Switching to night shift as a new grad nurse can seem really scary and difficult to do, especially after you’ve only ever done day shift clinicals. But that night shift differential makes it all worth it! Here are some ways to help you adjust to night shift, from what snacks to bring to how to stay awake all night. Good luck and rock on team nights!
Snacks
Eating is the key to staying awake. Make sure you pack some cool crunchy foods for nights, especially if you have a long drive home after work. These cool crunchy snacks like carrots, apples or celery are a great way to keep you feeling refreshed and your eyes on the prize.
Some more good night shift snacks include fruit, veggies and a protein. Your protein can be peanut butter or even a hard-boiled egg! Having a quick, cool, well rounded meal/snack is key to surviving night shift.
Coffee
It’s coffee, a nurses’ best friend right…?
Sleep
Getting on the right sleep schedule prior to your first night shift is crucial. Start staying up later than you normally would and sleeping in later as well. If you are having difficulty with this, you can always take a melatonin supplement to help you adjust.
It’s also a good time to invest in either an eye mask or black out curtains, or both! This will help you adjust to your new circadian rhythm.
- Melatonin Supplements
- Eye Mask
- Blackout Curtains
- White Noise Machine
- White Noise is also available on any Amazon Alexa Device!
For figuring out your sleep schedule on off days, visit I’m a Night Shift Nurse, What Should I Do with My Days Off?.
Stamina
Clinicals in school have helped you prepare your stamina to begin working three twelve-hours shifts a week. So don’t let the twelve-hour night shift scare you! Typically during nights, when your patients are sleeping, you’re going to have more time to chart than you did during day shift. Sitting down people! A huge plus while working nights, but it can also be a double edge sword. Don’t let sitting down make you too tired. Keep drinking water and moving around! Most nights you won’t have any trouble with this, trust me.
Also be sure to visit What Do Night Shift Nurses Do? An Hourly Survival Guide for more night shift info.
Delegation
While some nights might be slow, other nights are going to be super busy. So be sure to know what you can and cannot delegate and to whom you can delegate certain tasks. This will help you be more efficient with your time. So build rapport with your coworkers and study up on delegation for your state.
See more at Nursing Fundamentals: A Guide to Delegation and the Nursing Process.
Water
Staying hydrated is super important as a nurse. Typically, nurses don’t drink enough water which leads to fatigue and mistakes! Always have a cool water at your charting station and take sips in between charting. This will help you stay awake, because it’s cold, and also help you fight off that 3 to 4 am fatigue.
And personalize your water bottle with cute stickers so you know it’s yours!
Move Around
As a nurse this seems like the main thing you do during your shift. However, there are going to be some slower nights where you have independent patients that aren’t in any pain and don’t need much, score! Make sure you aren’t just sitting in between care. Stand up and walk the hallway to keep you on your toes.
Pro Tip: Ask other nurses if they need any help. Chances are someone else is probably swamped and would love an extra set of hands. Plus what comes around goes around. After all, teamwork makes the dream work!
Socks and Shoes
Having a good pair of shoes makes all the difference! While there are so many different types of nursing shoes out there, my personal favorite are clogs. They have good support for your arch, no shoelaces that dig in, and are super easy to wipe clean after a shift.
Dansko’s are great for those with wider feet and Sanita’s (my personal favorite) are better for those with narrow feet.
To get the most out of your clogs, or any nursing shoe really, you NEED compression socks. These help circulate blood in your feet and legs and will help prevent spider veins! They also keep my feet from throbbing during and after my shift, which is a huge bonus.
In the end, don’t psych yourself out about moving to night shift. Adjust your sleep schedule, drink some coffee/water and do your thing. You got this!
And if you find yourself getting nervous before your shifts, visit How to Overcome Pre-Shift Anxiety for Nurses.
Don’t miss out on these helpful blogs for new nurses as well!
- 10 Amazon Must Haves for New Grad Nurses
- How to Get the Most Out of Your Preceptorship
- Nursing Bag Essentials for New Nurses
- Tips for New Nurses on Calling the Doctor
- Essentials of a Good Bedside Handoff Report
- How to Handle Aggressive Patients
- How to Cope with the Death of a Patient