days I am going to want to spend time with my family...and sleep too. How does one balance that? Is it easy to switch back and forth from sleeping at night, to working at night, to going back to sleeping again on nights I don't work?

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

There is a collection of threads on this topic already here. A simple keyword search using the Google search bar in the upper right hand corner of the screen gives these:

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/switching-night-shift-63619.html

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/new-night-shift-389033.html

https://allnurses.com/nursing-articles/night-shift-newbies-531465.html

https://allnurses.com/ccu-nursing-forum/night-shift-382105.html

https://allnurses.com/ltc-directors-nursing/applying-night-shift-516172.html

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/starting-night-shift-546711.html

https://allnurses.com/nursing-career-advice/help-need-tips-7438.html

https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/help-surviving-first-458093.html

https://allnurses.com/medical-surgical-nursing/night-shift-nurses-317107.html

https://allnurses.com/first-year-after/advice-new-nurse-493970.html

That should be more than enough to get you going.

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