Night shift nausea

[BeatsPerMinute, BSN, RN]

Hey everyone, seeking some tips here on how to deal with night shift nausea

I'm a new grad, 6 months into my position as an ICU nurse, and am having a very hard time adjusting to the 50/50 day night requirement as a schedule. At first I tried doing 1 month of days and then 1 month of nights, but I was a walking zombie the entire month of nights. I was too tired to think while I worked or enjoy my days off. I switched to flipping every 2 weeks then instead which helped, but I started to experience really bad bouts of nausea to the point where I vomit at work or even when trying to sleep once I get home. Right now I'm trying just to slam all of my nights in quickly (work 3 in a row, 1 day off to rest, then another 3 in a row) and then I can return to my regular day shift routine. This helps with the days but there's no improvement with my nausea at night. I've been experimenting with my food. Usually I'll eat a regular meal before work and stick to snacking on air popped popcorn or soup and just drinking water during my shift. I've tried Tums, Protonix... the best thing that helps is the leftover Zofran I have from when I had a stomach bug earlier in the year, but I can't be on that forever.... I have black out curtains and a sound canceling machine to help me sleep during the day. My roommates are also nurses with a similar schedule so are very quiet during the day time. I practice a healthy life-style (gym membership, see a personal trainer once a week, and I'm forced to stay well hydrated and eat well otherwise I really really feel like crap when I work). I'm really stuck on what to try next. I absolutely love being an ICU nurse, and my co-workers are wonderful, so I'm determined to stick this out and keep trying different things... but I'm really tired of vomiting so much and it's starting to concern my co-workers. I've never been much of a night person.

Suggestions? Is there anything that I am not thinking of?? I'm completely open to trying other things. Please and thank you.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Have you seen your primary care provider? This is something, especially considering the vomiting, that you should run by them.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I think you need to eat something more substantial during your shift. Would you go an entire 12 hour day shift without adequate calories?

Start taking a proper lunch with you- if you don't eat it all at one- at least graze throughout the shift- but eat it ALL. See if that doesn't help.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

Make sure you eat protein at night, sometimes that nausea is from fluctuating glucose.

[Elladora]

I've worked a split schedule and here's what I did:

I did a month at a time. It's too hard to switch back and forth every two weeks.

When it's time to switch to nights, you need to train your body to do just exactly the opposite of what it's been doing. The first day I need to sleep, I stay up as late as humanly possible the night before. Sometimes I manage to stay up all night, sometimes I'm doing good to last until 1 am. At 7:00 am or so, I take a Benadryl or a Melatonin - something that will help me rest, but not zombify me. The first couple of days are hard, because your body is trying to make you adjust back to what it wants.

Days off, I try to maintain my sleep schedule as is. Otherwise I try to modify it a BIT but not flip flop back and forth. (I might go to bed at noon instead of 7 am).

Eat a regular meal! I eat what I consider lunch in the evening, before I leave for work. I eat what I consider supper midway through my shift, and I eat what I consider breakfast before going to bed - something light, but something substantial enough that I won't wake up because I'm hungry. Snacks are not enough to get you through a shift.

Avoid caffeine later in your shift! I cut myself off at 3 am and switch to water.

Develop a sleep routine. This is your body and your brain's cue that it's time to sleep! (For me, taking a bath, putting on jammies, eating breakfast, reading in bed).

I also have a noise machine (and a fan) and I diffuse calming essential oils. Also, make sure shut off your phone!

What didn't work for me? Exercising before sleeping (it winds me up), watching tv in bed (I get too caught up in the shows), or having anyone around (I'm nosy, I like to listen!)

Realize there are some days you just won't sleep, no matter how hard you try.

Good luck. I know it can be really, really hard! (And I second the suggestion that you should maybe mention the nausea to your doctor. It could just be nerves, but it might be something else that is treatable).

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

The nausea could be several things. I suggest you see your PCP if you need Zofran to get through your shift.