Hello, Night Shift.

I switched over from days to nights the last week of October. I've gotten a lot of questions about how it's going, what's the difference, is it hard to stay awake, etc. I'll say it's literally as different as night and day. I think it's been easier to have charting done by shift change. The craziness is more at the beginning, with some "chill" time from midnight to 4, and then things pick up again. At this point, I think I still prefer the steady craziness of day shift. Overall, things are going well… The other night nurses are great. And I only have one week left on orientation!

The adorable 31 lunch bag from my coworkers!

Things I've learned…

• I can't eat vegetables & hummus in the middle of the night. These had been staple parts of my lunches. I also had generally been packing like a meat & cheese sandwich. But I can't handle the smell or taste at 2 AM. So now all I eat is a PB&J sandwich. Sometimes applesauce. 

• I don't have problems sleeping during the day… but I also can no longer sleep at night. Even on my days off. And being awake during the day is extremely challenging. I'm dead until like 3-4 PM. Maybe I'll just become a night lifer. It's amazing how much you can get done at night. Seriously. Try it. 

• A major pro is that I can wake up at like 4 and get in a quick workout before going to work. Whereas that would never happen before a day shift. It's a great start to the evening! 

In the words of a fellow night nurse:

"I sleep when I can. Eat when I'm hungry. 
And that's all I know."

I worked Halloween night. It was super fun to be able to dress up. And I've always wanted to be the Pink Power Ranger. Shout out to the mother for making covers for my Ugg boots!