Working the night shift takes a serious toll. In fact, there’s even a term for it - “shift work disorder.”
But many overnight jobs are critical for keeping communities safe, and there’s no doubt they play an important part in the economy. Working overnights can be a way to get your foot in the door career-wise, the pay is sometimes better, and a lot of parents turn to shift work to avoid paying for daycare.
On this episode of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with three people who work overnights: emergency veterinarian Dr. Janelle Karau of the Eastern Iowa Veterinary Specialty Center in Cedar Rapids, a nurse who works the overnight shift in the emergency room at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and Officer Mike Harkrider of the Iowa City Police Department.
Harkrider became a police officer five years ago, and he’s been working the night shift in Iowa City ever since. Nebbe joined him for a ride-along on a Thursday evening in Iowa City.
