Waking night residential support worker

[newstarter8]

I'm due to start a new job as working as a waking night support worker in a residential home working with young people with disabilities. Has anyone else done this sort of role before and can tell me more about it? Particularly what you would do on a typical shift etc? I've only got a brief outline and won't know fully know everything until I start my training and I'm nervous as it's a different area than I'm used to.

Also any tips to help manage with waking nights and working 10 hour shifts? I'm used to working in the day for 7-8 hours max.

Hi, I did it for 7 years in a really small setting with max 6 people with learning disabilities.

A night shift would be 9pm start to 7am.

I would arrive, get a handover from the day staff, go round and check everyone, if they weren't in bed yet then they would need to be hoisted into bed, toileted, made comfy, pads changed.

We would then have general housekeeping duties such as hoovering, mopping, washing clothes, ironing, emptying bins. The rest of the night was just checking in on the residents as required, we used to sit and watch TV in the lounge or read. 2am to 4am is the worst time.

Then around 5.30 am we used to change pads again, administer any medication and write up the daily records noting what had happened overnight.

Obviously it wasn't always that simple, over my time there I learnt how to change stomas, administer epilepsy medication, set up overnight gastric feeding tubes. We also had 2 overnight deaths which were difficult.

Overall it was a very rewarding job and I miss it sometimes, it was ideal when my kids were young as we didn't need childcare.

Good luck!

On your first night just power through the tiredness with coffee/red bull etc

Then make sure you eat a good breakfast and go to bed and get a good sleep. I used to sleep 9-3 when kids were at school.

You do get used to it but I used to find 3 or 4 nights in a row easier.

@Fifiellz thank you that's really helpful. I'm sure I am overthinking it all. It sounds fine. I've had conflicting experiences from day staff I know who have worked there and they have panicked me.

I'm most worried I will fall asleep by accident. I doubt it as I will be with something for awhile before I will be on my own. I will stock up on drinks and snack too. I have 2 nights together so hopefully a set pattern will help. To begin with I am going to have to sleep before the shift so I'm waking up and starting 'my day' on the shift if that makes sense which I hope works ok.