On the Overnights

Several years ago I decided that I wanted to work the overnight shifts, partly because the kids were grown and being a night-owl I found myself very lonely with no one home.  Then I added critters to my life and realized that I really enjoyed being around them and night time was no fun for grooming horses and playing with the ducks and chickens, by night fall the cats were out roaming and didn't want to cuddle and the dogs were sleeping and couldn't be bothered.  So my option was to switch shifts and since I did enjoy staying up until 2 in the morning I figured it would be no sweat....Well I was wrong, up until 2 AM I was going strong but that time from 3 to 4 found me sleep walking, reading care plans over and over and still not getting it and then of course my handwriting was worse than any physicians!  I started out writing nurses notes with clarity but by the time I signed my name and credentials  you couldn't tell who the heck wrote that mess....So I needed to adjust my time and stay up even on my days off the problem is I live with someone who gets up faithfully everyday at 5 AM and is out the door by 5:30 to boot we live in a one room cottage (this winter to expand to two rooms and a bath...yea!!!) so staying up all night long posed a problem, plus hearing him snore made me tired.  So after trial and error I found a little nap before work fixed the problem.  Having the day to spend with the animals and go on shopping sprees  has  been very nice, I spend more money but still nice.

A Typical overnight is helping an resident that is still up, cooking meals for the next day and cleaning.  Then there is laundry and lots and lots of paperwork...Paperwork for everything and anything.  Document, document, document....In the Residential Care Industry or the Group home where I work it is all about the Residents and I just love working in this field...It reminds me of going down to my Great Aunt and Uncle's house and puttering around helping with chores.  And to me like having numerous aunts and uncles and grandparents, very rewarding.  

When I first started working the overnights for this company I did not realize that I would be cooking as much as I do....and if they knew my cooking skills they might have thought twice, but I have a great cookbook with a Nutritionists Menu and I have done ok with it...hahaha  I work on both sides of the House during the week and each side has a resident cat, Side 1 has Oreo whom I call Oreo Cookie as he looks like an Oreo Cookie!  Side 2 has a younger female cat that each of the residents named so she ended up being called Daisy Mae Greta Garbo High Street  whom I call with the treat can shaking side to side....I also get to do the Medications Count for the day and as I am sure you know it is very regulated fortunately  for me I work with very professional people and all of them are by the book so it makes it easy and error free....I do have to mention that the house is a duplex but an old old house that was renovated, nice wood floors and all the creaks and cracks and noises that go with creepy old houses that have been renovated. So being quiet is very hard to do.  I try to get all the running around here and there cleaning done first, leave the cooking for mid shift and the laundry into the last part of the shift.  Being able to watch FOX News throughout the night is a plus too and HGTV a must see at some point...

So in the end I am very happy with the overnights and will stay with them.  This gives me time to Ride and do some sightseeing, I am hoping to get some pictures up very soon....