[JennyP]

I'm a person who doesn't wake up well and does best working evenings or nights. My most productive time of day is probably 8PM to 2 or 3AM. I do laundry then, I write then, housework, etc. I usually wake up about 9 or 10AM and am "just" functional about 11AM.

I've worked off-shifts for most of my worklife. I'm glad I am a nurse for that reason; a 9 to 5 job would have killed me by now!

[Nurse_Advocate]

Originally Posted by JennyP

I'm a person who doesn't wake up well and does best working evenings or nights. My most productive time of day is probably 8PM to 2 or 3AM. I do laundry then, I write then, housework, etc. I usually wake up about 9 or 10AM and am "just" functional about 11AM.

I've worked off-shifts for most of my worklife. I'm glad I am a nurse for that reason; a 9 to 5 job would have killed me by now!

God bless you!

Question: What do you write about? (I'm reachable if it's too private)

[JennyP]

What do I write about?

At this point in time, just about anything that I feel like!

Seriously, I'm trying to get back into the habit of journaling again. I used to journal every day back in the 80's and 90's; but got out of the habit when my kids (pre-teens at the time) found my journals and started reading about how their latest behavior was *really* affecting me!

I've also always enjoyed reading and researching in my nursing specialty and would like to see if some of my "vast knowledge" in nursing is something that would be of interest to others if I could ever get it organized coherently.

Recently, another nurse and I have challenged ourselves to write *something* each week for the other to critique; we are just starting this so we will see how it goes. We have very different types, styles, and topics of writing, so it should be interesting (to say the least).

[TheCruiseAcademy]

I think that sounds like a great idea. You've definitely picked the right audience for feedback.

What kinds of things do you prefer to write about? Research info, scientific data / topics, or do you prefer to write about life in the real world?

Just curious. I always find it very intriguing to read (or even talk) about other nurses' perspectives on things... just general nursing stuff, the profession, gripes, critiques, and of course, how things should really be done! After all, we are the ones who know! If nurses were in charge, imagine where we'd be in the world today!
(well, I guess it could go either way, eh?)

Good luck. I look forward to catching some of your stuff here.

[JennyP]

I've reached a certain point in time where I'm starting to feel that we should be telling our stories to the general public. The problem we have is somehow maintaining privacy and respect and telling the story all within the HIPAA rules and regs.

Part of the problem with our professional nursing image is that most of the time our work with patients is very personal and almost intimate (in a professional way); and because of this I don't think many people know exactly what it is that nurses actually DO unless they have been hospitalized and quite ill themselves.

I do wish we could collectively "find our voices" and speak out as to what we do.

Sorry about the thread hi-jack here; we should get back to the topic on hand I guess.

[Nurse_Advocate]

Originally Posted by JennyP

Sorry about the thread hi-jack here; we should get back to the topic on hand I guess.

For me, the topic of writing, creativity and the activities we do to relieve stress in our lives fits right into the original topic. The first post/newspaper article talked about how night shift work could post a danger to your health. That's a scary thought!

Well, guess what? Night shift work (and especially night shift nursing) is never going to go away!!!!!! We are always going to need people to work the night shift. So what can we do about this? We, as nurses, must take care of ourselves!

I suppose if nurses aren't careful about how they take care of themselves and how they cope with the stress of their jobs, it could kill any one of us. Not in the short term...but in the LONG term. I write about how I cope with nursing stress in my blog.

The idea of using writing or creativity as a coping tool is intriguing to me. I encourage all nurses to find an outlet that incorporates personal expression into their lives. The reason I believe personal expression, in particular, is important for nurses is because the stress of nursing in my life has literally left me MUTE at times. I desperately needed to "process" some of the "stuff" that went on at work but I literally was too drained to do it. Guess who suffered? Me. I'm not willing to anymore!

On my floor, the night nurses work 3 in a row. They do this so they'll be able to cope better "sleep-wise" for the 3 nights that they work and then for the 4 days that they're off. They do this so that they'll get the same patients over and over again (familiar mayhem). They do this to cope.

However, the fact is that working 3 nights in a row can be VERY isolating with regard to friends and family. You get a nice flow and rhythm going in your life with your friends and family and then it feels like you drop off the face of the earth for 3 days...between work and sleep, you are just NOT available for 72 hours straight.

Therefore, it comes down to how are you taking care of yourself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually! For me, personal expression is no longer optional...it's mandatory.

Wow...I guess I'm passionate about this.

[cougarnurse]

Don't worry about the hijack bit, folks. Gives us food to chew on, so to speak, and makes us wonder what all could be causing things.

[CarlosCaroleSegovia]

Originally Posted by Nurse_Advocate

...Well, guess what? Night shift work (and especially night shift nursing) is never going to go away!!!!!! We are always going to need people to work the night shift. So what can we do about this? We, as nurses, must take care of ourselves!

...Therefore, it comes down to how are you taking care of yourself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually! For me, personal expression is no longer optional...it's mandatory.

I think we need to take care of ourselves financially, too. This topic needs further research and follow up by our community. If indeed there is a relationship between working night shift and cancer (and the theory is very plausible)then night shift jobs are hazardous to health. As such, it follows that night shift workers should get hazard pay comparable to the risk. To me, the risk of exposing myself to a "carcinogen" that increased the likelihood of my getting breast cancer is not worth any money but for those souls that are putting themselves in danger and serving others in the process, well, they should be recognized and compensated.

[cougarnurse]

There are some people who 'just don't do mornings'; I am one of them. Give me my 3-11's, and no-one gets hurt. Others are geared to 11-7's. Does that mean they are 'pre-disposed' to problems?

[katyv]

I could work 11-7 without much problem as long as I could ge my break around 6 am. My body goes into shut down for about 30 mins at that time. I couldn't think, I fought sleepiness. I guess that was how my clock ran. Once 6:30 passed, I was good until 9 or 10 am. I have always liked the 3-11 shift though, and I would stay up until 5 or 6 am after working eves. Now that I am a manager in an outpatient dialysis clinic, I can set my own hours most days. I come in between 8 and 10 depending on the day (some days I have 2 shifts, some days 3 shifts. I do come in to cover for staff at 5 am if needed, but it isn't my prefered time. I agree that my brain isn't fully functional until 9 am unless I hit the caffeine hard. ha-ha