Shift Work is Taking a Toll - Page 2

I love working twelves and I have children. I tend to lose an entire day sleeping on my four days off, but then I have a full two with the family before taking a very calm day before heading back to work. I'm still with them, and I'm very exhausted by the end of my three days on, but it's working well for me.

i currently work 10 hour nights and i find if i try to flip my sleeping on my days off i'm exhausted all the time. like i took a vacation last week and now this week i'm tired every minute of everyday switching back to up all night. i like nights and i prefer 12 hours to 8 hours but after working so many in a row it's hard. it's like i have no life on days that i work. when i used to work 12's i literally would have no life and have been crazy enough to do 12 in a row once. learned my lesson! if it's a huge problem i would see if you can get on a 3-3 or 11-11 shift or maybe find an 8 hour shift somewhere.

Working days or nights 12 hours are 12 hours the daunting tasks of either shift one can experience wear and tear, if not on the body physically than mentally. You have to be alert at all times in a 12 hour shift, seldom with effective down time to rejuvenate. The patients comes first rather working NICU, CICU, or a medical surgical-medicine unit. If you have a family well we all know what has to be done in this situation. Hospital-home health-home care-outpatient settings they all have their drawbacks.
Suggestion:change the work scene to keep you well and healthy learning to balance work-life will always remain a hot topic. Decisions have to be made so change so that you not only make a difference in the patients lives also YOURS.

Joyce
Eastern, NC

I have to disagree with those who have stated that 8's or days may be better for you. I myself have worked 12-hour nights for years, and love it, I feel way better than when I worked 8 hour day shifts years ago. The key is to, like you said, not try and live on a day schedule when you aren't at work (hence me posting at 3am) I think all you need is to get in a position where you work no more than three on. Any more than that and I am fried.

I don't think that I would ever feel rested working five on, two off, then back again for another five. (Says the nurse who is in the middle of doing 5 nocs d/t vacation reasons.) Three a week is standard, I'm pretty sure? I like two on, one off, one one, three off. Some like three on, four off, but I feel like I'm practically delirious by the third night.

In the meantime you need to be really organized on your long stretches. Try getting all your clothes ready and laid out (and I mean everything)....make sure you car is gassed up..prepare any snacks or food ahead of time (as much as you can).

Try to not stay overtime as this really cuts into your rest time.

Plan to sleep and rest as much as you can between shifts. This means that you must have things taken care of before the the stretch of shifts. So you will..work..rest work..thats about it.

Find ways to de stress after work so you can rest well before your next shift.

Make sure you take your breaks and are getting plenty of water and are staying hydrated. I often see nurses getting fatiqued b/c they are ignoring their needs for food and water during their shifts. Think of it this way...your productivity goes up when you take your breaks .

I rarely take breaks when working night shift. If I do it just makes me leave that much later. BUT when I do I feel a lot better. I have been really trying to leave on time. That helps me a lot when working back to back shifts. I despise working 3 in a row, but they schedule me that way every other week even after asking my preference. (so why ask what we want? lol) BUt OP I hear ya. I am exhausted ALL THE TIME. If I try to do anything on my days off I am no fun. I haven't gained a lot of weight scale wise, but I am definitely getting more out of shape and getting mushier. I am getting a gut, YUCK. I don't know how you can exercise I can barely move off the couch. I am 7 months into the first RN job and still waiting for my body to adjust. It doesn't seem like this is a healthy way to live. Work nights, sleep days, and live my days off trying to recover. I don't think I can handle the pace of days and to be honest the girls on the day shift at my particular floor are pretty mean so I am nervous about trying to mingle with them. I enjoy the night shift and people I work with, I do not enjoy missing out on having a normal life outside of work or anything that resembles a work life balance. I think cutting down to 2 days per week would be a huge difference, but I cant afford that yet.