Nurseys, Nightshifts and Insomnia

[DisasterArea]

any nurses out there who have managed to convine occupational health the excuse them from having to work nights?
my sleep patterns are utterly fucked up by chopping and changing from nights to days. meaning that on my days off i have to do nothing but sleep and when i should be asleep because i'm working next day i can't.
will be phoning occ health tomorrow. need ammo.

Sighs deeply,I wish!!

I think over the years am gradually adopting a Maggie Thatcher sleep pattern (eek)

Sadly 24 hr rotation is in the contract.

Any OP jobs you could do,nice regularish hours possible??

no shite job shite hours. tis really getting beyond a joke though and if i can't sleep am liable to kill someone eventually.

Can you approach your manager?

Are you horrendously shortstaffed? (Ponders stupidity of question- its the NHS AND WINTER IS APPROACHING,OF COURSE YOU ARE :O)

Is a career break a possibility,or rotation to another area or somesuch?

I really sympathise.Its crappola sometimes isn't it?

usually set of 4 nights each 4 weeks.
and of bloody course we have no bloody staff and too many bloody patients. would love a career break. could write that novel....travel the world....catch up on sleep.....ah well when i win the lottery

i know the occ health forms probe about nights. and if you have certain health issues you don't have to do them. i know that a fucked up body rhythm thingy isn't as bad as epilepsy or other stuff but am seriously worried about cocking up.

Hmm,maybe it is worth approaching your manager (Presuming they are sympathetic) and outlining your concerns.Are you in a union,maybe your rep could help.GP/occy health maybe a good idea too.Do you self roster or is it pre written,do you hve any say in shift patterns,could you request or take the odd al day or something?It might be worth trying HR too.Sorry I'm clutching at straws here.I know how you feel.I often ring work and say Oh I dunno if I did this blah blah blah and spend inordinate amounts of time worrying if I've forgotten to do/document summat important.Its blardy awful at times.

Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?

Yeah night shifts can really screw with you. Is there a way you can pitch to the ward manager to reduce the amount of nights you do in one go?
I work on a manic MAU, and the one thing I will say is that the nurses RARELY have to go above 3 nights in a row. I know its only one less than your doin, but I find it makes all the difference when your trying to switch back to days