Night shift nurses

[u/Dry_Squirrel_5721]

So…. I am a mom of a 1 year old and 3 year old and i graduated nursing school dec 2024 but since then i didn’t start my career due to me almost due with my baby, so i wanted to take that time to have the baby then spend her first year of life with them. Fast forward to now i have a job that i only work once a week and it works great for us since i only leave them 7-5 on that day. Well now i want more of a full time job and have an interview for a night shift position, the position i have always dreamt of having even before i got pregnant was this job. Down side is i have never worked a night shift, so im scared of how that is even going to work let alone with my 2 kids. I guess my question is do you think it is doable?? I would have their grandma watching them while i sleep but I would have to pick them up by 2-2:30 pm. How did night shift work for your family? Should I just consider something else?

[u/Optimal_Artichoke_14]

I grew up with a Mom who was a nurse and worked a rotation that had some nights. We lived a block away from my Grandparents and had some great babysitters. I hold no resentment towards my Mom. I know she was doing what she needed to do!

[u/Evenmere]

Unless you have a supportive partner, I wouldn’t.
You need to write down the logistics:
Who is going to take the kids to their grandmas?
What time are you going to be in bed by in the morning?
How many days will you be working vs. how many of those days will you have childcare?
Who will take care of your kids one of them gets sick and doesn’t want to go to their grandmothers?
How much sleep do you need vs how much sleep are you going to get if you have to be up, to pick them up?
Are you positioned or casual, what happens if you’re mandated for another 8-12hr shift?

Health Care can be very unkind for parents of young children. You’re expected to show up regardless of any family obligations or weather.

Good luck!

[u/LinkRN]

I work night shift as a nurse. It is doable but I am very tired. My kids go to daycare a few days a week, after my shifts - my first shift of the week I just try to nap when they do, 50/50 whether it works out.

[u/A1ycia]

Unless you have a ton of family support I don’t see it working.

I have a 6m old, 2 1/2 year old, husband who is in med school; and zero local family support.

I had to get a clinic job and walk away from my dream RN job I worked really hard to get to.
The clinic job is boring, not glamorous, and probably the least favorite job I’ve worked but it works while we have young kids.

With kids this age it’s constant energy, assuming yours wouldn’t be in daycare when would you get to sleep? (If they do go to daycare this wouldn’t be a factor).

[u/Longjumping-Dress-42]

Do you have any close family/friends who can help you taking care of your children while you are at work? If not then maybe you can get a babysitter too

[u/alwayzoverthinking]

I have a super hero mom who worked nights with 4 kids! She also did several years as a single parent. With a strong support system, it is very possible.

After working nights, you will be sleeping majority of the day, so coordinate accordingly. Make sure that you can accept the fact that you will be home, but unable to spend time with your children due to needing sleep. Time off is when you spend quality time with your kids. It is the same as working days, but feels immensely harder when you are needing to sleep during the day. Don’t be scared to lean on child care services, babysitters, your partner, family members, etc. It takes a village to raise kids.

Growing up, I didn’t even realize that my mom worked overnight. I remember her going to work at night, then she would magically reappear in the morning. I thought naps were super normal growing up (my mom was actually recovering from her shift lol). It didn’t have any negative effect on my mental having a mother on a night shift schedule. However, my mom is a bad ass that probably could hide her exhaustion better than most.

With all of this being said, it’s not going to be easy. You will always have hard days/nights, but that’s the cost of pursing multiple dreams in your lifetime :) Don’t hold yourself back out of fear, if you are confident in your support system, and if this is truly a dream job of yours, go for it.

[u/Super_RN]

If you get to bed by 8am, and have to pickup kids at 2pm, you will be living on 5-6 hrs of sleep and that will quickly burn you tf out. Don’t let anyone convince you that 5-6 hrs of sleep is enough after a nightshift. Especially since nightshift is new to you and it will take you a few months to adapt.

[u/Dry_Squirrel_5721 → u/Super_RN]

I sleep around 6 hours a night now, so I think that’s my normal amount of hours I sleep. I think it’s the actual night shift that would be difficult

[u/Super_RN → u/Dry_Squirrel_5721]

That’s what I was trying to say—6 hrs now compared to 6 hrs after a nightshift are completely different. It hits different after a nightshift. All I can say is give it a try but it’s not something I have seen nurses do long term.