Surviving the effects of shift work... How do you do it?

RNdiva505 · Sep 9, 2011

Are you working 2 day shifts followed by 2 night shifts?

M_Andrews · Sep 9, 2011

Yes! I will be doing 2 day shifts followed by 2 night shifts. Then I get 5 days off…. repeat.

RNdiva505 · Sep 9, 2011

I work nights and don't have a problem...I love nights! :redbeathe Sometimes I have to attend day stuff for work. But I went to nursing school during the days and went to work as a CNA that very same night!

So my advice to you is....Work 7a to 7p and go to bed the first night at like 11pm. Then work 7a to 7p the next night after work grab star bucks, movie, and food keep the lights on and try to stay awake as late as possible like 3 or 4 in the morning. Take a motrin PM sleep until latest possible like 2 pm or 3 pm. Grab a coffee and welcome to night shift!

When you are flipping like that stay busy at night. If you sit down you might feel like you wanna go to sleep. Oh, yea grab a 5 hour energy drink for night shift just in case.

Also, try keeping the lights on at home and try to stay up as late as possible when trying to flip your schedule!

Hopefully you will find my advice beneficial! Sucks but you are almost done with Nursing School. Hang in there! :anpom:

MJB2010 · Sep 9, 2011

I worked rotating shifts, I did weekend nights and a week day. So like tues 7a-7p, then sat and sun 7p -7a. I could never sleep and I was a walking disaster. I rear ended a state trooper on my way home one morning because I was so tired my reaction time was slow. That was the final straw for me. I also gained a lot of weight during that time, which was odd since I could not eat at all during my shift without getting nauseus. Once I was able to switch to ALL NIGHTS it got much much better. I had to keep to the night schedule on my off days, but I adjusted.

Things that helped for me while rotating - coffee only when I woke up, not ever later in the shift

Black out curtains, sleep mask, fan running to make my room good for sleep no matter what time of day

fruit (the sugar in it) was a good snack when I got sleepy at work. Candy is more fun, but fruit is better for you

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Sep 9, 2011

This isn't all that helpful- lol- but IMO, making someone work alternating shifts in the same week, or even month, is a set-up for mistakes, not to mention what it does to the nurse (or whatever job). I used to take the straight nights, just to have consistency. :)

Good luck..... :up:

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 9, 2011

i actually like rotating shifts. ok, i know i'm strange. but days is crazy hectic with admits, transfers, surgeries, rounds, road trips, pt, and visitors. (especially the visitors.) after a few weeks of that -- plus getting up before 5am to feed and toilet the dog and get ready for my hour-long commute -- i'm ready for a little night shift. nights is quieter -- not quiet -- but less is going on, fewer management, fewer doctors, fewer ancillary services, and fewer visitors. (especially the visitors!) plus, if dh is working day shift (he rotates, too, but only has to work 1 or 2 nights a month) i get to stay up late on my nights off, and i get to hold the remote! i get to watch chick flicks on netflix. i get to eat m&ms for breakfast or rootbeer floats for dinner and lunch can be anything *i* want it to be.

a lot of making night shift (or rotating shifts) work for you is in your attitude. make up your mind that it's a great opportunity to see how the different shifts work, to learn by seeing different things on day shift and to have more time to process things or look them up on nights. you'll get to work with both the day shift crew and the night shift crew and you'll know what not to leave so you won't be that nurse they all talk about. make sure you get your sleep -- there are plenty of threads on here about that -- and make sure you eat meals at work on nights, don't just snack. could be you'll like it, too.

Poi Dog · Sep 9, 2011

I work rotating shifts and was having a spell of insomnia for a bit. I think my body has finally adjusted to the change. I don't feel as out of whack as before.