5 Survival Tips for Working the Night Shift

Being the night shift nurse is a grueling job. Though, it is the shift many nurses start on in their career. I have worked as a labor and delivery nurse for the last 10 years, 8 of them on the night shift. I have come up with these 5 tips that helped me get through it with two kids, a husband, and a dog.

Schedule It Right

Many nurses, like me, are mothers. As a mother, you have many responsibilities and sleep is never a priority, especially on the night shift. No one will understand. You can tell your mother that you worked last night, and she will still want to go shopping at noon, thinking that was enough sleep. Let me tell you, it is not. I tried to explain it to my husband one time by saying, “OK, so if you go to bed at 10, can you get up and start your day at 2 am, or even worse, make dinner, check homework, and chase the toddler? He tried to understand.

When I worked my twelve-hour shifts, I would ALWAYS schedule myself three shifts in a row. Was that a lot? My goodness, it was. Was I exhausted? Of course! Then why three twelve hour shifts in a row?

Your body, at least in my case, never adapts to night shift. Three in a row made it easier because my body got “used” to the schedule on the second night, and even though it was so hard to get motivated for the third night, I knew after that I would be done. Though, you have to find what works best for you.

For More and Original Article

Looking for a class on how to become a Certified Nurse Aide?