. . . Is completely different from day shift! I usually struggle to stay awake from around 2AM-5AM. I'm pretty sure that's because I'm bored to death! Working in a hospital the size of UAB and then coming to a smaller, nonteaching facility is like moving from a town of 150,000 to 2,000. Just the dynamics of the hospital are different, and my role as a nurse is different. It's very difficult to get used to. Here, I am not allowed to do many of the things I would be expected to do back home, simply because that task is assigned to another discipline. Combine that with the general patient population of my unit here (the acuity is not as high) and working at night when doctors aren't here and most patients sleep, and you are left with me feeling pretty useless. It's easy money, but almost guilty money. I know that by the time these 8 weeks are up I will be ready to be busy again.
Because of this, I am thinking I will be able to pick up a lot of extra days. This week I worked Monday and Tuesday during the day (9 and 10 hours each), and then Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night. Last night was extra for me.
On the upside, when I got off of work this morning and went to sleep, I actually slept about 7 hours straight, without waking up! Of course when my body gets used to it, I have a few days off! I will admit that I am enjoying very much the lack of a commute associated with this job versus my two hour commute back home. I didn't realize how much of my day it sucked out!! I have been going to the gym everyday since I've been here because I have nothing else to do! Let's hope it pays off!
So for those of you who are wanting advice on travel nursing: I say go for it! I think this will be a good experience for me in that I will see how things are done in other places, while giving me confidence that I have a solid critical care background and can handle anything! Thanks UAB!!
Now I guess I'm going to decide what to do. The laundry doesn't do itself, but I think that it's time I get a gym break!
Love and miss you all!
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