What is your routine to clean-up and decompress after your shift?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am in my final semester of nursing school, soon to start 7P to 7A shifts. My question for you (any shift!) is what is your routine for after work? How do you clean-up after a shift (full shower, wipe down, just hands/arms/face? nothing?), how do you decompress or de-stress? THANKS!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Sometimes I'll shower when I get home (I work 11am-1130pm), sometimes not....some nights, I'm just too tired! I shower when I feel like I'm sweaty/gross from running around all night, not because of "bugs"...I'm not a freak about, not bringing my shoes in to the house, separating my scrubs from the rest of my laundry, etc. I figure, I'm around whatever "germs" all day long, so what's the difference?

I'll usually turn on a show I've DVR'd, have a snack (have to stop doing THAT), sometimes pop online for a little to relax. When the body is tired but the mind is still whirling, it can be hard to fall asleep!

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I come home, leave my shoes by the door, go in the kitchen to see whats for dinner, and then go upstairs wash my arms, hands, face. Put on my PJs and eat dinner, watch some TV, and have a little wine and relax!!:yeah:I work in ICU 7A-7P. Oh I also have a 30 minute drive home, so sometimes I'll talk on the phone, or sometimes if it is a really busy day I listen to the radio and reflect. Sometimes it is nice not to have to answer to anybody for once hehe.

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Specializes in LTC.

I leave my shoes by the door.. I am too lazy to separate my scrubs from the rest of my laundry so i just put it in with the rest of the dirty laundry. Then i shower and eat dinner(yes at 1am lol its terrible i know) and then go to sleep between 2 and 3am.

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Specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.

I crank the radio up on my way home, sometimes shower when I get home. Then I sit down on the couch, eat (healthy stuff of course :)) and watch reruns of The George Lopez Show and My Name is Earl. We don't have cable, so what is available to watch is very limited. Then I go to bed about 0130 or 0200.

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Specializes in Neuro, Cardiology, ICU, Med/Surg.

I too am not a bug freak... I'm exposed to all kinds of bugs on the subway, etc anyway.

As to decompressing, I have fond memories of being able to do that. I have an 8 month old baby... So I often work nights... Leave work, take the subway to my wife's job, where she's brought our daughter, drive her home. Then carry her into the house in her car seat, strip my scrubs off (throwing them in with the rest of the laundry), then take daughter out of her car seat and feed her breakfast. Then I wish and hope that she'll take a morning nap without too much fuss so I can get one too.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Shoes at the door, scrubs in the laundry basket, a beer in the shower.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/home health/pacu/cardiac icu.

Sing loud in the car on the way home, make faces at all the kids on the schoolbus at the stoplights, come home, hop in the shower, get out and eat a bowl of oatmeal, lay in bed and watch Law&Order CI, and fall asleep by 10:00A.M. up at 3:00P.M. to get kids from school.

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A beer in the shower.

This is the best.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, ICU, ER.
Shoes at the door, scrubs in the laundry basket, a beer in the shower.

Quoted for truth! Love it.

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It's really helpful to know how other nurses handle everything. Great ideas! Thanks for your thoughts!:yeah:

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Shower and shampoo, first thing.

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