Nights

I've been reading a lot of posts on NMM, blogs and a family member's facebook who has just started FY1 (Foundation Year 1 Doctor) about doing their first set of nights. We midwifery students don't get to escape nights and frequently do a run of at least 3 if not 4 nights. They're something I'm quite looking forward to not doing (compulsory) when I go to med school, but I think there a few places where I would volunteer to do nights like on A&E, and hadn't I done midwifery definitely Obs&Gynae- most babies are born at night, and we get a fair few deliveries on nights!!!

But there a few things I love about nights:

• We wear scrubs everywhere... not just on labour ward.
• There are none of the crappy 'politics' which some of my fellow cohort have had the misfortune of experiencing ie, we are actually allowed to sit and eat/drink tea/have our break with our mentor/other midwives and not be kicked out of the unit to the canteen (depending on who is on in charge ;) ).
• It's more relaxed, well before it hits 2/3am and everyone gets really tired and the red bull comes out.
• I have the opportunity to talk to doctors (esp FY1/2s and the ST1) about med school and being a junior doctor- which is great and some have even taught me their cannula techniques using a biro drawn blue line on a swab !
• I'm more likely to deliver a baby :)

Then there are the couple of things I don't like:

• It's scary in the hospital at night on the PN ward, ahhh don't like it!!!
• I travel 2 hours each way on the bus-train-busx2 so it's really tough, I get my minimal 8hours and literally get up have shower put clothes on and leave again, no time for eating a meal or even a quick bite at home, first bit of food will be about 2am, 7 hours since waking up.

Really don't want a set of nights on my last ever PN Ward placement which begins in 2 weeks :