Something has got to give. I work 11-7 in an LTC as the charge nurse. I cannot handle being up all night anymore. At first I think I was living on adrenaline. I never 'got used' to staying up all night. I know all the tips and tricks of daytime sleeping, white noise, black out curtains, melatonin etc. I can 'sleep' but its a light sleep. I usually sleep all day and most of the evening and still feel tired.I feel confused and disoriented.
Its affecting me mentally,I am becoming forgetful, and have trouble thinking scenarios and ideas through completely. I'm forgetting basic adjectives,my mind is just blank. I feel like a zombie,like I'm in a thick fog all the time. My joints are hurting,I feel dizzy, and nauseous frequently.I've lost 10 lbs since working here. I've also gotten really irrationally angry.I work a lot of OT and am called in constantly on my nights of-but I usually don't got in anymore on my nights off. I only get two consecutive days off every two weeks.
One of the worst things is that its affecting my home life. Not sleeping in the same bed as my SO and then sleeping most of the day and evening hasn't been the best situation.I'm usually in a bad mood,then just feel guilty. This is so weird but I am so so so lonely. I keep to myself at work doing my job (I'm the only nurse there,other co workers are CNAS) And when I have a night off,I'm awake all night while my SO is sleeping.
I've struggled with depression. I used to be on meds but have successfully been off of them for some time now. I realize that it is probably time to go to the dr and potentially get back on them. I personally think night shift is the worst shift for anyone with depression. The isolation and lack of sunlight etc etc just add up in a real negative way.I feel like I'm living in a constant nightmare.
Aside from the night shift blues, one manager who comes in the morning is particularly hateful and yells about the slightest thing in the morning. This is can be a whole other thread in itself about this manager and unprofessional behavior, ie telling us were are easily replaceable and throwing things around etc I feel like I'm going to vomit when the time draws near for dayshift to come in.
If I cannot find another job, I'm going to go part time at this place. Dayshift is full,evenings is hard with a child in school. (would never see them either)
Does anyone have any advice or insight?Am I doing the right thing?I'm scared because the economy is still rough and I cant completely quit right now.Thank you so much for listening.
Nights are a nightmare for some people, especially me. With the symptoms your experiencing, theres no doubt that it will cut into your lifespan if you continue to work them long term. If I were you I would spend every minute of whatever free time you have applying for ANYTHING else whether it be another LTC, prison, jails, clinics, ANYTHING that will put you on days. For me personally, I would rather stay at home and be broke than to work nights.
Dave I totally agree. Theres a reason why sleep deprivation is used as a torture technique :) I had never heard the term fake day off until reading this message board but thats what I've been getting. One useless night off in the midst of a spree of nights. Allegedly this way due to staffing issues.Ive been applying to other jobs not on the night shift and have an interview scheduled soon :)
It's hard, but I work M-F 11-7 as a LTC nursing supervisor. My routine isn't much of a routine right now, but in a perfect world, I get home at 8a, sleep from 9-3 at least, get up, shower and do things around the house before I get ready to leave for work at 10:30p. I make sure to try and do yoga 2-3 x/week to get in some cardio.
I have bipolar disorder and nights has been incredibly hard. The best suggestions I can make are to get at least 6 hours of sleep, eat when you wake up, and try to keep similar hours everyday.
That said, here are a few questions:
1. What shift does DH work? Mine is currently working from home, so he's aware and around when I get up and he cuddles me to sleep. I hate thinking that he goes to bed alone 5 days/week, but we try to make up for lost time when we can.
2. What is your schedule like? 2 days on/1 off etc? Do you "switch" to a day schedule on your day or days off?
3. Is it the shift or the work? I find that my troubles really are with the work (getting put on the floor all the time, staffing that sucks and never having supplies) and *not* the shift.
I can relate, I worked overnights for ONE month. I was so sleep deprived. I would come home in morning and sleep, then wake up tired to see my kids come home from school, then go back to sleep before having to be at work again at 11pm. I literally hated it. The overnights simply did not work for me, I was in a perpetual state of fatigue and exhaustion. So NOT healthy. please quit, stay on per diem but God know yours sanity/health is ever so more important!!
I've worked as a CNA night shift 11-7 and right after did the day shift 7-3 5x a week for 4 months. It was ok. Just had to push through until i get my license but it's very taxing on the mind and body. i sleep the whole time im not working.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm not thinking clearly nowadays and it helps to write it on here. I'm just trying to figure out a long term solution before I snap and just dont go back into work one night. Sometimes I just want to crawl into a dark hole and not come out.
Please take some time off, STAT. You need a little distance from the job to get perspective and figure out what you should do next. It doesn't have to be long---a week is often sufficient---and you can use vacation time if you have it rather than medical leave, which unfortunately can lead to too many questions about the reason you need it.
You should do this before you have to be out for a longer period of time. Like pinkiepie, I have bipolar disorder and last spring, I 'snapped' because of work stress. If I hadn't waited so long to take a bit of time off, I might not have had to go out on medical LOA per my psychiatrist in lieu of being hospitalized.
Unfortunately, I wasn't ready to come back even after several weeks, though I sort of bullied my doctor into releasing me because I needed the money. I wound up losing my job after all because I couldn't handle the pressure anymore, even WITH meds and therapy. And I had a heck of a time finding another job because I felt so bad about myself for being "weak"......this is a field that is not kind to those of us who suffer from depression, anxiety and so on.
So your best bet is to be proactive and do something before you lose your marbles. See your doctor and get back on the meds if s/he recommends them---the reason you felt well was because you were taking them. Make sure to protect your sleep by sticking to a schedule, even on your days off. And for goodness sake, DON'T hang onto this job if it's making you crazy. There is no job that's worth living like this. Life is too short!
I gave up a "good job" partially because working night shift was making me a train wreck. My family noticed I was very depressed, and was worried, and I had what I think was my first panic attack.
like you, I would sleep a full 8-10 hours every day but it didn't feel like true sleep. On my nights off I would sleep maybe 14 hours and still be sleepy.
Also I kept feeling detached from my body. And a few other things were going on that frightened me.
I thought I was trapped. I became a nurse, and I have to pay my dues and do nights for a while, right? And my friends would do my job in a heartbeat.
Even though I had a good job with good pay, I realized I needed to put my mental health before money. I may have been getting a good paycheck but it wasn't worth the I misery I was in.
If you financially cannot quit, then search intensely for a job with daytime hours then get out asap. Night work belongs to people who enjoy it, or can at least tolerate it!
DavidDudley
99 Posts
Nights are a nightmare for some people, especially me. With the symptoms your experiencing, theres no doubt that it will cut into your lifespan if you continue to work them long term. If I were you I would spend every minute of whatever free time you have applying for ANYTHING else whether it be another LTC, prison, jails, clinics, ANYTHING that will put you on days. For me personally, I would rather stay at home and be broke than to work nights.