I did it for 5 years and never had a problem. You have to develop a sleep routine and stick to it. I slept every day from 915 am to 340pm and I was good to go. Never took a nap before going to work, but I have a pretty high energy level,. It make time some time to adjust but after 2 or 3 weeks if you stick to regular sleep hours, you should be good to go.
I slept with a darkened room, a fan for “white noise” phone recorder on, family & friends having my schedule. I stayed sane by strong support system that watched my schedule well. I recorded favorite TV shows & movies so my time off was filled with my favorites.
I planned to get to the unit at least 15-20 minutes early & knew I’d be at the unit 15-20 minutes after. I learned to say “no” to extra shifts & making 8 hour into 12 or 16 hours.
I had books & nursing education to read in spare moments. I had co-workers who “covered” for quick “potty breaks” as many units believe you should only go to the restroom on your 30 minute break.
I “picked the brains” of nurses floating in, as I knew I’d be the first to float out of my unit, & wanted a friendly face on other units.
I tried to stay social with other RNs in my unit. I wanted to know we could have each others’ backs.
We had a true pecking order for vacation time, holidays to work, education opportunities, you name it.
Most nurses do not get a different shift for 2-3 years.
