Working Nights is Making me Sick

[futurenurse16]

I'm a new grad who just started working nights (7-7) and I am not adjusting well at all. I feel sick all the time. I can't eat. I feel shaky all the time. No matter how much I sleep, I feel exhausted. I keep crying over the smallest things. I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. I just started this job and my body can't handle it.

I feel like asking if there's a way I could be moved to the day shift, but I'd probably be at the bottom of the totem pole because I'm brand new. I don't know how long I can last in this job feeling like this. And it's not like I can just leave and move somewhere else, I have no experience. Can someone guide me in what to do? Because this is killing me.

[ClaraRedheart, BSN, RN]

Stick it out if you like the floor, co-workers, manager, etc... Otherwise, find a new job. You might talk with your doctor too. I went through the same thing as a new grad. Tachycardia, hypertension, anxiety, uncontrollable shaking (I bent several insulin needles one night and had to ask another nurse to draw it up for me once ) I even had a 1 month long period and then developed a UTI then kidney infection. I cried over some of the dumbest things. It is HARD on the body. I think my problem was lack of sleep. No matter how you crack it, 5-6 hours per night is NOT what is recommended. Especially in a high stress environment that you are new in. I eventually talked to my doc and was prescribed propanolol for the anxiety and heart rate and ambien for sleep. It helped a TON, but didn't cut it and I finally moved to days. I don't need either medication now. I feel that days are faster paced and can be more stressful, but I deal with it better now. If you can handle a year on nights, or however long it takes to transfer to days, stick it out. I think it was easier to learn time management as a new nurse than it would have been on days. Best wishes!