Ahh… If only this were true. (Insert dream sequence…)
The hospital doesn’t function like the local town store with posted ‘Store Hours’. The hospital never closes. It operates in some capacity 365 days a year, 24 hours a day (and yes 366 days a year on leap year). It doesn’t have ‘Holiday Hours’. The doors are always open. Some departments may not be operating during certain times, but as a whole, the hospital is always ‘open’.
This hits ‘home’ for the nursing staff. Nurses who work for the hospital are required to work at all hours of the day, working odd shifts and functioning at times of the day when the normal human being is sleeping.
Yes, I’m talking about the dreaded ‘Night Shift’ or the ‘NOC’ as some like to call it. It’s the shift that can start anywhere after 6pm and last till 8am the next day. While you are sleeping, some of us have to ‘work’.
Now this is not unique to the field of nursing, or even to health care. There are many occupations out there that work and operate on a 24 hour schedule. I’m simply referring to my lil’ cirlce of life.
The night shift is hard. Well, at least hard for me. There are some out there that do this on a full-time basis. The ‘live’ their lives when the sun goes down. I tip my hat to all of them, because without them-we as a society would not, and could not function.
I myself loathe the night shift simply because my body and my mind seem to … uhh… shut-down during those hours. No matter how hard I try to prepare I always seem to end up ‘half-empty’.
I know all the tricks. I’ve done the research. I’ve asked the questions. I’ve taken tips from the experts. No matter how I handle it, no matter how I plan. I always have a difficult time ‘functioning’ on the night shift.
The source of my ‘pain’ is my sleeping pattern. I am an extremely light sleeper. Let me be clear – there is a ‘light sleeper’ then there is me.
You name it, it wakes me up. The wind, the dog barking down the street, cars driving by the house, the rain, etc. Every noise wakes me up. I used to tell the story of how a kitten walking into a carpeted bedroom woke me up (true story).
Here are the things I do to ‘enhance’ my odds of sleeping during the day:
- Cardboard covered the bedroom windows (not a speck of light gets in)
- Background soothing music playing
- No TV
- Temperature in the room is just ‘cool’ – not too warm
- I ‘try’ not to have anything to eat or drink an hour before I know I’m going to lay down
- Limit my caffeine
- Silence all the gadgets in the house (the phones especially)
I think that covers it all.
It’s a necessary evil I know I have to accept. But accepting it and liking it are two different things! I’ll continue to do my part, but trust me. I’m gonna keep on whining about it.
Anyone have a tip or trick that helps you survive the night shift?
As the former girlfriend of a “NOC”-er, I love this post Sean! I remember the days of bedroom windows covered with any and all bedsheets, blankets and what-have-yous to create a pitch black sleeping environment. …And I should admit, my ex (now my best friend) would probably have added : “Silence all obstinate girlfriends who want to go “do something” ” to your list….
Scrubs Blogger
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@ sharon woah.. I could not even imagine! Definitely a ‘DO NOT BOTHER’ sign. LOL
I’ve been and NOCer for …..ever. Since 1990 I’ve only worked day shift for about 4 or 5 years scattered here and there. It helps that I’ve always been a night owl but no matter what you do or how you try to prepare, after 3am the brain is numb. Doesn’t matter how used to it you are, how much or little sleep you’ve had. There’s usually a really really hard 30-40 minute period and then you think you are ok but real cracker jack critical thinking is sluggish at best. That’s why my colleges and I in my unit, make sure that we check and double check and ask questions frequently during that time. Nothing is considered a stupid question after…. well midnight really but after 4 we really try to make sure we are a support team for one another. The worst part about it is that the hospital is being run on a skeleton crew at night anyway so you don’t have all the safety nets in place that day shift has but your brain, no matter what you do, does not function at night like it does in the day. There’s too much research that proves it.
And then Dr.’s and the day shift nurses pop in and glibly flick the lights on that you had to turn off to keep patients from getting ICU psychosis as quickly as if they are waking you up from a nap. It really makes my blood boil when a certain pulmonologist does this and adds the words, “Wake up everybody.” We are awake, thank you. As awake as anyone can be at the end of a 12H night shift. And then the day shift nurses in report look at you like you’re an idiot if it takes a few extra seconds for a word to come to you. Those same nurses who run screaming if the manager asks them to pull a night shift.
Scrubs Blogger
Scrubs Blogger
@ Eva I could give you a big hug and a strong ‘high-five’. A perfect description. Thanks for sharing.