no more day shifts.

photo from the middle of the night with all my lights on to keep me awake.

no more day shifts for this girl, my orientation is quickly coming to an end and soon i'll be on my own.

my official start date was monday, january 6, 2014. my first day on the unit in scrubs was monday, january 13th, 2014. which totals roughly 5 weeks of orientation shifts. i officially have 6 more shifts remaining guaranteed, and 2 next week where i will either orient or be on my own.

the funny thing about nursing, and any job that works with people for that matter is that i will never know everything. i will continue to learn and grow into a more confident, independent nurse, but at the end of the day i will never know everything. i was talking to some of the other nurses on the unit on whether or not i fell "ready" to be on my own, and i think it's such a funny thing to ask. part of me is enjoying the luxury of having 1 patient load for 2 nurses and could enjoy this forever (unrealistic i know), but the other part is ready to be my own nurse without people looking over my shoulder and double-checking everything i do. what i told the other nurses was that orientation is good for a couple things; one, getting to know the unit and the system of where you work, each hospital, each unit lead, each doctor is going to have expectations that orientation guides you through on how to navigate the culture and system of the workplace culture. two, it was a great refresher because for me i hadn't been in a hospital since may of 2013 and reminding myself how to do even the little things was good. as for am i ready? well, yes, i think, but only because i know i'm never going to know how to do everything, and two i only will really remember how to do things once i start really doing them on my own without prompting. i also am looking forward to working alongside skilled nurses and i'll never be alone. i think the biggest asset i bring into a new job is my ability and willingness to problem solve and figure out solutions, but knowing my limits and when to ask questions. i like being independent and being self-sufficient. i like the relationship i can build with my patients when i'm the only nurse they have for the day.

so selfishly i am excited to start working on my own to challenge myself and really start to begin my career as an independent nurse. i also look forward to proving myself to my boss, co-workers, and peers that it was a good choice they hired me and that i am a qualified individual for the position.

what i enjoyed about the day shift:
- schedule
- sleeping at night when it's dark out
- availability of resources & doctors
- surrounded by staff that have been nurses for a long time and have a wealth of knowledge

what i look forward to about the night shift:
- slower pace
- quiet of the hospital
- the younger nurses i'll work with that are more similar to my age
- proving to myself i can do it


last night i worked 3pm - 11:30pm and got home around midnight. i challenged myself to stay awake until 3:15am by doing laundry, eating a big meal when i got home, cleaning the kitchen. i then fell asleep by 3:30am and slept until noon. I then ate a large breakfast. my plan is to take 1 more nap before i leave and aim for a late dinner (8 or 9). Then I'll bring a smaller meal for during my shift.

i am no expert in switching my sleep schedule, and for people that know me i need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night, and most nights my lights are out and technology turned off by 10pm every night. i keep telling myself it is just a matter of routine and figuring out the best time to go to bed and sticking to it. i have a small tickle in my throat and a potential of a cold coming on; so that's not good going into my week of overnight shift. we'll see how it goes.

here's to all things new again, learning, and stretching my limits!