Anyone who has early clinicals (which we all do) knows what its like to suddenly find yourself standing sleepily, half awake at a hospital while your clinical instructor energetically spews out the days expectations and assignments. You try and wake that brain up with coffee but your just not quite ready to do a full physical exam on Jerry down the hall in room 234, in the next 5 minutes......
I have an hour commute and a 3 yr old to get to preschool before I even arrive at clinicals at 6:45 am. Im thinking of getting up even earlier like 4am or earlier in order to pep myself up with exercise or something before I get to clinicals. Coffee just isnt enough for me- I am not a morning person.
What does everyone else do to get going on those mornings? I know early risers are consisnantly more productive, but im getting up early anyway! Any earlier and were talking 3 am on clinical days. However, it is important to me to be fully there when working at clinicals, I hate grogginess. I also have ADD so that makes it even harder for me to focus. I just wanna be good at what I do.
Share your morning wakeup rituals some of us could use some ideas!
have a good breakfast, it really makes a difference!! On my clinical mornings, I have 2 eggs scrambled with two slices of turkey bacon (I make this the night before, then pop in in the microwave), a yogurt and orange juice. The protein helps keep your sugar levels constant, and prevents you from crashing :) This was recommended to me by one of my instructors, and I've been sticking with it ever since.
Your making me so hungry. Ugggh... That's it, I'm going to IHOP!
I just finished a summer internship, working from 7A to 7P. I had to be there by 6:45 which meant getting up at 5:00.
The first few weeks were brutal. I was sleepy and felt like I couldn't focus. Through trial and error I figured out what worked for me and was actually waking up before the alarm went off.
Here is my gotta get up early for clinicals routine:
Set out everything for clinicals the night before. I iron my scrubs, set out clean underwear, pens, clipboard, name badge, socks, shoes, bag, etc because I know I won't have time to find everything in the morning.
Go to bed early. Easier said than done on the night before clincals, but I found that I could fall asleep easily if I did some deep breathing and stretching, took a hot bath, drank some chamomile tea, and used a fan for white noise. I also did not allow myself to nap the day before I was scheduled to work so that I would be sleepy.
Take a shower with peppermint body wash first thing in the morning.
Sit in front of a light therapy box while I do my hair and makeup. I have SAD so I already had one. Sun exposure would be helpful as well.
Eat a carb and protein breakfast: eggs, bacon, and toast or toasted whole grain bagel with peanut butter.
Drink a very small amount of caffeine (because I'm really trying to cut back.) I used to drink a medium Coke, now I drink half of a small. Just a few sips help me wake up.
Listen to fun music while driving to the hosptial. Sing along. Loudly.
Practice smiling as I sing. A psych professor told me that forcing ourselves to smile early in the morning tells our brain to wake up and be cheerful.
Carry snacks in my clinicals bag: peanuts with raisins, a Powerbar, etc. I ate about every two hours of my internship shifts. Just a couple of bites of something helped keep my energy up.
Drink water. Keep a water bottle filled and tucked away someplace where you can get to it. Take a sip every time you walk past it. It only takes a few seconds to pick up the bottle and swallow a mouthful of water.
I was lucky enough to have night clinicals my last 3 semesters except for psych and my preceptorship at the end. I work nights now as I am sooo not a morning person. Caffeine doesn't work too well for me. Hope you figure out a way to wake up.
Enjoy that IHOP food!! Unfortunately, the one where I live is in the totally opposite direction from where I live. And takes FOREVER to get in and get something to eat!! But it does sound yummy!!
Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.
I had evening clinicals, thank goodness, but now as a new grad for the 12 week orientation I gotta be up at 5:45 am everyday . It stinks, but at least my perment shift will be 3 12's on evenings.
Missnina - Thank you! I am definitely going to buy some snacks next time I am at the grocery to carry in my bag with me. I think snacking throughout the day would actually help me a lot. By the time we get to lunch I am almost too tired to eat and most of the hospitals we are at...well, you don't really want to eat whatever they have for the day!
I also have to lay out my things, including my underwear, the night before. I get up about an hour before I leave because even though I'm awake, I can't move fast first thing in the morning. If I rush I always forget something - and it sucks to have to turn around and go back home to get something when time is so precious......and gas is so expensive. What's even worse is being sent home because you forgot something. It hasn't happened to me, but I've seen people sent home because their shoes weren't clean or they didn't have their ID badge.
I was caffeine free for years but took up the habit once I started clinicals. Having snacks in your bag is a great idea. Some morning I just don't have the stomach to eat breakfast but I can't make it all the way to lunch without something to eat. Having a cereal bar or some trail mix to snack on has saved me. Some people feel it's okay to raid the patient's nutrition room, and I confess I did this once out of desperation. But I think it really looks bad to have a student help themselves to stuff in the nutrition room.
Bottled water is good to have in your bag too. For some reason I always feel dehydrated in the hospital, and most units have a rule about not eating or drinking on the floor. If you have use of the break room, you can put your bag in an empty locker and bring your own lock if you want. Then you can slip in for a quick swig of water now and then.
Keeping yourself hydrated and fed will help keep you awake. Avoid sugar if you can because it will make you crash. I would advise avoiding caffeine, but I can't say that because I need it to keep going. The danger with caffeine is it sets up a cycle where caffeine will interfere with sleep, then you feel tired the next day so you drink caffeine to wake up and the cycle continues. Proceed at your own peril. :roll
My husband keeps telling me to start getting to bed earlier and start waking up early these next 2 weeks to get ready for the school year. I still have not taken his advice. My kids have to get up at 5:45 to get on the bus at 6:20 (they go to a country school). I will probably do the coffee thing, but I know it is bad for me. Also, I told my DH that I needed to buy an electric griddle so that I can easily cook good breakfasts for the kids and also myself. I believe in a good breakfast - We all know that we need the brain food!
I am naturally a morning person -- people always seem to get angry with me in the mornings because I am up really early every morning and am never in a bad mood! :)
But there are a few things that help me get a better nights sleep in order to wake up all chipper. Firstly, like others have said, I get everything ready the night before and lay it out. I will make a list of things I need to do the next day and things I need to take to school or clinicals or wherever I am going, and that list is put under my keys on the kitchen table. I am a runner, so every night I run at least 3 miles and when my runner's high wears down around 10:00 p.m., I am pooped and fall to sleep quite quickly. In the morning when I wake up, I make sure I smile right away! I truly believe that smiling wakes me up a lot faster. I also tell myself while I am getting ready that "today is going to be a great day!". Haha.. yes I sound like Mr. Rogers but that little ritual keeps me in a good mood all day long.
. It stinks, but at least my perment shift will be 3 12's on evenings..thumb.gif.fc0b5b00a77a1cf676541776e02de0f9.gif){kind=avatar}
Crimsonking
60 Posts
Your making me so hungry. Ugggh... That's it, I'm going to IHOP!