Getting used to 12 hour shifts?

[champagneferret]

Hi all, next week I will be starting 12 hour clinicals from 7 am to 7 pm. This is my second med surg rotation.

I am very nervous about this. The longest I've been on the floor is about 5 or 6 hours. I am a night owl. I can get up early, but I find it unpleasant and I'm often cutting it close with time.

How have other students adjusted to this?

Tia

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

I second the staying hydrated aspect. You might be afraid that you're going to have to pee constantly and, yes, this may happen but it does not last. You get used to it and you'll be so busy you won't even notice it. During the 12 hr shifts I usually start the AM with a little bit of water and my usual coffee, then at lunch (4-6 hrs later), I down most of the 1.5 L bottle I brought with me to clinical. On the drive home, 6 hrs later, I finish what remains and then fill up again when I get home. Hospital air is dry and staying hydrated is hard but necessary.

[littleamyd]

During my time in nursing school, we started out doing 6 hour shifts twice a week for the first two semesters and the last two were one 12 hr shift a week until preceptorship. It was a BIG change going from being on a floor for half a day to an entire day! As much as I thought I was going to dread it, I enjoyed it a lot more than only staying until lunch time. I found just rounding on patients during down time kept me plenty busy so I wasn't watching the clock at all. We weren't allowed to bring food or drinks, so I found we only had water to drink from the break room. Water is VERY important! I think that you'll find once you're keeping busy for the entire day that you'll sleep well at night. At least that's what happened for me. Good luck with your next semester! :)

[ParaBandAider, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

While I haven't started school yet, I have a lot of experience working long shifts that conflict with my normal sleep schedule (firefighter and special event EMT work). My biggest piece of advice is to stay hydrated and eat as healthy as you can at all times, the eating healthy part can be hard once the shift starts. With that said avoid alcohol and anything that disturbs your sleep. Once you're up for the "day": Short naps = good. Long naps = bad. This has been my experience and has gotten me through unexpected shifts lasting as long as 40 hours (with no sleep)

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

might have some good tips.

Thank you.

[anxiouspn]

I don't want to hijack the thread but i'm a student as well, I'm having my first experience of 12 hour clinicals. We only go once a week. I have to trudge back home with leg cramps I've never felt before. I genuinely don't know how I will be able to deal with 4th semester where we work full time.

What can be done to help? I wear Dr Sholls in my shoes, and just started wearing compression stockings as of yesterday's clinical. That helped a bit but still at the end the day I had leg cramps (albeit not as bad as usual) and today my feet ache. Does your body build up strength and get used to this kind of work? I don't mind the 12 hours mentally (yet) but physically I just seem to be in an extreme amount of pain after only one day...