12 Hr Shifts Kick My Butt

[RedhairedNurse]

I'm a new nurse and recently worked a 12 hour shift. I feel down right sore all over and only worked one day. Is this normal and does it get better??? I'm worried because I signed on for two years.

[emnicams]

It definitely gets better! My only other job before nursing was waitressing, where the longest shift I worked was 8 hours (and usually more like 5 hours), so it was a big change for me. I would come home so exhausted that I had no energy to even put my child to bed. I became very distraught and depressed over it. But after awhile, my body adjusted. I come home tired, of course, but it's so much easier now. Hang in there!

[RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN]

Thanks....words of encouragment are so appreciated.

[suni, BSN, RN]

I did 12 hour shifts for 10 years the night 12 for 7 of those years. It was not too bad in the beginning but by the end I was totally toast. My knees and back started to give me trouble and I was getting really grumpy/ I finally went back to 8 hour shifts and sleep better and feel better, the problem is that 12 hours can stretch to 14 hours when you get busy, a patient crashes, admissions etc. How many other professions work 12 hour shifts...not many>

[Batman24]

My mouth is watering for the iced tea...I drink that often, myself.

If I could find a way to hook up an iced tea IV I'd do it.