Night shift. OMFG

I love it. Night shift is by far the shift from heaven. While it can still be very busy at times I didn't feel quite so overwhelmed as I did on day shift. The different sort of busy is in fact true. You don't have all the distractions like on day shift but you rarely have time to sit down and just chat. People don't stop hurting just because it's night time. I gave pain meds ALL NIGHT LONG along with Benadryl for itching q4. Patients wants snacks all night long. I really just wanted to say "go to sleep." Some of them did sleep for a moment but a few did not. I just don't know how you can stay up all night and stay up all day too. You wonder why your body is shot and worn out. You haven't slept in 24 hours. O_O.

There aren't nearly as many meds as on day shift. I had 2200 meds, one 0300 antibiotic and then I was done until 6am. I'm being very serious. I've never had that much down time between meds. I didn't know what to do with myself. Giving prns kept me busy but then those are q4 or 46 so I didn't have to give them quite as often.

The staff worked great together. I learned a lot and at the end of the shift I was really glad that I had chosen to go night shift. I know things will not always be like this, but for once I can say "I had an awesome night at work!!!!"

Go night shift!!

Me

Taking the leap

So a few weeks ago I asked my manager about switching to night shift. She was more than willing to allow me to try it out. I made it very clear that I would do 3 weeks to see if I liked it. If not I'd really prefer to stay on day shift. I have no other option other than to quit. -__-. Day shift is wayyy too hectic for me. Not to say that night shift will be any better, but at least I won't have to deal with all the crap that goes along with day shift. I.e. A gazillion doctors rounding and writing orders, changing orders and writing more orders, interns asking about things they could find out by simply looking in the chart, family members calling to see how a patient's night was (like I have any idea since I wasn't there.) admissions AND discharges, transfers, surgeries and the paper work that go along with it, physical therapy, occupational therapy, case management, managers, that guy who said he was gonna make our floor the best floor in the hospital but who spends all of his time in his office doing absolutely nothing worth talking about. Yeah, so night shift is looking pretty good right now.

All the night shift nurses seem to think that night shift is slower, easier and a different sort of busy. I don't know what they mean by a different sort of busy, but I hope it's not the same sort of busy that I'm used to. Days have sucked the life out of me. I dread going to work. I loathe knowing that in the morning I have to get up at 5 am to drive to work and deal with the same crap I had to deal with the previous day. At least now that I'm on night shift I know that day shift will deal with a large majority of the crap I've been dealing with for the last 9 months. Day shift nurses on a med surg floor have it hard. They deal with a lot of crap.  A LOT. I honestly can't take it anymore. I'm surprised that I handled it for 9 months...I guess I'm stronger than I thought I was.

Here's to hoping that night shift is a bit more tolerable. I really could use a change of pace.

Me