Surviving Nightshifts

Surviving Nightshifts

During my days as a student nurse i used to hear some of the staff nurses talk about doing their 7 nights in a row and I used to think how is that even possible ? But a few weeks I did my own first 7 nights in a row and i am here to testify that is is in fact possible. As I discuss with my nursing friends in other hospitals I realised that working 7 nights in a row in not common , very few hospitals allow their staff to work such a schedule and also even in places like my workplace where is is allowed , it has to be requested , my manager would never just stick me on for 7 nights for the fun of it. So you are probably wondering why anyone would choose to put themselves through the mill , valid question. If I work 7 nights in a row I get the next week off because doing 7 nights is the equivalent of working 2 weeks in 1 week. People usually avail of this if they need leave for a holiday without using their annual leave or if they just want time off work , everyone has their reasons. Very few people work 7 nights as they can be intense ! Night shifts in general can be intense never mind 7 in a row. Normally the nightshift schedule is 3 nights in a row or 4 split nights. Now go buy yourself something nice for every time I said “ 7 nights”. Night shifts remind me of Psalm 30:5(b) “Weeping may stay for the night but joy comes in the morning”.

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Nightshift Survival Guide

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1. Get adequate sleep

This sounds like a no brainer after working a night shift but let me tell you something I can really explain. As soon as I leave the hospital the tiredness actually leaves my body it’s surreal lol. I come home and all of a sudden I have energy to do chores , watch YouTube etc. My nightshifts are 20:00 - 07:30. By the time handover is done and I have driven 30 minutes back home Its about 9:00/9:30 and I often don‘t actually sleep till midday then I have to get up at like 5pm to eat , exercise and shower etc and ultimately I’m still sleep deprived and tired starting the next night. I recommend aiming to get at least 7 hours of sleep during the day that you missed out on during the night - One day I’ll take my own advice. Sleeping during the day can be so tough sometimes and what makes it was for me is that my bedroom is beside the conservatory and the light shines through it so brightly even with the blinds down, so this is my and your sign to invest in blackout curtains.

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2. Sleep during your break

i didn’t realise how controversial this was ? I always sleep on my nightshifts because what else would I be doing at 2am. Some of my colleagues say that if they sleep they wake up even more tired lol I hear it. I remember one night I was so tired , i slept during my break then woke up so groggy that when I went to login to the work computer I kept putting my password in wrong , what woke me up is when I realised I had blocked myself out of our database which meant I couldn’t do my nursing notes so I had to call the IT guy. One of my friends told me a story about when she was a student nurse she worked a night shift as an agency carer , she went to sleep on her break and she woke up in the morning when her shift was over , so what I am saying is do this at your own risk ahaahahahah.

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3. Stay active

I used tho think that conserving all my energy meant not doing anything after my night shift other than sleeping but incorporating exercise into my pre shift routine has actually given me more of a pep in my step before starting my shift and I find that I sleep better and just feel better in general. My routine goes a little like this : Return home , do my chores , eat , watch a video or two on YouTube , sleep , eat , run , shower , get dressed go to work repeat. Don’t neglect yourself as you care for others.

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4. Eat and Drink

One of my favourite nightshift pastimes is sitting at the nurses station and doing my notes with a juice to my left and a Tayto (Irish crisp) sandwich to my right. It keeps me awake and keeps me fuelled to take on whatever the night may bring.

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5. Miscellaneous

- I always have a toothbrush and toothpaste on me , if I feel super tired durning the shift I go to the toilet , brush my teeth and wash my face with cold water. I also always brush my teeth and wash my face before the day staff come in so I look more presentable and they are not victims of my morning breath.

- Chat to your colleagues , it helps the time pass.

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Thats all from me for now , as I evolve as a nurse I will be back with lots more tricks up my sleeve !

For now ? Ciao

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Jen , your FAVE RGN x

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