Worried about night shift - new LPN

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 3, 2007

I loved the 11-7am shift. It's nice and quiet with no rude doctors to round with, no family members to interrupt my job with silly questions and complaints, no managers breathing down my neck, fewer coworkers who are gossipy and catty, and many of the patients tend to be asleep. The pace is insane on days, which is why I love nights.

Many of the 11-7am nurses at my facility are mothers and fathers with children, and the schedule works out well for them. They take their kids to school immediately after work, or arrange for someone to take the kiddos to school. Then they sleep while the kids are in school, and the spouse is at work during the day. When the kids get out of school and the spouse arrives home from work, the nurse is able to spend quality time with the family for at least 6 or 7 hours in the afternoon and evening. Many of the night nurses have adapted to this pattern of living, enjoy it thoroughly, and tend to stay on nights for years.

MzMouse · Oct 3, 2007

I worked nights my first seven years as a nurse. I don't have children, but many of my coworkers on 11-7 did, and that shift tended to work very well for them. They could sleep while their children were at school and be awake at night for dinner with family and after-school activities.

I will say, and this goes for any night shift worker, you have to be very selfish about your sleep. Don't allow yourself to be kept awake or awakened for less than an emergency. Run a fan or other white noise device and make sure the phone doesn't wake you up. Get as many hours of continuous sleep as you are able. Too many night nurses sleep an couple hours here and a couple hours there, it usually comes back to bite them.

Good luck! I really liked the night shift; there are many advantages to it.

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Oct 3, 2007

i will say, and this goes for any night shift worker, you have to be very selfish about your sleep. don't allow yourself to be keep awake or awakened for less than an emergency. run a fan or other white noise device and make sure the phone doesn't wake you up. get as many hours of continuous sleep as you are able. too many night nurses sleep an couple hours here and a couple hours there, it usually comes back to bite them.

this is so true! be very selfish about your sleep!!! my kids are all grown, but i've always enjoyed the noc shifts. we do 12 hours shifts, so i usually sleep 6 or 7 hours...doesn't leave me too much "evening time", but then i only do this 14 days a month. good luck!

hiddenheart · Oct 4, 2007

I was a morning person before I started night shift. I get off work at 7:30a.m. and am in bed by 8a.m. and sleep until 3 while the kids are at school, that gives me 7 hours of sleep, that way I am in "mom" mode when they get home. I work 12 hour shifts and I have to leave for work at 6:30 pm so this gives me good quality time with my family in between. Sleeping a few hours here and there is always a bad idea for me, I usually do that on Sundays (an hour befor church and 3-4 after), but it really takes a toll on me and I have a hard time making it through the night. No caffeen for me, it keeps me wired and I don't rest well. A fan or some kind of white noise is a great idea it drowns out the outside noise. If possible turn off the ringer on the phone:angryfire, this is the hardest thing for me to do. I use caller ID a lot!! if it is not the school calling me for a sick child, I don't answer it, easier to go back to sleep if I don't have to chit chat on the phone. There are times that I still go through a tired phase, but staying on and sticking to, a sleep schedule is the best thing, it makes the transformation easier. Good luck, I hope it all works out well for you, and welcome to a whole new experience.

:welcome:

softstorms · Oct 4, 2007

Hi, just one quick warning. If you go to work in a LTC facility that is upgrading to rehab/acute care. You may be running I.V's and doing wound vac dressing at night. Most of these facilities are starting to look more like hospitals than nursing homes. So check out the types of pts. they have before you get involved.