Night Shift is a Carcinogen

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Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.

Recently started back on nights at a med/surg unit. Was looking up about how to handle transitioning back and forth so I can still see my family and found out that shift work and night shifts are considered a Carcinogen by the World Health Organization as of 2007. A lifetime amount of rotating shifts and/or working nights is suggested at no greater than 5 years. Apparently there is a significant increase of breast and lung cancer working these shifts. 
 

Any comments?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3813313/

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(19)30578-9/fulltext

 

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.

It's amazing all the effects that have been shown to have on the body just from working night shift. I remember reading about the breast and cancer risk several years ago. I guess that's why night shifters get that $3 shift differential, to make up for the likely early death ?

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Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.
56 minutes ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

It's amazing all the effects that have been shown to have on the body just from working night shift. I remember reading about the breast and cancer risk several years ago. I guess that's why night shifters get that $3 shift differential, to make up for the likely early death ?

I guess my question would be: Is $3, or the extra $1.75 I get paid to do it, worth it? I feel like the current shift differentials are pretty much cover the life inconvenience of sleeping while everyone else is working, not a compensation for the hazard of a cancer risk.

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.
4 hours ago, KalipsoRed21 said:

I guess my question would be: Is $3, or the extra $1.75 I get paid to do it, worth it? I feel like the current shift differentials are pretty much cover the life inconvenience of sleeping while everyone else is working, not a compensation for the hazard of a cancer risk.

I agree. When people say night shift is so easy or quiet I usually remind them how hard a nocturnal schedule is on the body and mind for most of us that work it.

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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.

I actually believe there is some truth to that research. I felt absolutely terrible on night shift and it didn’t get easier the longer I did it. I made quite a bit more money on nights but when I moved to day shift, I didn’t miss the money. I was so relieved to simply be back on days and in a normal routine and felt more normal that it was so worth the decrease in money!

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