Dealing with sleep deprivation

[FrazzledButBlessed]

We are currently doing clinicals 2 days per week..with only 8 hours between those two clinical rotations. That 8 hours between Fri & Sat is spent writing drug cards, studying those drugs, gathering all data pertinent to the patient and forming dx. That leaves no time to sleep, so we are essentially caring for patients (AND PASSING MEDS!) with little to no sleep. Some in our group get 1-2 hours of sleep, but most of us do not have the luxury, since we do not live on campus and face 1-1 1/2 hour commutes.

How do you deal with sleep deprivation? I'm exhausted.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

If there is any way you can afford it, get a hotel room close to your clinical sites on those days and sleep there or try to bunk with someone that lives on campus on those days. But having 8 hours between clinical days confuses me. Are you working double shifts or 12 hour shifts on those clinical days?

[caliotter3]

I got a hotel room the night before clinicals after I almost got killed on the freeway one morning. My clinical instructor was not empathetic with my commute, the traffic problem, or my near miss on the freeway. She did not pay for the hotel room either. But I have to admit, it was a good idea.

Eight hours between clinicals is not safe. You and the others in your group should make a formal complaint about this situation. If the school could not properly accommodate the students, then other arrangements should have been made. Horrid that they put both the students and the patients at risk.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

Are you guys being scheduled for 12 hour clinical shifts? Is that why the days are so long?

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Well, geez, medical residents, particularly surgeons, have been doing it for decades. You can too, lol. All I suggest with sleep deprivation is to minimize driving. The most I've ever stayed up for in one stretch was 53 hours. You eventually reach a point (or I did anyway) where you no longer notice being tired until you stop and vegetate, such as with driving, lol.

Note: I'm not advocating sleep deprivation, but you can survive. The military routinely does it as a part of their training. You can will your way through it.

[ShantheRN, BSN, RN]

So you're going from second shift, directly to first? That is a terrible set up and you really should make a formal complaint to your program. It's not safe and you're not learning as much as you should. It sounds like you get the same patient both days. Instead of doing your research when you get home, do it during your first 8 hours. Even if you don't get it done, knock out the most time consuming stuff so you have more time to sleep. Even with med passes and all the fun of the clinical, if you focus on getting it finished it can be done.

Worst case scenario, you'll only have to do it for x amount of weeks so there's an end in sight. Keep yourself hydrated too - that helps with the lack of sleep.

[FrazzledButBlessed]

I should have clarified a little, sorry! :) The only reason we are doing things this way is due to weather. Our clinical hours are usually brief and twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday), but due to trying to make up missed time, we are now doing Friday evening and Saturday. I have no choice but to gather info during that time, as I am not getting my patient until I show up on Friday evening, and it's the same patient on Saturday. So, I have to have info for pre conf and post conf, as well as for when I pass meds on Saturday.

It is not ideal by any means, but pressed for time, what choice do we have? (It's the accelerated program, btw) I have considered crashing at the dorms, but I'm not sure how the school would react to that?

At any rate, thank you for the replies. I just have to suck it up for the next 7 weeks and learn to wake up.