Zombie day off

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Or daze as the case may be. That's how I refer to the day between groups of shifts. It usually takes me more than one day to recover from a cluster of shifts and I find my self wandering about the house on my day off in a semi conscious 'zombie' state. It's not necessarily a bad feeling but I know that it's usually a day that I not going to get a lot done before I go back to work. Lather, rinse, repeat...

Specializes in Acute Rehab, IMCU, ED, med-surg.

Zombie Day Off has been officially adopted into our family's household vocabulary! Love it!

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Specializes in Family Medicine.

With the zombie apocalypse right around the corner, I think we'll be in good hands.

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Every day off after a couple or few days on the floor.... ZZZOOOOMMMBIE Daaay.... I feel it too and so do my buddies.. It feels like the morning after a hard night out playing but without the playing. There needs to be a medical diagnosis for this for nurses. Be nice to have a cure that wouldn't take the whole day.

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Usually on my "Zombie days" My fiancé will get home and ask "What did you do today?"

I'll be like..."Well I showered, brushed my teeth, changed my underwear and kept our daughter alive. Yay me."

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I am tickled that so many of my fellow nurses like the zombie name tag for that day.

I'm a 2nd shifter and on the days when I grudgingly pick up a 3rd shift - well I usually manage to get home safe, sleep 3 or 4 hours and then wake up, whether I want to or not - and I can become one very out of whack human being for the next 18 to 24 hrs.

Years ago a friend of mine told me this saying and I have often had to make use of since becoming a nurse. I don't know who said it originally...

" ladies and gentlemen please take my advice, just drop your drawers and slide on the ice"

Well, time to lather, rinse, repeat and get some sleep.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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I 'acquired' Branden as my grandson last year when his father married my daughter. He was 11 at the time.I told him HE could choose what he would like to call me since he already had two grandmothers. I always refer to my coffee as The Magical Zombie Elixir of Life, and he never understands why I have to sleep during the day.

And so.....Zombie Grandma!

Got to love the Magical Zombie Elixir of Life. If I don't get 2 very strong cups in me by noon I am in for some serious withdrawal - no joke.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Specializes in adult psych, LTC/SNF, child psych.

It's funny that you should bring this up! I don't currently have this issue, but speak to me right after 4 shifts in a row (I do 8's) and you'll meet a zombie. I usually nap when I get home from work though, so I think that may be the key. I just got up at 0600 this morning on my 1 day off in between 2 on (1 off) 4 on.

I only tend to be a zombie in the time directly after my shifts or the next day if I work shifts in a row. The more shifts in a row I do - the more zombielike I get during the day. At the beginning of my last clustered shift, you'll often hear me say, "Is it 3:30 yet?!"

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The worse is thing ever happened to me today. I was supposed to have my Zombie day off today, but I work up @ 5am to go to work on a day where I was not even scheduled. Sucks for me!!!!

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Like the term, chopwood! :)

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Zombie day describes it perfectly! I absolutely can not accomplish anything that first day off. I am lucky to get out of my PJ's

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