Working LTC Nightshift— tips?

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Hello!

I have been an LPN for 3 years. I graduated in Kentucky. I have been working as a Director of Resident Care for an assisted living facility in Georgia. In July we are moving back to Kentucky. I have enrolled at my old school to continue on to earn my RN. My classes begin in October.

Because of this, I have decided to accept a position in LTC 12hr night shift. I have never worked nights as a nurse, but I have in another position many years ago. The shift is perfect for my family because we have kids and my husband works crazy day shift hours. Nights will allow me 4 days off, the ability to go to my kids school programs sometimes, and the ability to take my RN classes.

My main concern is figuring out a good schedule for myself and figuring out what night nurses do all evening? Any tips for a smooth transition?

Luckily our home is 3 stories so I can have separation from anything else going on when my husband and kids are home during my sleeping time. We are trying to get prepared so that this all goes well.

Thanks!

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I found that working night shift in LTC made for a rough ride when I commuted an hour and a half to school after getting off work. It only worked as long as my car was in good shape and when I was healthy. When I had problems with both my car and my health, my ability to maintain school was compromised. Instead of supporting me to graduate, my nursing school targeted me and punished me for having a job and getting sick. Since you will have four nights off in a row, rather than my two, you might have an easier time making it work. My best tip is to do your schoolwork every day. Never get behind or you will regret it.

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On 6/1/2019 at 4:08 AM, caliotter3 said:

I found that working night shift in LTC made for a rough ride when I commuted an hour and a half to school after getting off work. It only worked as long as my car was in good shape and when I was healthy. When I had problems with both my car and my health, my ability to maintain school was compromised. Instead of supporting me to graduate, my nursing school targeted me and punished me for having a job and getting sick. Since you will have four nights off in a row, rather than my two, you might have an easier time making it work. My best tip is to do your schoolwork every day. Never get behind or you will regret it.

I could totally see why that would be difficult! Luckily, my job is 5 min or less from my home. My car is in good shape, but even if it wasn't with work being so close I would be OK.

I am so sorry that happened to you! I am hoping the 4 days off will make a difference for me. Thank you!

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I will not accept a shift that requires me to be awake at night, while I tend to be awake during daylight hours. It pretty much destroyed one (previous) marriage and I was deprived of sleep... which made college horrible. Today I try to balance things with a priority on quality time spent with spouse & family.

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1 hour ago, Floor_Nurse said:

I will not accept a shift that requires me to be awake at night, while I tend to be awake during daylight hours. It pretty much destroyed one (previous) marriage and I was deprived of sleep... which made college horrible. Today I try to balance things with a priority on quality time spent with spouse & family.

I totally understand! Fortunately, We have been down the road of nightshift work before. My husband worked nights while I was in LPN school because it was the only way we could ensure we had care for our kids during the day. During that time he was working 5-6 nights a week. We made it work because we knew it would be worth it in the end.

We schedule our days/nights really well so that we can fit in all the things that matter. My husband runs a pretty popular podcast and blog, plus works a more than fulltime job. His new job, once we return back to our city, is a traditional 9-5 job. So we will have some time before I go to work each day, time on my days off, and weekends. Of course I will be in class or studying some of that time, but we like to study/work in our office together.. so that part works for us.

It's more the figuring out how to be successful as a night shift nurse that I am worrying about.

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My comment/question may be a little off topic. How does working night shift put stress on a marriage, particularly to the point where it ruins a marriage? I work night shift at a LTC, and have no clue what marital problems that could cause. Just curious.

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Depending on your facility, night shifts in LTCs can be very demanding. You will probably be in charge of 60 (if you're lucky) to 80 residents who are cognitively impaired and do not sleep at night. Your interventions will be to "redirect" although it is not physically possible to be with multiple patients at once. LTCs are very political about their prescription of sedatives and antipsychotics so get ready to have no pharmacological support as an intervention. Your health care aids/PSWs will probably be understaffed and overwhelmed as well so you will have to do bedside care for several patients while doing scheduled meds, wound dressings, feeds, assessments, orders, falls, etc. Since nurses in the LTC do not physically work together, there is usually poor teamwork and may often lead to hostility and frustration in the form of daily b!tching, complaining, and "You should have done this..." etc. etc.

That is the reality of LTC nursing. Try to get into the hospital.

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