How long until you stop feeling like you got your butt kicked?

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in NICU.

I'm pretty useless after an 8 hour clinic once a week--just really tired and achy, even if the day went great. So how long, once you started working did it take for you NOT to feel like someone set you up on an energy-drain machine?:clown:

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

For med surge we were doing 2 10 hour days a week and although I enjoyed clinicals a lot, between that and classes I really felt like I lost all the spare time I had first semester.

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Specializes in NICU.

Heh, I don't even feel like that. I just feel really tired the next day and am not able to do a whole lot. But, i love clinics. I'm just a bit worried for how I'm going to handle 3 12 hour shifts or 4-5 8 hour shifts. I don't know how long it will take me to adapt.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Well that is what I meant, I felt exhausted. I wasn't use to feeling that way. :p Last semester when I just had the 1 8 hr day a week, that to felt exhausting. A lot of us were so out of it the next day like zombies in class LOL

I just realized I wasn't in the student section anymore. LOL I didn't realize you were asking nurses, thought you were asking fellow students. Sorry about that!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

A bunch of us at school were talking about how we could possibly work as nurses if we are exhausted after clinicals. One person responded, "Well, once we go to work as nurses, we won't be studying all the rest of the time."

I think she made a good point. We won't be "working" 24/7!

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About two years after you start working.

Seriously, nursing school came close to killing me. My motto became, "Survive!"

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There are too parts to this: the mentally focused part and the active/moving/standing/tense part. Either will make you tired and achy, both together even more so.

I don't know how long the first part will take.

The older you are and less fit you are the longer it takes to not ache due to the physical part. I was 40ish and semifit (not really fit in concrete terms but more so than most 40 year olds) when I started an active job (lots of stretching, bending). I expected it to take a few weeks. It took about three months. I had begun to believe I would ache as long as I had the job, when suddenly I didn't ache at all anymore.

It sounds couter productive, but making a point to exercise (sensibly) everyday will help this pass faster and you'll feel better and be healthier in the meantime.

:o)

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Specializes in NICU.

I was saying to myself today "Just keep walking, just keep walking" ala Dory from Finding Nemo.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

I guess I never felt that way because I was always so excited for clinicals because that is my area that I shine in. We would only do 10 hours shifts but we had lab after that for another couple hours and was some long days. Totally fun though.

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I'm pretty useless after an 8 hour clinic once a week--just really tired and achy, even if the day went great. So how long, once you started working did it take for you NOT to feel like someone set you up on an energy-drain machine?:clown:

Doesn't matter. Just about the time you start feeling comfortable, you are on to a brand new rotation and your butt is once again kicked.

I can't do anything after clinical; I have no idea how you folks with families do it. I go home and nap on couch for at least 2 hours.

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Specializes in NICU.

ThatGuy, I'm not sure how much liking clinics have to do with it, at least for me. I love clinics and feel pretty confident in them, but the sheer amount of walking, moving, and just 'being on my toes' really takes a toll.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
ThatGuy, I'm not sure how much liking clinics have to do with it, at least for me. I love clinics and feel pretty confident in them, but the sheer amount of walking, moving, and just 'being on my toes' really takes a toll.

If I like doing something doesnt matter how much I move around, walk, whatever I love it. I used to work at a summer camp where we would hike close to 10 miles a day just to get from A to B and then work some more. I love that lifestyle of putting in work and being tired at the end of the day. Makes you feel like you accomplished something.

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