Let me tell the TRUTH - I find it sooooooo much easier to stay awake on a 12 hour shist than an 8 hour because you are just GO GO GO, especially on a medical floor. I work these and 11p-7am shifts also (I am strictly a night gal). Another thing that I have to deal with at night is all of the day shift call-ins and then you are stuck with staffing because there's no administration there and our adminstration will never answer their phone so there's no use calling them if there's a problem. I hope that they don't pile a lot on you just because you are on nights. You have less help at night and more pts so you have to be on top of your game. I am so busy that I hardly ever take a break or sit down. I counted my midnight med pass the other night and I have more meds than the 8am med pass. I get a lot of the heavy treatments put on my shift and they always put a lot of meds and IVABTs on noc shift because they think that we have nothing better to do. I have worked noc shift for years and the only thing that is bad and this is in every facility that I have ever worked in, they think that you sit around all night and read magazines with your feet up eating bon-bons. I work 7p-7a and I get out of there between 7:30-8:00am if I am pretty well prepared and start my last med pass on time and don't have any major catastrophes. And get 6 hours of sleep in between shifts if you can. Nights is much more laid back and less insane, but you don't have as many people around so when things go bad you have to rely more on yourself and others.Īs far as staying awake, drink plenty of water, eat a decent meal and I find laying off a lot of refind sugars/ heavy carbs helps me not feel so slugish. I wouldn't work days if I had to ever again. By 7 or 8 in the morning you're ready for bed.

Most of us that I work with now, start with the cafeeine before work and stop by 2 or 3 in the morning. I do stay awake usually pretty easily all night, but I'm more of a night person anyway. I really do get out by 6:15 (we work 6-6) usually earlier.

I'm not in NJ anymore, but have worked every concievable shift and have found once you're on nights it's not so bad as long as you stick to it if possible on your days off. I'll appreciate if you can share your experienceand let me know how to make it easier.I really need to know as I am not a night owl.Īny tips to keep the eyes open and remain focused will help me. I'll start working in August as a Medsurg nurse in night shift 7pm-7am.ĭo you really get out at 7:15 in the morning?/

Night shift nurses game