A Nurse on Night duty

What do you think,Is night duty easy to do?

Night duty is a silent battle no one really understands except who’s doing. while the world sleeps,hospitals stay awake. and in those long,quiet hours, nurses likes us become silent warriors. People see the uniform,the smile,the calmness-but only those who have worked night shifts know the real truth behind it.

HOW I FEEL…..

I still remember my first night duty felt like it happened yesterday. it was around 7:55 PM when I entered the ward, and the moment i stepped inside, something felt different. I had never worked in this ward before, and that made everything even more overwhelming(i felt like this).

I was nervous…. I didn’t know the where to start, the patients,documents,and the all surroundings makes me anxious. Everything around me looked so terrible and busy,and i felt like the only lost person in the entire ward. i kept telling myself, “just survive tonight, i will give my resignation tomorrow cause everything is making me terrible here”. oh!! what is that feeling, I was extremely underconfident, trembling inside. My heart kept thinking: “what if i mess up?” “what if i can’t handle anything?” I convinced myself that everything was too difficult….. but the truth was something else. At the end, I realised it was just a feeling- a fear inside me that was making me anxious from start something new.

HOW IT EFFECTS MY HEALTH..

Night duty doesn’t just test my patience….. it silently affects my health too. and i felt this deeply.

My sleeps cycle broke completely. After the night shift, I couldn’t sleep properly. Even when i tried, my mind was full of noise, call bells,patient voices. I would wake up tired, irritated and mentally drained. It felt like my body forgot how to rest.
Constant headache became normal to me. Head started hurting every single day. Everything was the mix of sleeplessness, stress, indigestion ,bright lights and the cardiac monitor beep keep ringing in background.
Digestion problems : Because of my disturbed routine, Indigestion felt normal to me. Night shift and Bad meal timings hurt the stomach more than we realise.

BUT THE BIGGEST REALISATION….. Night duty affected my health in many ways, but opened my eyes. it shows me:

My body deserves care.

My mental health matters.

My emotions are valid. and its’s okay to step back when something hurts you.

Night duty taught me something very important- “Health is not just about surviving. its’s about living without losing yourself”.

Is There Something That Excites you to Do Night Shift?

Yes, night duty is not always stressful. When people hear “night duty,” they think of dark corridors, sleepy eyes, and endless hours.And honestly, yes — it is tiring, stressful, and emotionally heavy.But even after all this, people often ask me:“Is there anything that actually excites you about night shift?”

And surprisingly…Yes. There are a few things that still excite me as a nurse on night duty.

1. The Silence That Helps Me Think Clearly:

Day shifts are always loud — patients talking, families asking questions, doctors coming and going.But nights are different. There is a calmness.

A silence.

A space where I can hear my own breath.This silence makes me feel peaceful, even for a few minutes.I can focus better, think better, and honestly… breathe better.

2. Helping Patients When They Need It the Most :

Patients feel the most scared during the night. When I help someone at 3 AM…When they say “thank you, sister”…When they sleep comfortably again because of me…It gives me a strange happiness.A feeling that I matter.That my presence is important.

3. The Small Moments of Bravery:

Night duty made me face my fears:

• Walking alone in silent corridors

• Handling emergencies

• Staying awake when my body wants to sleep

• Making decisions quickly, Every time I survive one night, I feel stronger.Like I won another small battle.This feeling… it excites me.

And Honestly… The Sunrise:

The best part of night duty? Morning ka sunrise. When I walk out after a full night…Tired, sleepy, but proud…And I see the sky changing colours —It feels like the world is rewarding me for surviving the night.That one moment excites me every single time.

Night duty is not easy. Sometimes it drains me physically and emotionally.But somewhere inside, there are small things that keep me going —the silence, the bravery, the connection, and the simple joy of helping someone in their most vulnerable moment.So yes…There is something that excites me about night shift.Not one thing — but many small things that make the difficult nights… a little beautiful.