Successful night shift stories...

Jenfire, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2010

I have worked night shift for 16 of my 26 years as a nurse. Please do not put me on any other shift. On nights you can focus on what is at hand, learn tremendous amounts of skills and knowledge. Also the other great bonus is that I have never found a reason not to laugh at least once a shift with my night shift family. Nights offers many hidden gems.

solson87 · Apr 21, 2010

YAY!!!! I'm so excited after reading this post. I start my FIRST RN job on monday (although the first week is all orientation 8a-5p)! I was a little worried about working nights b/c I am married but after thinking about the pros and cons and reading all the posts, I'm really excited!!!! I'm so lucky to have found a job right now too!!!

CAN'T WAIT!!!!! :lol2: :yeah:

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Apr 21, 2010

I think everyone is talking about 12 hour shifts. I wouldn't want to do anything else. I started nursing with 8 hour night shifts, which never give you any decent time off. I was so happy to start 12's.

And another benefit of 12's. I'm on vacation, took one week off, but was able to stretch it to two by working Sunday, Monday, Tuesday the first week, and I go back on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Self scheduling works very well in our department. Most of the time!:)

klone, MSN, RN · Apr 21, 2010

YAY!!!! I'm so excited after reading this post. I start my FIRST RN job on monday (although the first week is all orientation 8a-5p)! I was a little worried about working nights b/c I am married but after thinking about the pros and cons and reading all the posts, I'm really excited!!!! I'm so lucky to have found a job right now too!!!
CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

Congratulations! When did you graduate?

gator mom · Apr 21, 2010

I have worked night shift for 5 years now (3-12ś). I would never want to work days being on the floor. I certainly do not want to work nights forever, but it does have its advantages. One bit of advice I can offer is to be selfish with your sleep!. Put a sign on your front door saying-No ringing the bell or knocking on the door. I put mine up when I come home in the morning. Also,turn off your phones. Have an emergency contact person/# for example, everyone knows they can always reach my husband and he will come home or send the cops to bang on my door-IF it really is an emergency. In five years no one was never not able to reach me if it really was important. Family and friends must realize that your 1300 is the same as their 0100. Do not apologize for sleeping during the day. Good luck and you can succeed on night shift

RPN_2012 · Apr 21, 2010

To all the nurses working night:

How about the Circadian rhythm? :rolleyes: How do you eat at night and all that? how about melatonin? :uhoh3:

I used to be a night person, I loved going to bed late, waking up late...

But I think it was messed up for my circadian rhythm, melatonin, GI process, etc, etc...

Now I kinda became a day person, because I started school and classes start pretty damn early, so I had to adjust, and still I have several years of school left, I'll have to be a day person for than time.... but I hear that many new grads start in the night shift, and I'm worried how I'll have to go back to being a night person, and having the circadian rhythm all messed up again... :uhoh3:

?

nursedora · Apr 21, 2010

It takes a special sort of person to work the night shift, you have to be able to stay awake all night, be able to sleep nights on your night off with the family etc. You can't live in an apartment house, with no insulation between the floors, and the people in the apartment above you play their sterio so loud all day that it can be heard two blocks down the street. You have to be "topsey tervey" meaning, when everyone else is eating breakfast, you are eating supper, when everyone else is getting up for the day, you are going to bed. You get the idea.

I work night shift, and half the day. I work for a home health agency, and my scheduled client is sitting overnight with a special needs baby, most nights are status quo, sleeps all night, and I sit there and document that the baby is sleeping... And then I do marching in place, toe touches, anything I can do quietly so as not to awaken the family, but amuse myself to stay awake. For the "half the day" I pick up short visits on my way home.

I do like the one on one with my clients. And when I worked in a Hospital or the Skilled Nursing facility, yes, the perks were no admin breathing down your neck, no irrate families to deal with, no med students in your way, etc.

But, as much as I like my little night time charge, and the family of my little charge, night shift doesn't like me. I'm always tired, my cercadian rythm is so way out of whack I don't know if it's time to sleep or stay awake.

In the area where I live, meeting two cars on the road at one time is a traffic jam, it's so rural, so the traffic isn't a problem day or night, but I do agree, not having long lines at the bank first thing in the morning, not having screeming tired out kids to listen to in the grocery store, can go to the Super Wal Mart when can't sleep, and quietly do shopping.

There are pros and cons to working night shift, it ultimatly boils down to what the individual needs are. Are you one that can stay awake for the drive into work, at work, and on the way home from work, can you deal with phone calls and people knocking at your door even though you put a note "day time sleeper, night time worker" on the door and answering machine recording? Trust me, people don't bother reading the note on your door, or respect your sleep time, it's always the same: "Oh, it's just me, I didn't think you'd mind" and the "just me" is everyone who knocks on your door or calls your phone. For me, on the phone issue, most of my friends, family and schedulers at work send me an email and then I address them when I get up, so that's not such a big deal now days. But I remember days of pre internet, and emails/text messages, phone calls out the yazoo! Back in 1989, I worked night shift at the Hospital, and lived in a quiet apartment complex, the draw back was in a Bible belt town, I had my note on the door, "day time sleeper, night time worker." Yet, a couple from the local church, one being the Pastors wife, that was sponsoring a tent revival came knocking on my door, and rather than to leave a flyer for me to read later when I awoke, they stood their knocking till I answered the door, and told me they'd pray for my not wanting to hear God's word! Well, to make a point, I went to the Parsonage, at 3AM, stood there knocking on the door till someone answered, and when they did, simply went on as if it was normal to go visiting at 3AM. They got the point, and respected my sleep time. So, working nights sometimes means you have to get creative with your time. It's a rewarding shift, you'll sit up with a pt who can't sleep and he'll tell you stories of when he was stationed in Germany during WWII, or she'll tell you stories of how her youngest son, whom she thought would never do anything askew, stole out of the house one night to go cow tipping, you'll be the one the pt cries to, because everyone on day shift is so busey they don't have time for the little things.

For me, it's seeing this little angeleic face sleep, and when he awakens during the night, seeing this beaming smile come across his face. Warms the heart! Then seeing the sun rise each morning and the beauty of Gods mastery!

Nurse-One · Apr 21, 2010

I agree with everyone on the less Doctors, family members, and administration down your neck.

And yes, the night team co-workers are much laid back.

You get the day to run errands and enjoy less traffic. And pay differential

But...

If you have kid(s) 5 or younger and it's JUST YOU and not much

support from family (because of location or what have you) AND

you work 8hr shift instead of 12hrs (even with 12hrs, because you gotta figure out who would

drop off and pick up your child, some after care is until 6pm and you don't always leave AT 7PM)

than night won't be ALL THAT GREAT.

Thats for anyone else reading who might be in this situation because I think the individual who

post this thread may not be in this situation.

And beware because some nights. Mr. Sandman is coming to get you:lol2:. Sleep can come on

you so heavy at times that not even splashing water on your

face or CUPS of coffee would wake ya :zzzzz

made NO SENSE when I proof read I was just SOOOO TIRED! (just being real). So be mindful of the things in nursing that require your absoulte attention (I know all of it matters)

Not to discourge anyone but looking forward to nights but every person and situation vary

I still perfer nights compared to days! :nurse:

LouisVRN, RN · Apr 21, 2010

I work nights and love it! I couldn't imagine working days. I'm never tired at work, I just stay too busy to think about being tired. I work on a very large med surg unit. Not large as in a lot of patients, its only 27 beds, but large as in area. It is not unusual for me to walk 8.5 miles at work (I wear a pedometer to keep track ) I love the people I work with and feel that working nights allows me extra autonomy and requires more critical thinking. Sometimes you have a patient that is tanking, and after you've paged the doctor and are waiting for a call back you have to think of everything you can do in the meantime. Good luck! I have no problem sleeping during the day any more, I think your body can get used to pretty much anything.

KathytherenalRN · Apr 21, 2010

Iam a new grad that has been on the night shift for about 6 months now. (Never worked nights before) - I really like the nights b/c as a new grad, the pace is a little slower due to very little family members, no PR, OT, wound care, very very few docs - this all adds up and it allows me as a new nurse to develop my skills and ability to learn more without the added hoopla (added pressure, etc). The only thing I don't like about nights, is the drive home is VERY scary b/c I am usually drained/tired by 7:30 in the am. Driving with lack of sleep is just as terrifying as the drunk drivers out there. But other than that - I love the night shift!

Code_VSA · Apr 21, 2010

I agree with what every one else is saying. Night shift is less busy, you don't have the mobs of people like day shift, due to administration and who ever else, parking is better, and it is best to just work three shifts, 1900-0700 in a row instead of having them split, because it give you 4 days to "re-coup". When you get off the morning of your last shift, just sleep until 12 noon and then go to bed at a regular time.

Right now, I am working just Friday, Saturdy 12 hours, and Sunday 2300-0700 every weekend, but get paid for 75 hours. It beats the other shift which is two 12-hour days followed by two 12 hour nights in a row. 'Bout killed me.

solson87 · Apr 21, 2010

Congratulations! When did you graduate?

Thanks! I graduated in December and licensed in Feb....it's been a loooooooooong road trying to get a job, but it finally is about to pay off! I couldn't be happier!