Night Shift Nurse: Don’t Be in the Dark

• A night shift nurse is thought to be a superhero for taking the graveyard shift. 
• For the few who are willing to take the risk, one might find being a night shift nurse has some advantages like fewer interactions, and more pay. 
• To best serve your patients and team, read these considerations to set yourself up for success as a night shift nurse. 

As a new graduate nurse or an experienced nurse new to a facility or unit, you may have to start working as a night shift nurse. Or you’ve chosen to work these shifts because you are a night owl. Whatever your reasons, there are a few things to know about being a night shift nurse before you start.  

As someone who is an early morning person and does not drink caffeine, working nights as a summer nursing extern and as a new graduate nurse was incredibly challenging for me. It can take a while to adapt to working nights, and here is what I learned during that time.

Expect Less AND More As a Night Shift Nurse

The night shift differs from the day shift in many ways. Here is what I found working nights. 

More Laid Back. Because nights typically have a much slower pace than days, you’ll realize that you have: 

• • Fewer Interactions. Patients are trying their best to sleep. Most visitors, management, and other healthcare providers who only work the day shift (e.g., PT, OT, CM, etc.) are gone by the time your shift starts. 
• • More Teamwork. Since management and other healthcare providers are gone, this means you have fewer resources at your disposal. With fewer resources, this enables you to collaborate more with your fellow night shift colleagues and hone your critical thinking skills to ensure patient care and safety. 
• • More Time. Because of the slower pace, you have more time to study your patients’ charts, their disease processes, their medications, and their treatments. Working the night shift also gives you time to familiarize yourself with your facility, unit, electronic medical record system, and policies/procedures.
    

More Pay. Many facilities offer a shift differential consisting of extra pay on top of the base hourly rate as an incentive for employees to work night shifts. More pay can help with your savings, vacations, paying off debts, etc. 

Limited Options for Meals. You will have to bring in your meals/snacks for your shift since most restaurants and your facility’s cafeteria are closed at night. 

Being A Night Shift Nurse Affects Your Body and Mind

Working the night shift messes with your body’s circadian rhythms. 

Think of your body as having a schedule that it follows consistently. Then, by working the night shift, you flip that schedule around and wreak havoc on what your body is accustomed to, such as your sleep patterns and metabolism.  

With more fatigue due to disrupted sleep and eating at night, you have a higher “risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity” according to a 2021 article by the National Institutes of Health. 

If you are experiencing any physical and/or mental health issues related to working the night shift (e.g., trouble focusing, trouble sleeping, mood changes, etc.), it is important to speak with your doctor as soon as you can. You need to care for yourself first to provide the best care to your patients.  

Strategies For Working As A Night Shift Nurse

Here are some recommendations for how to work the night shift effectively. I recommend talking with your coworkers to see what other strategies they use. 

• Group Your Shifts Together. Try to schedule your night shifts in a row, so you don’t flip flop too much during the week. If you can’t cluster your shifts, try your best to stay on your night shift schedule on your days off.
  

• Eat Small Light Meals. Since you are at a higher risk for health issues, it is best to eat as healthy as possible with nutritious meals and snacks, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, hummus, soups, etc. Avoid heavy meals (anything fried or with high fat or sugar content) since they will cause you to be sleepier during your shift.
  

• Drink Water. Bring your reusable water bottle to work, so you can stay hydrated. In addition to eating hydrating foods (e.g., soups, peaches, etc.), drinking water throughout your shift will help you stay awake and energized.
  

• Limit Caffeine Intake. It is tempting to want to drink coffee, energy drinks, or other caffeinated beverages when working the night shift to stay awake and alert. If you do consume caffeine, drink in moderation, and then stop a few hours before the end of your shift. Otherwise, it will make it difficult for you to fall asleep later since the  is still in your system.
  

• Brush Your Teeth. When I found myself getting sleepy and wanting to wake up, I would go and brush my teeth. The combination of tooth-brushing and gargling with water in a brightly lit area would wake me up and make me feel refreshed.
  

Practice Good Sleep As A Night Shift Nurse

Setting up your environment and maintaining a routine are essential to getting the best sleep possible.

Environment

You want to set up your room to be conducive to getting good sleep.

Darken Your Room. Blackout curtains are effective in keeping out that stimulating sunlight. An alternative is putting aluminum foil over your windows (it sounds weird, but it works). Another alternative is wearing an eye mask. 

Keep Your Room Cool. According to Harvard Medical School, “before we fall asleep, our bodies begin to lose some heat to the environment, which some researchers believe actually helps to induce sleep.” Help your body’s temperature along by having a cool room, so you can fall asleep faster. 

Block/Drown Out Noise. A white-noise machine, such as a fan, can help drown out noises outside or other noises that may disturb your sleep. An alternative for blocking out noise is to wear earplugs. Also, silence your cell phone to minimize disruptions to your sleep. 

Avoid Electronics. Limit or even restrict the use of your cell phone, television, computer, and other electronics in your room since the light from electronics can be stimulating. Also, cover your alarm clock to block out the light. 

Coordinate with Your Housemates. Make sure your family/roommates know when you’re sleeping, so they can do their best to minimize activity and noise. 

Routine

It is important to develop and keep a consistent sleep routine. 

Stay up late on the night before your shift, so you can sleep in on the day of your night shift. 

On your days off, keep your body on your night shift and sleep schedules. 

As an example, here is the routine I followed as I prepared to go to bed: 

• • Adjust blackout curtains to ensure no light is coming into the room. (I never actually bothered opening them).
    
  • Turn on the fan and white noise machine. I preferred a lot of white noise. 
  • On my cell phone, check that the alarm is set.
  • Put on calming instrumental music at a low volume.
  • Place my cell phone face down on the end table. 
  • Shower and blow dry hair. 
  • Turn off the lights. 
  • Get into bed. 
  • Take slow deep breaths. 

The Bottom Line

Adjusting as a night shift nurse can be tough, and it can take some time to get adjusted. Be patient. Each person is different, so it is important to find what works best for you.  

As long as you make your health and a consistent sleep routine your priorities, you should be able to thrive as an integral part of your patient’s care team while working as a night shift nurse.

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