OMG what should I DOOOOO!!!1!

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

Is that title catchy enough?

Here is my dilemma. It is 3am and I haven't slept yet, and I will need to get up in 2 hours to get ready for a grueling 12 hour shift. The two times that I have fallen asleep I have woken up coughing. Other than that, I feel fine. No fever, no body aches, not even a general fatigue/malaise (other than what you would expect for not having any sleep). So, based on that information I feel I have three choices.

1) Suck it up, grab a giant cup of coffee, and wear a mask

2) Call in sick

3) Call work, ask how staffing is, and depending on the answer I might work 7-11 (the busy time of day) because someone usually comes in at 11a to help out (yeah, we are spoiled)

Mind you, if no one answers by 5am I am fully capable of making my own decision, and will probably delete this thread But I figured I might as well ask allnurses since I am not sleeping anyways. I'm not too worried about prematurely using my PTO because I didn't use a minute of it last year, of course I am definitely jinxing myself by saying that. Any thoughts? Am I being a baby? Or is a decent night's rest and the ability to talk pretty important factors for our job?

[MPKH, BSN, RN]

I would call in sick. How on Earth are you going to function on 2 hours of sleep on top of not feeling well?

[Perpetual Student]

How do you do without sleep? There comes a certain point where exhaustion makes it unsafe to practice. If I go much much longer than 30 hours without sleep I start to go kinda crazy.

I sure wouldn't want to wear a mask all day and would use PTO just to avoid that if I were sick. Are you coughing other than in your sleep? It sounds like you don't call in much, so unless you've got the meanest leadership around it makes sense to call in sick.

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

That makes me feel much better. I hate calling in, especially when I don't really feel sick. But since I don't get sick that often I sometimes think I blow it out of proportion when I am. Just wanted to make sure not being dramatic ;)As far as sleep goes, I usually function fairly well on little sleep, but I agree that regardless of how i feel it probably isn't safe.

[NurseCard, ADN]

So did you call in?

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

Yeah.... Still not sleeping though. Could be a long day. But at least I will have time to go buy some nyquil.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I find layering melatonin with Benadryl induces a lovely sleep stupor for a minimum of 8-10 hours.

Feel better. I was dealing with this earlier this week and became a weepy mess. :hug:

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Ugh, feel better. I like melatonin on top of Nyquil. Preferably the old nyquil before they replaced all the good stuff in it with stuff that doesn't make meth (and doesn't make you feel any better.)

And just to note, that's NOT medical advice. Just a statement of the OTC things that I like to take. I highly recommend nobody else do anything of the sort without consulting your primary care provider. And if you DO copy me, seek emergency medical attention if you have an erection lasting more than four hours... :)

[nursel56]

No more pseudoephedrine. :''-( You're probably too young to remember Contac cold capsules with belladona alkaloids.

Mm-hm. Really made you feel weird. Off-topic detour has now concluded.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Oh, I remember a million years ago taking some of those! But then my drug of choice became Drixoral. Can't get anything good anymore!!

[somewhereouthere]

call in sick

[nursel56]

Oh, I remember a million years ago taking some of those! But then my drug of choice became Drixoral. Can't get anything good anymore!!

Oh yeah! Were those the green ones? I just remembered another cough/cold killer - phentermine. It did have an appetite suppressant effect and a bariatric doctor I worked for years ago would hand that out to his patients. It was the Fen-Phen diet of death that finished off our stalwart phentermine.