Day shift with kids?

[Rosehip]

I've just started my first job as an RN. I'm generally not too happy with it, but that's another post... My question here is schedules.

I will eventually be on nights. It's 12.5 hour shifts, 13 shifts every 4 weeks. But, for the first 6 months I'm on days for orientation and to get to know the hospital. So, I have to leave at about 6:20 in the morning and get home about 7:45 or 8 o'clock. The best case scenario is that the kids are asleep when I leave, and asleep before I get home. I don't see them, which stinks, but there's no drama. But what usually happens is that one or both of them (they're 3 & 5 yo) are waking up as I'm literally walking out the door in the morning, and I HAVE to run, it's shift work, I can't be late to spend time with them. (I'm divorced, but live with my parents, so am not bringing them to daycare.) And often when I get home, I'm starving and just HAVE to get out of the scrubs. I really don't want them to climb on me with the scrubs that I've been wearing to clean bedpans and care for patients with infections all day. I'm also starving and exhausted, and they're also exhausted and not at their best. I just want 5 minutes of peace and something to eat, and they want to jump on me.

How do others handle this?

[ekh]

I don't work such long hours, and mine are younger, but I'm also exhausted when I get home. My husband takes my kids to the playground after I get home, to give me an hour of peace when I get home, so I can bathe and unwind. They're used to it, so they separate easily, even though they haven't seen me all day. Can you enlist your parents for help for the transition time?

[Quinalla]

Can you change clothes before you leave work and eat a snack on your way home, maybe that way you can give them 10 minutes or so when you get home for hugs, kisses and a chat before you get some food and whatnot. If that isn't feasible, then yeah, maybe let your kids know that you are going to take 5 or 10 or whatever minutes right after you get home to change clothes and eat something quick and then devote X amount of time just for them.

For the morning, would it be possible to get them up early enough to get a proper goodbye everyday? If that isn't feasible, explain to them you have to leave by 6:20am, so that if they get up right around them, you can't do more than give a quick kiss goodbye. Show them on a clock. I'm not sure on the 3 year old, but the 5 year old should be able to understand. I'm sure they still won't like it, but it should help if they at least know what to expect.