1st Day Off exhaustion

Published

I'm wondering how other 12 hour nurses manage the exhaustion on your first day off after two or three 12 hour shifts? I can't seem to function much for most of the day. Is it just me? :yawn:

Geeze, hope you can do that in your 50's.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, OB, Mother Baby.

I am coming off 4 night shifts in a row. I probably won't make it out of my jammies tomorrow!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Why, why do you young gals do this? Money? Money the government will take most of? Please consider the tax implications. After earning so much a week, the gov may get up to 50% of it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatric Nursing.

I understand how it feels, I slept the whole day during day off.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Why, why do you young gals do this? Money? Money the government will take most of? Please consider the tax implications. After earning so much a week, the gov may get up to 50% of it.

As much as I like to believe myself a young gal, I'm a 45-year-old new grad. That 60-hour stint nearly killed me; my feet are still complaining. I would never, ever have done that voluntarily. I'm still on orientation and am working my preceptor's schedule. I have another stretch like that scheduled for the end of the month and then I am going to make it known that I won't be doing that again. I don't know how that will be received, but I also don't care. Maybe ridiculous scheduling is one reason nurses flee the bedside...

Those of you who go running or workout after your 12-hr shifts, I envy you. I thought I'd go straight to the hospital's gym and do the same after I clocked out. Now I walk (limp) by it and snicker.:mad:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have just finished 6 nights and will probably have to work tonight. This isn't by choice, but I want to keep my job. Normally in a 2 week period I work 6 straight nights and have 24-36 mandatory on-call hours. My job is sucking the life out of me.

On my first day off I sleep until the evening, get up and eat, whine, complain, watch tv while dozing, and then I go to bed and sleep all night long. The fatigue can be overwhelming at times :zzzzz:zzzzz

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

We are in the process of remodeling our house. We are doing all of the work ourselves... Everyday that I get home from a 12 hr shift my husband is like... Good, I'm glad your home.. you can help me ________ . Fill in the blank with some type of manual labor. I just laugh and tell him things I can't repeat on this forum... People that don't work 12 hour shifts just don't understand what it is like. Yesterday my husband worked an 11 hour day (bless his heart). 6 of those hours he rode in a car (3 hours 1 way, 3 hours back). He complained all evening about how tired he was... gmafb

Anyway... On my days off I sleep and then drink a lot of coffee. I usually don't start cleaning or laundry until after 2pm on that first day.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

1st day off exhaustion. I know what you mean!!! Nobody gets it. My friends who don't work used to call me at 8 or 9 am to "see what I'm doing" and ask if I want to go to lunch. They have no clue what a 12 hour shift is like and had their feelings hurt when I said "DON'T CALL me on my first day off.

Has anyone weighed themselves over these shifts, I loose about 3 lbs then put it back on my day off, something physiologic is happening. It's not just fat. I miss meals and get dehydrtated when it's busy but I think it is also fluid shifts from stress induced cortisol level changes.

Hummy RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED.

I work 6 day stretches (12 hrs) and then get 8 days off. However, it doesn't take me a day to get over it...it takes 2!!!! Love my days off though!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Tele.

Its tough but ya know, i wouldn't trade back to 8hrs for anything...right now anyway. I love working my sunday/monday nights and then have the rest of the week off! It drives my husband nuts that I have so much time off and make the same as him :)

My 8yr old told me the other day that 'its not fair that daddy has to go to work everyday!'

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I work every Sat and Sun night. I also go out every Friday night to "unwind" and get back on a night schedule so I can sleep all day on Saturday.

I do go to the gym every Sun and Mon morning when I get off. It helps wind me down. I usually stay up until about noon on Monday and then sleep until about 9pm. I'll get up cook, do house chores, and then back in bed by midnight. Then I get ready for my 8 hour day shift in the clinic on Tues. I normally work Tues and Thurs 8 hour day shift in the clinic.

I am seriously looking for a phone triage position where I can work from home during the week. My girlfriend does this and she is a nurse and do triage nursing from home. It's a great set up.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion