Nightshift, Working Nights, Shift Work

[nursinghumor]

Found a few resources online for working nights. Been working rotating shifts lately.

NIght Shift Challenges, Helen V. Calalang-Javier, MSN, RNC, IBCLC, Bellaonline.com:"Working nights is a challenge for most nursing staff especially when one has to work for 4-5 nights in a row. Some nights are easy and some nights are chaotic. The nursing activities at night are slightly different in some areas such as in Mother-Baby Unit because most new mothers are healthy and they need more rest period. However, think about the trauma that comes in the emergency room every night and face non- stop excitement, drama, and stress. Or in the intensive care unit where one has to deal with codes after codes or ventilator intermittently beeping one patient after the other. All these situations can cause physical and emotional stress especially when working on the night shift."
NIght Shift Challenges - Nursing
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Operating Room Nurse On The Night Shift, Citytowninfo.com:"I work the night shift, so I'm considered a trauma nurse in the OR. The cases at night aren't scheduled. They are usually emergencies or urgent. We see many different types of surgery at night. Because the cases aren't scheduled, you never know what you will be doing when you come in."
Career Story: Operating Room Nurse On The Night Shift

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Night Shift Nurse in a Hospital: Video Series, Ehow.com:"Learn how an overnight nurse prepares for the late shift with expert nursing tips from an experienced night nurse in this free online late shift related video series."
Night Shift Nurse in a Hospital: Video Series | eHow Videos

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Night Shift Survival Hints, Emergency Nursing World:"It often seems that some staff are "permanent night people" who always function well; that some are "day people" who are known to "face-plant" on the desk and function poorly at night; and that some rotate satisfactorily but markedly prefer one particular shift."
ENW:** Night Shift Survival Tips

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Tips for Surviving and Enjoying the Night Shift, Findarticles.com:"Whether you are a new graduate starting night shifts for the first time or an experienced night shift worker, these tips may assist you to improve your night shift experiences. We as night nurses carry a responsibility for the safety of those we care for, therefore part of that care is to look after our own needs in order to meet the needs of our patients; for example, by getting adequate rest and relaxation before we commence night shift."
Tips for Surviving and Enjoying the Night Shift | Whitireia Nursing Journal | Find Articles at BNET

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OCTOBER 23, 2008, Off-shift Nursing, MedscapeNursing:"The other day I had a conversation with a nursing supervisor about the night shift, working from 7 pm to 7 am. Our conversation became somewhat argumentative in the sense that we were both questioning if the quality of care delivered by nurses during the night shift drops significantly. It made me wonder …. I have worked the night shift my entire nursing career. I could never return to the day shift. However, there are some issues that do occur during this shift. More often than not, I see my colleagues come in, plunk themselves down in their chairs by the nursing station and immediately focus on who is taking a break , "when, where, and how long." At other times electronic documentation begins before even evaluating the patient. How can you assess a patient without ever seeing them? Aren't you falsifying records or are you simply copying the previous shift's entries? This worries me…"
http://medscapenursing.blogs.com/med...t-nursing.html

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5 Truths About Working Night Shifts, Nurseuncut.com:"One of the joys (NOT!) of being a nurse is working at odd hours just like doctors, call centre employees and the like. Every nurse gets the dreaded graveyard shift."
5 Truths About Working Night Shifts - Nurse Uncut

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Surviving the Night Shift, Nursinglink.com:"Healthcare isn't a 9-to-5 job. It's an around-the-clock profession, and working evening or night hours is a way of life for many health professionals. Such shifts can take a physical and emotional toll on workers, experts say, but there are ways to prevent the damage. Here are suggestions for surviving – and even thriving – despite a draining schedule."
Surviving the Night Shift - Nursing Link

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What do you do on Night Shift? Nursingvoices.com:"Its the quiet time on the ward. Many nurses do many things during this time, so apart from the odd vital observation how do you spend the time? Do you bring a book and read, spend the whole night charting and finishing the paperwork (includes checking vitals), nip off for a quick sleep, walk around checking on everyone (just to stay awake), ward work (restocking, cleaning, etc), or do does the mayhem just not stop."
What do you do on Night Shift? - Nursing Voices Forum – Meet other nurses, share your nursing knowledge and experiences

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Night Shift always late...., Ultimatenurse.com:"For some reason at my current hospital the majority of the night shift nurses are always clocking in late. They take their time getting their work assignments and report from days shift. Now most of on day shift are always early to work. As soon as we walk through the door, night shift is hounding us to give report, even before we are allowed to clock in. Is this a problem isolated to my hospital or is this a problem more systemic?"
http://www.ultimatenurse.com/forum/f...ys-late-19810/

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[hppygr8ful]

I started my nursing career at 39 and took a night shift doing labor, delivery, recovery and post-partum. While it was mostly happy work there were nights with bad "outcomes" including a mother/baby death that took their toll on my psyche. I ultimately found that I needed to work days and sleep at night. I do home care right now but miss the moms and babies terribly - thinking of going for a nurse midwife - but sometimes feel I'm just getting old "pushing 50." Plus I have a young son (7) of my own and feel he's my first loyalty.

Guess I'll stay put for now.

Peace and Namaste

Hppygr8ful

[nursinghumor]

Working nights is definitely not my preference, it would be more like something I'd need to do for the job, or childcare obligations, etc.

Work a night occasionally through the agency. Guess it wouldn't be so bad if I was on permanent nights though.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursefriendly.com