Evening shift advice

[krob0]

I will be starting my first job as a hospitalist PA working the evening shift (2pm-midnight). Does anyone have any advice for working this shift such as morning and sleep schedules? Do you feel like you lose your social life a bit? 

Just love to get some insight from people who have or are working this shift. I have no kids but live with a SO who works days. The job is just a certain # of shifts per quarter and working ~every other weekend 

[greenmood]

You shouldn't be too messed up by that, especially if you are ALWAYS working that shift and not switching between days/evenings/nights.

When you get home (let's say 2am for arguments sake) just go to sleep. If I was coming back on the following afternoon I would sleep until 10am, get my day stuff done, and then return to work. You won't see your SO on days you're working no matter when you sleep. If I was off following my last shift I would get up earlier to reset myself. You'll be tired the first evening off, but it's easier to get back on a full day schedule if you bite the bullet the first day.

This is just my experience switching between nights and days. As for a social life... yes, you won't see your SO on days you're working. So in that respect the social life will change. And maybe you'll miss going out in the evenings on the weekends you work. Neither of those things is really modifiable.

[EMEDPA]

I prefer all nights to rotating day/swing/night.

[krob0]

19 hours ago, greenmood said:

You shouldn't be too messed up by that, especially if you are ALWAYS working that shift and not switching between days/evenings/nights.

When you get home (let's say 2am for arguments sake) just go to sleep. If I was coming back on the following afternoon I would sleep until 10am, get my day stuff done, and then return to work. You won't see your SO on days you're working no matter when you sleep. If I was off following my last shift I would get up earlier to reset myself. You'll be tired the first evening off, but it's easier to get back on a full day schedule if you bite the bullet the first day.

This is just my experience switching between nights and days. As for a social life... yes, you won't see your SO on days you're working. So in that respect the social life will change. And maybe you'll miss going out in the evenings on the weekends you work. Neither of those things is really modifiable.

Great, thanks for the advice! I will be on permanent evenings with the occasional need to cover night or day shift, which I believe will be rare. I figure if working 4 days a week then that’s still 3 days having evenings at home or out with the SO which seems doable.