What's your take as a graduate nurse working nights in med surg

Courtney Nurse Writer, BSN · Feb 26, 2016

I started out on nights. It's a big adjustment mentally with those hours. But in all honesty it's a perfect shift to learn without being overwhelmed by all the day hustle and bustle. You'll do great. Good luck!

DoeRN · Feb 26, 2016

I started on nights and l learned a great deal because it wasn't as stressful. Good for critical thinking skills too because you don't have all of the ancillary support that you have on days.

havehope · Mar 1, 2016

I agree with what the others said above. I am a new graduate working two months of nights and then coming back on days (I started as a CNA on days). If darn night shift didn't mess with my body/rhythm so much, I would stay on nights. My experience so far, is that you truly get time to spend with patients if they can't sleep, etc. I also would stay busy (updating report sheets, reading the patient's plans per the doctor), but it is not the dayshift busy, this made time go by too.

For sleeping rhythms- say I work Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. On Sunday I stay up a little later than usual (I usually go to bed with the chickens), sleep in-probably till 9 or so. Then I will take a two hour nap around 1 or so. And of course on Monday, I slept all day.