Hi everyone. I'm a new nurse. I've always wanted to work in a level I ICU. The hospital I was hired at is 2 hrs from home, and moving really isn't an option for me. I own my home and I don't plan to work at this particular hospital for more than a year or so. I am about to finish orientation. I was hired on weekend nights, but I've been doing orientation during day shift and staying in hotels between shifts due to my long commute. Well, getting hotels for night time is alot easier than getting them for days, due to the late check in and early checkout times. So, I was debating renting and apartment but I hate to pay the enormous amount of money just for somewhere to sleep and shower 2 days a week. My question is, I'm debating getting off work on Saturday and Sunday mornings, crashing in my car for 6 hrs or so. Getting up and going for some food, stretching, then coming back and showing at the hospital and going to work after. This will save me a boatload of cash. I understand it may not be the most comfortable sleeping, but I think it would be manageable and benefit would outweigh the cons. Especially since its basically temporary. Any advice? Has anyone did this? Thank you!
Even in my relatively small town there are at least 3 motels that I know of that rent rooms by the week. I would bet that any of them would also let you get a room for a day instead of a night. There's bound to be a hotel/motel close to the hospital that could accommodate you, especially if it's an independently owned instead of one of the big chains. Heck I'd bet even the big chains would be willing to work with you during these times when travel is much more limited and their occupancy is way down. Any hotel/motel would probably be happy to have a regular customer about now! Ask the manager to see what they have to say.
The other idea to just crash at a co-workers or a friends for a day or two a week also works. Talk to people you know and like at work to see if that's an option, if your work friends don't have the room they may know somebody they trust that does.
Also you can look at the airbnb options in the area. Like the hotels/motels their occupancy is way down with less people travelling so you might be able to get a pretty nice place pretty cheap.
Sleeping in your car during the day is a bad idea for many reasons. Safety is the biggest of course, lack of good sleep due to the constraints of vehicle size and outside noise, lack of toilet/shower to name a few. One big question nobody has asked about your plan to possibly sleep in your car is weather. Even in some overall hot areas it get darn cold at night, but you'd be cooking in that car trying to sleep during the day. Sleeping all day with the car running to keep the AC/Heat on depending on what weather area you are in is not an option.
I work night shift and the facility I work at was about an hour away. A couple times the weather was really bad. I didn't want to try to and drive home after my shift in the morning just to turn around, leave early, and go back that night. Hotels will work with you. I stayed at Holiday Inn and just explained the situation. They were very accommodating with check in/check out times. It was also nice to grab complimentary breakfast with extra to have something to eat when I woke up before work.
You are a new nurse and need to learn quickly that you have to take care of yourself. I wish I had listened to experienced nurses about that when I started out. An 84 year old patient I had the other night (she didn't look or move like she was a day over 60) told me you only have one body and you have to take care of it. Sleeping in your car is not the way to take care of your body or mind either for that matter.
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
Working night shift for the past three and a half years I've become a champion napper. I've napped in my car in some odd places, like the outdoor shooting range where my son had lessons after my night shift, but trying to survive on sleeping there would be rough. I do have a small index card in my glove compartment that says "Night shifter napping, please don't break my window", because a few places I've napped are known to have some drug activity. Unless you can find a very secluded parking lot spot, it's not an easy place to get long periods of sleep. There are noises constantly. The other day I had to drive my husband to the hospital for a procedure after night shift and I was going to nap in the parking garage. Wouldn't you know it, someone pulls into the space next to us, rolls down his windows so he can smoke, and was on conference calls for the next two hours, ugh. People here have had some great recommendations, I hope you've found something that is working for you by now.
kbrn2002, ADN, RN
3,967 Posts
Even in my relatively small town there are at least 3 motels that I know of that rent rooms by the week. I would bet that any of them would also let you get a room for a day instead of a night. There's bound to be a hotel/motel close to the hospital that could accommodate you, especially if it's an independently owned instead of one of the big chains. Heck I'd bet even the big chains would be willing to work with you during these times when travel is much more limited and their occupancy is way down. Any hotel/motel would probably be happy to have a regular customer about now! Ask the manager to see what they have to say.
The other idea to just crash at a co-workers or a friends for a day or two a week also works. Talk to people you know and like at work to see if that's an option, if your work friends don't have the room they may know somebody they trust that does.
Also you can look at the airbnb options in the area. Like the hotels/motels their occupancy is way down with less people travelling so you might be able to get a pretty nice place pretty cheap.
Sleeping in your car during the day is a bad idea for many reasons. Safety is the biggest of course, lack of good sleep due to the constraints of vehicle size and outside noise, lack of toilet/shower to name a few. One big question nobody has asked about your plan to possibly sleep in your car is weather. Even in some overall hot areas it get darn cold at night, but you'd be cooking in that car trying to sleep during the day. Sleeping all day with the car running to keep the AC/Heat on depending on what weather area you are in is not an option.