Night Precepting: Managing time and health

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Since I will be precepting on nights, I need some advice on

1) how to manage "life" while on night shift. Our program requires 120 hours in 7 weeks to precept with our assigned nurse. I am married with no kids, but still need some advice on adjustment, such as study time, uninterrupted sleep, etc. One of my fears / concerns is that since I have to do two 12 hour shifts a week, I will sleep during the day and not have enough time to study. I cannot do clinicals on nightshift Sunday into Monday morning, nor Monday into Tuesday mornings since classes are 730 am through 1130 am.

2) how to stay healthy. Yes, I am older, and there are medications I have to take (HTN). Does the time taking medications have to change? Or does that even matter?

3) how to keep your energy up, other than proper sleep?

I have never worked any form of night shift in my life, that's why I am asking these questions.

Thanks for your time and responses / suggestions.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I can help you with your question #2 - be aware if your HTN meds have a diuretic in them. Frequency might be different for you on the nite shift; also it could affect your comfort if you have a lengthy commute. Only you know how they work for you so ...

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

Night shift is not the scary monster that it can seem sometimes. If you cant work Sunday or Monday nights, that still leaves Tuesday through saturday nights to work. If you only have to work 2 shifts a week, that is plenty of time. As for studying, it doesn't matter if you can't do it in the day on the clinical days. You will have other days.

To prepare for a night shift, I stay up as long as I can the day before. So if I NOC on Tuesday, I will try to stay up until at least 3am so that I can sleep all day. When I was in school, I used this time to study. It was nice and quiet with no interruptions or distractions. When my eyes would glaze over, I watched some TV then fell asleep. Then sleep all day until time to get up for your shift.

To turn your time back around to days kind of sucks, but leaves time for study. If I am going to have a few days off before my next night shift, I will only sleep for 4-5 hours after getting off. Then stay up for the afternoon so I'm nice and tired at a normal bed time. Then wake up at a normal day time the next day. It leaves you a bit tired for the day after the night shift, but not any worse then pulling an all nighter studying then having to stay up all day.

Being up at night, doesnt meant you can't study and do some of the things you would normally do in the day just because it's dark. You just learn to adjust.

Also after this rotation, you can have a true opinion on what it's like to stay up all night. If you realize you just can't handle it (some people just can't), then you know not to work it in the future. But, like me, you may learn to love a night shift. Nights are great for me since I am naturally inclined to stay up late no matter how tired I am and always seem to be ready for bed during the day.

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Hi,

#1. I have worked the night shift for 4 years and I'm in my last semester of nursing school. It is very doable to manage time between the two, but you have to put the effort in. I do all my assignments, homework, papers and even some studying at night. I'm able to because I work on a unit that can get really quiet some nights but even on the nights that it is a zoo, I still manage to sneak in assignments. Maximize your time and learn a sleeping schedule that will work for you. I work 11-7a so I push off sleep as long as possible when I get home so that I can sleep for longer periods of time. But if I know I have the day off or even class in the afternoon, I then go to sleep as soon as possible so that I can get up and function during the day like the rest of the world. Honestly it has worked for me, nights aren't that bad. The key to surviving them is sleep! You need to sleep sometime before your night shift because if you don't trust me by hour number 5 you will start to feel it and it isn't pretty.

#2 I'm pretty healthy but I'm also younger (27) and not on any medications. But I try to stay away from junk food at night and believe it or not coffee. I only drink it if I didn't sleep and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. I eat my dinners here since I only eat breakfast and lunch at home. Some people choose not to eat dinner since they feel it's too late at night. But I haven't gained any ridiculous amount of weight over the 4 years, my weight has been constant. Bring healthy snacks like fruit or veggies. Again sleep is a big factor so make sure that you are getting enough of it because sleep is vital to everyone's health.

#3 My energy stays up if I had enough sleep, I feel like I'm being redundant with the word sleep. But it's really important and you will be so surprised at how many people don't get enough of it when they work the night shift. There are days when I leave in the morning feeling like I can conquer the world and there are days when I can't wait to hit the sheets. It all boils down, at least for me on how much sleep I got prior to my night shift.

Oh one more thing I forgot to mention make sure you adjust your room so that you can sleep during the day. I am not one of those people that can sleep with lights, noise or interruption. So I have black out shades, a fan available and candles. lol I make my room as dark as possible and the temperature comfortable for me and then I'm out like a light. For studying I try to do it at a desk when I am fully rested so that I can pay attention to what I am learning. Hope some of this tips can help you out.

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