working night shift.
Posted By: in-house employee on 2006-05-12
In Reply to:
I recently read an ad about a company hiring MT and giving a sign on bonus to work the graveyard shift. I thought about applying. I did a few graveyard shifts when I was a nurse’s aide though they were not consistent, just here and there. It was rough, but it was easier for me to recover because I did not have kids back then nor the responsibilities I have now.
If I did it consistently, is it easy to adjust? How do you adjust? Do you have to drink a lot of coffee? lol. Is there usually more work available at night then say M-F, 8 to 5.
TIA
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1st night on 3rd shift and still
but i started at 11 p.m., and notice that my line count for first hour was credited to yesterdays work. so -- is this just a fact of life for 3rd shifters?
night shift
My life currently revolves around babysitting my 15 month old grandson all day, somedays he arrives at 5:30 a.m., others it is 7:00 a.m. stays with me anywhere until 2:00 to 5:00 pm. (his mom is in nursing school with somewhat irregular hours depending on her clinical days). I get on and transcribe from 7:00 p.m. until midnight or sometimes 1:00 a.m. five days a week. I absolutely force myself to take a one hour nap before my shift starts(never more than 1 hour). It helps so much. At first it was hard to do, but it really does help me stay awake and now it is almost natural to do it. Darken the room and keep away from the TV, unplug the phone. Of course, I can't live without caffeine either. Good luck with you new job/new shift
Night Shift
I have a 3 year old and I work late hours, but they seem to work for me. I work for a few hours in the a.m. and then I go back to work after she goes to sleep and work until about 4:00 a.m. I take Friday nights off. I've been doing this for so long it's second nature. I usually sleep from 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays my husband lets me sleep in. I also have a soon to be 13 year old and she's very helpful on weekend mornings. Once she goes to pre-school I'll change my work hours.
I would blame it on too many years of night shift, but I have done it
x
You get more working the evening or night shifts and working w/o benefits. And producing like a mad
,
Well! Tonight is the night I start 3rd shift. Any suggestions on how
how to handle sleep deprivation. 
I work Tuesday through Saturday on the night shift. sm
I really like the off shifts when no one else wants to work. I get a lot of work at those times, and I don't mind being out having fun when everyone else is at work.
Me, too. I expect to be paid overtime and night shift for that! nm
x
I love the night shift! No interruptions and more work on the system.
I agree with poster below - Power NAPs! I am a napper, need my nap about 30 minutes to 1 hour, before my shift and a pot of coffee sometimes 2 gets me through!
Work Tuesday through Sunday morning on night shift. nm
x
Been at home for over a year now and I switched to night shift. I work for a national. Started out
working the night shift and sleeping in shifts during the day. My kids are way older but that doesn't mean they don't interrupt me. Besides, there the phone issue, more interruptions, the dogs bothered me a lot, too. Love them dearly but, oh so spoiled. It was taking me 10 hours to do what I can do in 8 on nights, plus I manage to get more sleep, if you can believe that. I still get supper on the table, vacuum, laundry, etc. So far it is working pretty good, so I think I will put in for permanent night hours for awhile. No sense in working 10 when I can work 8.
By working an eight hour shift?
I tried working 3-11 shift as an LPN when my children
were teenagers. Never again would I do that (even though they're grown now) unless it was an absolute necessity. I never saw my children or my husband. I didn't get into transcription at home until they had both finished high school. I only wish I had known there were jobs like this when my children were little. I missed so much by not being available for them at home. Best wishes to you which ever way you choose to go. 
Working 11-7 shift as LPN in nursing home.
Would not want to go back there!!!!!!
to poster below who is talking about working an 8 hour shift
I just read your posts and they are really bothersome. Why just because someone asks how to achieve 1000 lines in 3 or 4 hours would you flame them like that? Why would you assume that person would want to work less than 8 hours just because they asked that question?
Most people, especially MTs, want to make the most of their time whether it be 3 hours or 8 hours. Most MTs want to be productive since that is how we make our living. Why wouldn't anyone with a brain want to increase their line count from 1000 lines in 8 hours to 2000 lines in 8 hours if they could?
I think it is a shame that so many get mad and become rude to others because they are doing more than them. They are sharing their advice on how to become quicker and I wish that you would just let them do it for the rest of us!
I mean, if you want to work 8 hours and make squat go ahead. The rest of us would like to bring in the cash and double our speed and work the same amount of time thank you!
Should clarify, I was an IC for a company working a split shift. nm
d
working 3rd shift and weekends sometimes gives you bonus incentive pay. nm
x
working all night
Not all night, but usually for about an hour, as I can't sleep.
Need input from all you "night owls" working graveyard shift!
I am considering working nights, since it seems that's where the pay is higher. Do you go to bed in morning after your shift ends, or do you stay awake for a couple of hours, and go to bed, say 10 or 11 am. How many hours during the day do you sleep; or do you just take a nap in the morning, and go to bed around 6 or 7 p.m. and sleep until it's time for your shift to start? Input on getting a balance, and staying awake during shift. I worked that shift for a while in the past, but never could balance it out. It seems I was always sleeping and had no time to do anything else, other than sleep and work. Thanks
I prefer working a shorter shift 6 to 7 days a week. SM
I work hard when I work to put out a lot of lines per hour, which is very tiring. Also, my company has a work flow/volume problem, and this allows me to schedule my hours for those times when work is most likely to be available.
Regarding having a life, in a 24-hour day, subtracting say 8 hours for sleep leaves 16 hours, and subtracting 6 hours for work leaves 10 hours every day for "life," a luxuriance of time if you don't have young children or other heavy responsibilities filling them with other work.
The trick (sometimes it is a trick!) is be firm with yourself, and others, and get the work out of the way briskly and on schedule, such as those early-morning or evening and split schedules, and not drag it out through the entire day, sandwiched in between TV shows, phone chats, family duties, and so on.
Thanks. I purchased a three way plug last night and it appears to be working and yes for the-sm
poster above it does have a filter on it but the way it plugs in I needed the extra plug so I could still be connected to the computer for my fax to work. Thanks again for the help.
Ah, you've discovered the secret of working at night!! Shhhh....
Everyone will be doing the same! I work nights and weekends, have for years and years. Don't worry - you will get used to it, and its GREAT! Most companies will pay a higher rate for nights, you NEVER run out of work as long as you're on acute care, dictators are usually GREAT - don't know why, but have always been for me, and same on weekends. Never a lack of work on my end for over 10 years! You won't find me scrambling to literally pull the dictation out of a doctor's mouth, along with 100 other MTs signed on waiting to get 1 poor report to trickle thru...But remember - its our secret!
I saw HOWIE last night on a late night episode of Blind Date. too funny.
I'm thinking if they are smart they'll boot Rachel. I think she's really smart and a good player. I don't think Howie is all that smart or able to be a winner. I think this could force Howie to hook up with James to go for the final 2.
It's taco night! (again.....) We had taco pizza last night, southwestern chicken soup before th
Maybe I'll just have a salad.
hit left Shift key 3 times, then right Shift key 3 times -
nm
Ditto....granted I am not working much these days, but am currently trying out a new way of working
when I do work which seems to be helping. I am timing myself and keeping a log of how long it takes to to type however many minutes. I am averaging anywhere from 13-18 minutes of dictation an hour now doing this. Granted the time fluctuates between who I am typing, and if I have to look up names, addresses, etc., just depends on the division I am doing at the time. But work that used to take me 3 hours to do is now taking me under 2 hours, I am also trying to put in more macros as I go along, which slows me down initially but pays off in the long run of course. I was working "all the time" before but took forever to get done since I was not applying myself. This new "attitude" has helped me a lot. My goal, in the Fall, is to do 90 minutes a day consistently at 6 hours, and then maybe get up to 120 minutes a day at 8 hours, still while having at least half of the day free (do 60 minutes at night, and the other 60 by Noon). Thereby doing 1200-1400 lines a day. I have never really buckled down and done more than 8000 lines per pay period, so it will be a nice change. Maybe you can do something like that and have a specific knock off time as was suggested below. 
Working holidays? Out shopping in stores where someone IS working
that holiday you refuse to work? Grocery stores, food joints & seems any store is open on holidays and you expect them to be fully staffed, so why shouldn't we?
Yes, I took off for the first time on Christmas day, in 18 years and it was great, but I worked Christmas eve and this whole past weekend.
Someone has to do it!
1st, 2nd, 3rd shift????
My husband is a correctional officer, and his 1st shift is considered 12 am - 8 am, 2nd is 8 am - 4 pm, and 3rd is 4 pm - 12 am. I get the impression that most MT companies consider 1st shift as day shift, 2nd as evening and 3rd as 12 am - morning hours. Can anyone clarify this for me? Thanks.
Just put another pot on for my 2nd shift of the day! nm
x
Shift F9
m
Shift F9...
Type is RAD this weekend and mine was shift F9, which will bring up menu with spell check selection, which will give an info window, return and then it will start. But as mentioned always be at the top of report or it will say "done" as it does not automatically start from top. If this does not work use your F1 Help menu to find it.
Third shift
I was just working third shift and my hours were 11 pm to 7:30 am. Another coworker who also works third shift works 9 pm to 5:30 am. I think it varies by company. I hated third shift. I guess others love it, I was not one of them. I was on it for a year and a half and never could adjust to it. I would think long and hard before taking another third shift position, because it is so hard to get off third shift. But, like I said, there are many others that love third shift.
3rd shift
When I was on that shift, I would get away from my desk, walk around a bit, wash my face and get another cup of coffee.
Try to take a nap right before your shift (sm)
if you can, say even 20 minutes. Track the times you get up in the morning (or during the day if you work 3rd shift). If you can sleep a little later, this will help by the end of the day. I like to snack while I work, but to stay awake, I can't eat a thing!
Shift+F9.
.
working IN A HOSPITAL is different than working at home.
Someone can steal you identity from the internet if they want to. Why would you go to the time and trouble to jeopardize a job that requires some level of skill to steal someone's identity or medical records? You could get a job as a retail clerk and get info easier than going through the testing required to become an MT.
Somehow working at home translates into not really working
My in-laws are the worst. Whenever they plan something last minute and my husband says that I had to work, they say, "but she works at home!". When I one time mentioned I had a "schedule" and basically punch a clock and work full time, I don't think they believed me. They will sometimes call mid-day during the week if they are in the area to see if I want to go for lunch, etc! The best is, my husband doesn't make all that much money, so where is it coming from, the money fairy? I am ready to strangle someone! So I know how you feel and I'm sorry it upset you. You are not alone.
Cherrypicking at end of shift
What about when you just have a little bit of time left on your shift and you want to shuffle through and pick up some short jobs instead of the 25-minute psych report or the long consult that will put you way over your shift?
9 CPL, incentives, shift, 65 CPL
with spaces. I live in the Pacific NW, company is on the east coast.
Shift Lead MT/QA
In this position currently at 15.00 per hour.
How do you adjust to a 3rd shift job? nm
nm
split shift
split shifts are great! you will do much, much better if you split your 8 hours up by 4 and 4. Early in the day and then late evening are usually the best.
What exactly is a shift lead MT?
Shift question
I don't want to appear ignorant but I have always worked M-F. Now am getting ready to look for a new position and am curious if I work third shift Sunday thru Thursday, I guess that means 11 o'clock Saturday night to 7 Sunday morning or does it mean 11 o'clock Sunday night (which would actually be Monday morning) Thanks
Your company might consider 4/5p-12a.m. to be second shift, tho'. Better ask.
b
Split shift
Employee; afternoon and late night/early morning split shift.
third shift tedium
My shift of preference happens to be the third shift.
The work I do entails the defragmentation of rail cars, both sitting on designated tracks or inbound morning trains at o430 in the early morning hour.
I work under the stars, amidst the rain, through the snow and whatever else mother nature throws my way. The traffic on days is run by frantic old timers,,hacking their tired lungs through yet another day.
We on third, punctuate our time with home cooked food, ample caffeine and sometimes a 45 minute nap, depending on inbound traffic.
If you consider moving and arranging several million pounds of rail freight hard work,, some do , some don't . For me, the Federal Rules test cause more stress and shortened lifespan tendencies than life itself.
Speaking of a typical day, I try to sleep at least four or five hours during the am. Up by noon, I exist in a surreal, dreamlike state till dinner and family time. Gardening and woodsplitting fill some of my days...By early evening I return to my cave for two hours or so of eyelid resting time...up by ten, at work by llpm..five nites a week...I live for the weekend, campfires, cervesa, music, friends, family and the Sunday, New York Times...and a little jogging now and then..or researching Krav Maga techniques...
Life can be short, live well....ajf
3rd shift work
Just looking for any tips on how to stay awake transcribing 3rd shift. I recently switched my hours from days to nights and am having LOTS of trouble staying awake about midway through. Any helpful 3rd shifters out there that care to share their strategies???? 
Third shift Provigil
Provigil is really great. I first got it because I had excessive daytime sleepiness. Insurance would not cover it, unless it was narcolepsy. So, I paid 10 dollars a pill for a while. Then, I found out I could order a 3-month 30-day supply from Canada for 300.00 which is about what insurance would cost if it covered.
I took the sleep study, and found there was nothing wrong. Insurance would not cover it. But since I was tired during the day I started working 3rd shift, and the Provigil was a dream. I am continuing to use it along with B vitamin supplements and taking a break every hour to walk around. If you can go to the doc to get the Provigil, get the Rx, and try to get it from Canada in the mail. Good luck!
I just completed my shift for the day and
I had an easy doc for most of my shift today and she does mammograms and so it is copy and paste and change the necessary material. I worked on Meditech once, and found it very cumbersome. My platform now is word based and I love it. I get an accurate line count daily.
GRAVEYARD SHIFT
I totally disagree with this study, for multiple reasons. I agree with some of the posts, stating that it would depend upon if you are getting enough sleep, whether you work the graveyard shift or not. People working regular shift often get only a couple of hours of sleep, because they are out at bars all night, drinking, etc.
However, I work the graveyard shift, usually 11 pm to 6 am. I am working, while my husband is sleeping. Right after work, I go to bed, and sleep anywhere between 10 to 12 hours. Then, when my husband comes home, we have the whole evening together!
Also, do they take into consideration that many graveyard shift workers work in factory situations where they are exposed to lots of other things, like toxic chemicals, etc.? I read about it in the paper, too, and it mentioned that the increase in the cancer effect of the graveyard shift workers began in the 1930's, with the "industrial" boom --- what about those effects on cancer, not the time of day you do it.
I also feel that I can produce more in the same time frame doing MT at nite, with less stress of all the other noises of the day, and not having the phone ringing off the hook!
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