Night shift

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I got back to where I belong in the ED.Â What I didn’t say is that I am back on night shift.Â I’m not complaining, in fact I am extremely happy.Â Â But I have not worked night shifts on a regular schedule for about three years, so I am a bit concerned.

I have hired nurses who were worried about working nights.Â I always had advice about how to do it, to get through it and learn how to be a nurse on the night shift.Â But when it comes to me, I don’t know if my advice will work.

As all of you who work nights probably remember, the first few months were the worst.Â Trying to adjust your body to living what I call the backwards life is tough.Â Also, the last time I worked night shift on a regular basis my daughter was a baby, she slept all the time, which meant I slept, it worked out great.Â Now I have a big kid, who doesn’t understand how to be quiet when daddy is trying to take a nap, who doesn’t understand why daddy has to sleep during the day when she is up, ready to play.

We will figure it out as a family, plus the night shift differential is a plus!

Rob Cameron

Rob Cameron is currently a staff nurse in a level II trauma center. He has primarily been an ED nurse for most of his career, but he has also been a nurse manager for Surgical Trauma and Telemetry unit. He has worked in Med/Surg, Critical Care, Hospice, Rehab, an extremely busy cardiology clinic and pretty much anywhere he's been needed. Prior to his career in nursing, Rob worked in healthcare finance and management. Rob feels this experience has given him a perspective on nursing that many never see. He loves nursing because of all the options he has within the field. He is currently a grad student working on an MSN in nursing leadership, and teaches clinicals at a local university. Away from work, Rob spends all of his time with his wife and daughter. He enjoys cycling and Crossfit. He is a die hard NASCAR fan. Sundays you can find Rob watching the race with his daughter.