Housing

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 20, 2016

Hello all I need some advice. I recently took a travel position in the Bay Area of California. After delays in my housing I was finally able to move into my apartment last night. Imagine my surprise that they literally are doing construction right outside of my bedroom window. Now this would not be a issue if I worked days on this assignment, which is primarily when they will be doing most of the work. However, I work nights. I have raised concerns to my recruiter about this. Even sending her pictures and a video of how close the construction is to my living quarters. I just feel like corners were cut in the housing to save money and I got the bad end of the stick. My main concern is my patient care being affected because of me not getting enough sleep during the day. Am I right for being concerned or just over reacting?

If your main concern is your patient care being affected due to lack of sleep during the day, buy yourself a 20 inch box fan (or two or three) for $17 at Home Depot or Lowe's. Park it next to your bed and turn it on "high". One of those drowned out the noise of an ex-boyfriend moving into my house during the day when I was sleeping, and again when he moved back out. It would probably drown out most of the construction noise as well.

NedRN · Dec 20, 2016

Foam ear plugs are better for most rather than adding to the noise floor. Cheap at any drugstore. See if that helps enough before insisting on new housing in an incredible tight housing market.

JPtravelRN · Dec 20, 2016

Thank you both for the suggestions. The ear plugs might be the way to go. Didn't think of that. Thank You!

NedRN · Dec 20, 2016

My sleep is easily disturbed, even by cycling of a furnace or refrigerator and ear plugs help mightily. It can be incredible how effective they can be, often making a lot of noise go away, especially when new. You don't have to treat them as disposable as washing them brings them back up to new level. But they are also cheap enough to throw away. I wear them during flights as I find I'm significantly more tired if I don't just from the incessant noise even though I'm not trying to sleep.

If your construction noise is primarily the motor sounds of heavy equipment (low frequency), earplugs will be a miracle. If it is intermittent clanging sounds (high frequency), your sleep may still suffer.

If the plain jane ones in the drugstore don't fit right, or cause discomfort having them in for 8 or more hours, there is quite a smorgasbord available online. You can even buy a sampler of around 15 different ones to find one that works well for you. Every one from drugstores work fine for me, although my last purchase of an hourglass shaped earplug led to the discovery that my ear canals are a different size and these didn't work as well in one ear (pushing it in a minute later made it work).

Also, there are plenty of white noise and environmental sound apps for smartphones. Cheaper than buying a fan. I've tried them alone, and in conjunction with earplugs, never helped me but they do for many.

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Dec 22, 2016

what is the name of the complex so we all can avoid it....