Physical exertion in staff nursing!

stidget99 · Aug 29, 2005

Maintain proper nutrition and hydration while working--take those breaks!

A multivitamin wouldn't hurt.

Make sure you get plenty of rest on your off days.

Don't forget to feed your mind and soul also.

But even w/ the best of intent to care for yourself, doing 3-12 hour shifts in a row is enough to kick anyone's keester.

Good luck!

sharann, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2005

Must you do 3 12'? This is hard for most. Possibly you could do 2 in a row then one skipping a day or 2? I also think that you do adjust after awhile but not completely. Floor nursing is physically and mentally draining for the best of us.

rellco40 · Aug 30, 2005

Must you do 3 12'? This is hard for most. Possibly you could do 2 in a row then one skipping a day or 2? I also think that you do adjust after awhile but not completely. Floor nursing is physically and mentally draining for the best of us.

................

I have to do 3 in a row while working with my preceptor but at the end of September I will go to nights and SELF scheduling and believe it I will rarely do 3 in a row !

Thanks for your response !!!!

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2005

I do 3 12's every other weekend, and 2-12's during the week. By the 3rd 12 you do start to feel like you have been beaten and sent home bleeding. You do get used to it eventually i think. I did,, although i dont do nights. 3 12 hr nights in a row killed me during my orientation. My preceptor did 3 12 hr nights off 1 and back for 3 more and i thought id die before i finished that.

Once you get off orientation and are able to take your own schedule, you will get used to it and be able to adjust to ensure you can handle what you need to i think.

Nurses tend to do what they need to do to get the job done.

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2005

I was also tired by the end of the week when I first started working (as a med tech, but still on my feet all night). After a while, I got used to it and it wasn't so bad. I found that sitting down and resting for an hour or so before going to work really helped. I also learned to take every opportunity to sit down at work, even for a minute or two. That way I could give my legs and feet a short rest.

Good luck with your new job :)

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 30, 2005

I know this is silly, but I wanted to share it.

Back in the olden days, there was a series of books about nursing for young girls based on a character name "Cherry Ames." Cherry practiced a different nursing specialty in each book, but somehow always got involved in having some sort of adventure and/or solving a crime.

During my senior year of nursing school (1976-1977), the book "Cherry Ames: Student Nurse" circulated around my friends and we read it for a laugh. Our lives were not nearly so glamorous and exciting ... but one sentence within the book stood out as our favorite.

"A real nurse never stands when she can sit, and never sits when she can lie down."

It's a true today as it was when it was written.

llg

rellco40 · Aug 30, 2005

I know this is silly, but I wanted to share it.
Back in the olden days, there was a series of books about nursing for young girls based on a character name "Cherry Ames." Cherry practiced a different nursing specialty in each book, but somehow always got involved in having some sort of adventure and/or solving a crime.
During my senior year of nursing school (1976-1977), the book "Cherry Ames: Student Nurse" circulated around my friends and we read it for a laugh. Our lives were not nearly so glamorous and exciting ... but one sentence within the book stood out as our favorite.
"A real nurse never stands when she can sit, and never sits when she can lie down."
It's a true today as it was when it was written.
llg

Cute ! THANKS FOR SHARING !