Why work Nights?
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I am a night person but the main reason I do it is for my son. He has autism and is now 17 years old. This way I can be home during the day in case things don't go well at school and I have to go get him and I can be home when his bus drops him off at 3:30 every day. Plus he goes to bed around 7:30 so he hardly misses me. I love doing 12 hr shifts, 3 per week with more time off and being able to shop without the big crowds.0
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Luck of the draw.0
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I've been workig nights for 10 years. First of all, I am not a morning person. There is no way in hell you are gonna get me up and tell me I have to be at work at 7am. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! lol I used to work daylight when I was in nursing school and I hated it. I basically ran on auto pilot until 10 am when I would all of a sudden wake up! When I graduated from nursing school, I started working nights because of my kids. As I said, I can't do mornings. If I worked 3-11, I'd never see my kids. I'd leave before they got home from school and get home when they were in bed. They would forget what I look like. lol Working nights I got home and slept while they were in school. I could help them with their homework, have dinner with them and put them to bed before going back to work. It worked out so much better. Now I work weekends only 7a-7p. I love it. No doctors coming in to muck things up. No visitors, no tests, no sending patients to OR or XRAY. Most of the patients sleep. It's great!0
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Better pay differential, that's about it!
My dad told me a long time ago... You work for one reason... Money.
I get my daughter ready for school every day, she's fed, clean and off to school. I take my son to the babysitter's, and we have a good little morning. That way my wife can get ready to do whatever she has to. (Student in college)
It sucks for being a homeowner though. If I have a lot of work to do around the house, I don't want to get all tired before coming to work, so I put a lot off! OH, and working every other weekend sucks. Hospitals don't CLOSE!!!0 -
I'm working weekend overnights so that I can do the stay-at-home mom thing during the week. Love it! It's nice to see other people here who understand. The extra pay is nice too. It can be easy to miss out on getting enough sleep so I'm working on that.
Minus the sleep issues, I feel like I have a better family/work balance than I would if working full-time days. There is no stress trying to find childcare. I can get my kids to school in the morning and not have to rush trying to get myself ready to get out the door too. I get time to myself while my youngest is in 1/2 day Kindergarten and can shop, clean, sleep, or go to the gym during that time. After school, they get my time. I'm not exhausted from working all day.
Biggest plus, my spouse and I aren't stressing about who will take time off work to cover the 14 - 15 weeks a year that there is no school due to inservice days, holidays, sick days, etc. We no longer need kid sick days and vacation time is actually used for family vacations. We save a fortune on not paying for childcare. I get to go to school for teacher appointments, classroom volunteering, field trips, and easily take the kids to doctor and dentist appointments. I still get to work full-time, get paid, have a pension, advance at work, have work friends.... to me this is the best of the both worlds. I love my kids and I love my job.0 -
I'm working weekend overnights so that I can do the stay-at-home mom thing during the week. Love it! It's nice to see other people here who understand. The extra pay is nice too. It can be easy to miss out on getting enough sleep so I'm working on that.
Minus the sleep issues, I feel like I have a better family/work balance than I would if working full-time days. There is no stress trying to find childcare. I can get my kids to school in the morning and not have to rush trying to get myself ready to get out the door too. I get time to myself while my youngest is in 1/2 day Kindergarten and can shop, clean, sleep, or go to the gym during that time. After school, they get my time. I'm not exhausted from working all day.
Biggest plus, my spouse and I aren't stressing about who will take time off work to cover the 14 - 15 weeks a year that there is no school due to inservice days, holidays, sick days, etc. We no longer need kid sick days and vacation time is actually used for family vacations. We save a fortune on not paying for childcare. I get to go to school for teacher appointments, classroom volunteering, field trips, and easily take the kids to doctor and dentist appointments. I still get to work full-time, get paid, have a pension, advance at work, have work friends.... to me this is the best of the both worlds. I love my kids and I love my job.
That's the most positive reply to this post... good for you for being a good mom!0 -
Because at night I don't miss anything! My family is asleep so they don't even notice I am gone. I can be here in the mornings before school, and at night when they go to bed! And on the night shift there is no pressure, no bosses, no drama. It's great!
I agree!0 -
No big bosses, not alot of families and everyone is as crazy as I am for working night shift!! I don't have a family...just 3 dogs. As long as I feed them they could care less when I am coming and going!
Kasey0 -
I don't really have a choice at the level I am at in my career, we all work shift work. I actually like it because I can do stuff during the day and I end up with some weekdays off for appointments, groceries, etc. Groceries are a lot more fun when it is like 10am on a Tuesday and there is no one else in the store!0
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I started working nights when I was getting divorced and needed to be able to be home weekends and during the days. Then I discovered how much I loved it. I could be there for my son in the mornings, get things done during the day when everyone else was working, and still get enough sleep to get through the 10 hour shift. During almost 11 years working nights, I only had a couple of times that I almost fell asleep driving home. I worked dayshift for 6 years and it kicked my @**! I have never been a morning person. I work swings now, I get off at 1am(not my idea) and I don't get half as much done. But I still stay up until 3 or 4 in the mornings!
(It's also great to be able to get work done without worrying about supervisors hanging around.)0 -
I work nights so that I don't have to get a sitter for my children.0
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My hubby's a paramedic who works 24 hour shifts every other day three times a week, and then has four days off. I am lucky enough to work nights at the hospital (I'm an RN) opposite his schedule so one of us is always home to be with the kids overnight. I'm usually home before my son leaves for school and on my mornings when I'm home, get my daughter to the high school bus at 7 AM. It works so much better than my 12 hour day shift schedule ever did, plus, I don't have to get up at 5 am. I saw another nurse talking about no supervisors, no doctors, no procedures, no meal trays...yes, yes, and yes! I love that I can actually care for my patients during night shift without all the madness the days bring.0
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I don't have a choice. It's part of our rotation. We work 2 months day, and 2 months on nights, then rotate back. I do prefer nights, though, as it isn't as hectic, and there's less bosses running around.0
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I can't get up early in the morning.
I wish I still had "evenings" though. 12 hour shifts leave me nothing. But the 4 days off are worth it.
AGREED! My main problem with this is however is that I'm a glutton for punishment and tend to pick up a ton of overtime too - and usually on the 3-11 shift. I am never home when anyone else is!
I told myself back when I left my job as a CNA that I'd never do nights again. I lied :-). My 3 night a week, 12 hour position came up on the bid board where I currently work (now as an LPN), and I bid on it because being gone 5 evenings a week and not having any sort of a life was getting to me. It's just me and my husband, and with his school schedule we never saw each other ever. So I switched to have more time off to spend with his, and everyone else in our families who only works days. It's only really hard when it's my weekend to work because it's three 12-hour nights back to back.
I like having more free time, and more days off. Plus I am definitely NOT a morning person, nor have I ever been. I can force myself to be if I have to, but it's just not my normal. Nights and evenings seem to work for me. :-)0 -
I'm right there with you.....I am single and have 3 dogs as well. One day, when I am married with children, I'm not so sure I could do night shift....but I guess it depends on what my future hubby does lol. Also, the main reason I work nights is the hourly differential ....they don't start you out at much for a new RN in FL.0
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That's right! No procedures, no doctors, no bosses, no visitors, no meal trays, and most patients are sleeping. And, I actually get to read the charts, talk to the patients who are awake....geezzzzzzzzzzzzzz, I actually get to do my job!
my sentiments exactly...plus I like my differential..lol0 -
I work nights so I can have the schedule 7days on 7days off... plus with this schedule I am able to do more with my family and friends than I ever have0
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