My ER is switching everyone to rotating shifts starting next month. Two weeks of days, two weeks of nights, repeat. I've done straight nights for three years and I've finally got my sleep figured out.
For anyone who's done rotating long term, how do you actually survive the flip? Do you split the difference on your days off or just crash and power through? I've got two kids, so 'sleep whenever' isn't really an option. I'm also wondering if anyone has successfully pushed back on this with their manager, or if I should just start looking at other EDs now.
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Post replyEvery time staffing gets tight, admin decides the fix is to make the schedule worse for the people who stayed. Then they act shocked when the night shift veterans walk and the new grads are running the department at 3am.
Same boat, three kids. Start looking now. Even if your ED backs down, you'll know your options.
We pushed back as a group when ours tried this. Eight of us signed a letter asking for permanent night slots for anyone who wanted them, and they kept a small dedicated night crew. It only worked because they knew they'd lose experienced people. One person complaining alone got nowhere.
Is this coming from your manager or from above them? That makes a big difference in whether pushing back goes anywhere.
What I do on the flip to nights is stay up late the night before, sleep in as long as the kids allow, then nap in the afternoon before my first shift. Going back to days I sleep about four hours after my last night and force myself to bed at a normal time. The first day back is rough no matter what.
Two week blocks is honestly the least bad version of rotating. My old unit flipped us every three or four days and I spent two years feeling permanently jet lagged.