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

[kelsn]

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!

[nervousnurse, ASN]

I work nights......it is hard, but I recently started a new routine with my sweet doggie....no matter HOW tired I am, I take him on a nice walk while still in my scrubs and good walking shoes.

That way I don't feel so guilty for ignoring him for the next 7-8 hours during the day while I snooze! :)

Next, scrubs and shoes go in a separate area, take a niiiiiiiice long, hot shower, then into my cozy bed to either all asleep immediately, or usually wind down by watching TV, then zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......three things that are a MUST for me to sleep all day---white noise (I have ocean sounds playing---soo nice!), a very dark mask over my eyes, and black-out curtains!

I can't believe I USED to come home and have a couple ciggies outside before trying to fall asleep---talk about NOT good for sleep!! sooo glad I was able to kick that addiction!

P.S....ROFL over beer IN the shower!

[nervousnurse, ASN]

forgot to say....if it was a particularly awful/ sad/ shift, or I was stressed to the max, I also blast music and/or PRAY on the way home, thanking the Good Lord I made it through those lonnnnnng 12 hours without walking out... if I'm reallly tired, I'm also VERY thankful that I make it home alive!

Then, as I pass Walmart, I think of how badly I want to be a greeter there!!! :)

[southernbeegirl, BSN, RN]

when i've had a stressful day, i log onto world of warcraft and kill things under my husband's account. it really helps!

[SoundofMusic]

Rock and roll music, or something loud on my way home. Just anything to let my mind go and wind down. Shoes off at the door when I come in. I'll take off scrubs, but I don't separate anything in the laundry. Too lazy and I guess I havent' gotten ill from any of it yet.

A good tall glass of red wine always helps -- but no more than one glass. I might get a shower, might not. Just changing clothes is good enough.

I go online, sadly. I wish I could get into a better routine of some mild exercise and not as much FOOD -- of course, I always eat and probably eat too much. Need to stop. I often go online and check facebook, my usual sites, do some reading about current events always clears the hospital world from my head. Allows me to realize there is a great big world out there, other than just the hospital.

If I'm a good girl I'll substitute chamomile tea for red wine.

I will try to take an herbal supplement and do a little yoga if it's been a super bad day. I did yoga tapes when I was a new grad and SO super stressed out at the beginning. I'm not as stressed now as I am just dog tired at the end of a shift.