Most jobs have pretty simple schedules. You go in during the morning, leave at night, sleep, and come back the next morning. Nursing is not «most jobs.» When you’re a nurse, you could be working the night shift one day and working a day shift the very next day. It really does a number on your circadian rhythm.
Once you get a big girl job, you’d think you’d have a more consistent schedule, going in the same time every week and getting used to the consistent yet grueling hours you need to work. If you’re a nurse, you know that theory does not work in practice. It feels like you’re working more than you’re not working, and waiting for the dreaded bi-weekly schedule makes you feel like you’re still functioning at the same stress levels as a service worker.
If you or someone you love has fallen victim to the night shift, you may be entitled to financial compensation. That, or you might enjoy the following nursing memes.