After a few months of night shift nursing, you may start to think the old adage "nothing good happens after midnight" is more myth than reality. However, if you haven't fully prepared for anything, the situation will always be worse. As a result, here are some recommendations to ensure that you have appropriately planned your snacks, sleeping routine, and mental wellness.
We understand how important it is to live a healthy lifestyle, especially if you are a nurse, doctor, support worker, or other type of healthcare professional who is responsible for the care of others. Taking care of yourself, on the other hand, may be tough, especially if your profession demands you to work at night. As a result, in order to aid you in preparing for and recovering from the sleepless night shift.
This, like many other jobs in the medical industry, demands ongoing attention. A nurse who works the overnight shift is known as a "night shift nurse." This type of nurse is in charge of giving medical care to patients throughout the night. These hours are often different from the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. day shift hours that you are used to, or even the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. day shift hours.
Nurses working on night shifts are responsible for a number of administrative activities in addition to their patient load. In addition, they must keep a record of the medical information related to their patient's care, the patient's status, and the events that occur throughout the shift. Nurses working on night shifts can be found in almost any type of medical facility, including hospitals, long-term care homes, doctor's offices, and even some outpatient clinics. During the evening hours, nurses working on night shifts care for patients.
Tips For Working Night Shift
Sleep Well
Although it may seem obvious, many night-shift nurses fail to get their bodies ready for sleep. If you have a few days before your nightshift roster starts, these are the best strategies to ease into the sleep pattern that will save you.
- Later in the evening, have dinner. This nourishes your body and allows it to stay up a little later than usual.
- Each day, try to sleep in or remain in bed a bit longer.
- Use black-out curtains or a sleep mask to fool your body into believing it's midnight rather than noon.
- Take a power sleep before work. Wake up after a few hours of steady sleep and pull yourself out of your usual deep sleep cycle. But, before you get ready for work, take another 20-30 minute nap to rejuvenate your eyes and body without leaving you sluggish.
Food-Prep
Food preparation isn't only for gym rats—also it's for folks who don't need or want to obsess about what they're eating before a 10 p.m.-7 a.m. shift. Choose a meal that you enjoy but isn't high in carbs or sweets in the days leading up to your dreaded night shift. Nothing is worse than working on an excessively full stomach, so try to avoid foods with heavy components and instead focus on veggies and natural carbohydrates.
Get Active
Exercise not only keeps you alert and focused, but it also naturally exhausts your body. In order to relax your muscles and get to sleep faster throughout the day, you should go to the gym or take a walk around the block. Stretching out your worked muscles and reinvigorating them before starting your shift is also an excellent exercise.
Limit Caffeine
Your eyelids are droopy, and you need a pick-me-up, so you reach for the Red Bull can staring at you from the vending machine.
Don't Fall into This Trap
High-caffeinated drinks are meant to offer you a quick and large rush of energy, so you feel energised right away. But then you fall. You'll wind up feeling more worse than before. Furthermore, the caffeine will stay in your brain for hours, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Drive Safe
It's all over. You've arrived. But wait a minute before you go behind the wheel. Sleep-deprived drivers are the second leading cause of car accidents after drunk driving. Drive cautiously.
Sleep Well
Yes, we are aware that we have stated this before. However, you should make every effort to retire to bed as soon as possible when you reach your destination. You want to get a decent night's sleep since you're probably going to have to do it all over again the next day, and light is the enemy of sleep.
FAQs About Night Shift Nurses
Only the nurses and patients are usually present during the night shift, which allows nurses to administer excellent patient care on a more intimate level. During the night shift, most of your patients are sleeping, which allows you more one on one time with your patients that are awake.
Do not delay going to bed. The longer you delay going to bed, the more awake you are likely to become. So instead, set aside a block of 7–9 hours to dedicate to sleep after a night shift.
It takes about ten days for the body to adjust to night shift work. However, it is common for night shift workers to revert to daytime routines for a day or two during days off, which makes the circadian rhythm unstable.
Night workers can feel cold, shaky, nauseous, sleepy and tired at this time. This is a normal reaction as the body is programmed to be less active at this time. It can be difficult to stay awake, especially if work demands are low. Eat and drink something warm (avoid caffeine) during this period and keep busy.
Bring a bottle of water to work. Water can help you stay alert and not feel so tired during your shift. Avoid drinking sugary soft drinks and alcohol before, during, and after work. Unsweetened herbal tea and low sodium 100% vegetable and fruit juices are other nutritious beverages that you can drink.
Preparing For Night Shift
Bring Your Family on Board
If you work the graveyard shift, you should tell your loved ones to expect some disturbances. They need to understand the challenges of nocturnal work and the need of getting enough sleep during the day. Be sure to talk about what these changes imply for all of you and obtain their support in the coming days by getting the conversation started. Also, make sure you schedule moments to eat together and stay connected, such as having breakfast together on your workdays.
Understand The Demands
A nurse's duty is to always provide patients with appropriate and secure medical treatment. You must be physically prepared for the obstacles of night shift work, as well as emotionally prepared to deal with the demands of your profession, regardless of the hour. Your mental powers must be at their peak in order to fully address the needs of your patients. This is not always simple, especially if your body is not used to working at night, but there are techniques to keep your body and mind functioning properly during your overnight job.
Focus On Quality Nutrition
A high-carbohydrate or high-sugar diet can make you feel tireder than you are. Focusing on your nutrition is one approach to avoid issues on your shift. Consume entire, balanced meals and avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. If you provide your body with the food it needs for the duration of your shift, you'll have greater energy and mental acuity to see you through the night.
Use Breaks Wisely
Nurses may have limited breaks at times, but you should still receive some. Make good use of them. Never, ever skip a break. If feasible, use that time to eat some nutritious food. Take a nap if your hospital or facility has one. When you come back on the floor, you'll be astonished how much a 20-minute snooze improves your general function. Always use an alarm and check your hospital's napping policy before laying down, but do this if possible.
Monitor Your Sleeping And Waking Schedule on Days Off
You may throw your body off if you try to sleep and be awake during "normal" hours on non-nursing days. When managing a family, it may be impossible to keep nightly awake hours and daytime sleep hours, so you must exercise caution. Never remain awake for the entire 12 hours before a night shift since your body requires rest. Instead, even if you work nights, you should aim to get at least 7–9 hours of sleep per 24 hours.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration will enhance sensations of weariness. Always keep a bottle of water on hand. Yes, this means extra trips to the restroom, but without water, your body and mind cannot work correctly. When deciding what to drink, try to avoid too much caffeine. It may give you a surge of energy, but as it wears off, you will most certainly slip into a slump. Pure water is always the best option.
Keep Moving
Adrenaline is released as you move, and adrenaline helps you stay awake. If you're standing or sitting at a desk and need to chart anything, consider walking in place. The more you move, the more alert you will feel and the better your mood you will have. Remember that you will have the opportunity to rest at your next break or when your shift ends, so stay active.
Create Relationships With Coworkers
When you work overnight, you will need the support of other nurses. So, get to know the folks you'll be working with. Some of them may be veteran night shift workers, and they may provide a lot of advice to assist you manage your time and energy on this demanding shift. Having good relationships means you'll have someone to turn to whenever you start feeling drowsy, especially as your body adjusts to this new normal.
Develop relationships with the other nurses who will take your place. To avoid patient needs, it is best to communicate well during shift transfer. A positive relationship will allow you to communicate effectively with the other nurses in your facility.
Give Yourself Time And Grace
It will take some time to get used to working nights. Allow yourself some leeway during this period of transition. The first few weeks of working graveyard will be difficult. You will, however, adjust. It simply takes time.
Possibilities That Come with Becoming a Night-Shift Nurse
Better Pay Rates
First and foremost. Is there a more compelling reason to work night shifts? It is common knowledge that night shifts are paid extra. You will notice a difference in pay rates for the same position on day and night shifts. Working at night will likely earn you an extra £4-5 per hour (varies). And sometimes even more. Therefore, this is an essential part of nursing for the vast majority of professionals.
Less Interaction with Patients and Their Families
Okay, we don't want to come across as rude! Nurses enjoy their employment and assisting outpatients. But let's be real. It can all become too much to bear at some time. With most patients resting during the late shift, nurses can concentrate on paperwork and other responsibilities. Add to that the absence of continual complaining from their families, and you have heaven.
More Freedom And Less Management
During day shifts, you will hardly have time to catch your breath, while night shifts will provide you with a significant amount of breathing room. You don't have to be self-conscious about eating snacks at your desk or responding to messages on your phone because no one is looking over your shoulder. Amazing. You get a real taste for freedom when you do this.
The Major Disadvantages of Night Shift Nursing
You Can Be Working with Less Experienced Personnel.
Nurses working night shifts are surrounded by less experienced nurses, which is a major disadvantage. Night shifts are typically not desired by the more senior members of the team. Thus, you may find yourself collaborating with members of staff who lack in-depth expertise in the field. There are moments when the transition might be very unsettling.
There Will Be Fewer People You Can Contact in A Time of Crisis.
To a large extent, nurses working night shifts work alone. When there are fewer people on duty, fewer people are likely to ask for help if something bad happens. But if there's a true medical emergency, it's up to you to dial 911 from your own home. There will be fewer people to help in an emergency.
More Illnesses Are Likely to Affect You.
Being a night shift nurse has several drawbacks, one of which being the toll it takes on one's mental and physical well-being. Nurses working overnight shifts are at increased risk for metabolic alterations that can lead to serious health concerns, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Nurses working night shifts may have trouble seeing in dim light. Night shift nurses are also more likely to acquire age-related macular degeneration than their day shift counterparts. Whoa, I had no idea that working evenings could be so hazardous to your health.
You May Find It Hard to Juggle Your Family.
When comparing the benefits and downsides of night shift nursing, realise that your ability to build deep family bonds may be hindered. Skipping daytime sleep in favour of nighttime activity will cause you to miss out on precious family time. One day, while you're still in bed, your kids will leave for school. It can be challenging to establish a consistent schedule with a spouse, especially if you both have full-time employment, if one of you works the night duty. Your options as a parent of a young child who is not old enough for a childcare centre or school are to hire a babysitter or to forego sleep completely. That is, you should be awake whenever the child is.
You Will Have Limited Dining Options
There's a good chance that if you're a nurse working the overnight shift, you'll have to provide your own food. There is no respite from the kitchen work in sight. In case you're a nurse who works the graveyard shift, you know that mealtime comes while everyone else is fast asleep. The businesses will have to close as a result of this. Pickings are slim.
Concerns About Your Personal Safety May Exist.
Night nurse safety is a concern. At times, you'll have to make your way to and from the automobile while it's already dark outside. When you cannot see, the world is much scarier. Being unable to see everything in front of you when working nights can make you feel uneasy. It is the duty of nurses working night shifts to look out for themselves.
Best Parts About Working the Night Shift
You May Have a Monetary Incentive.
Being a nurse on a night shift has several advantages, the most important of which is the possibility of receiving financial compensation from a wide variety of medical facilities. For example, if you work the overnight shift at a hospital, you may receive an extra $5 per hour. Many nurses consider this as a safeguard against burnout caused by working too many nighttime shifts. If you're thinking about working night shifts as a nurse, one thing you should evaluate is if the pay is good enough to make it worth being up late. Night shift work can be a tough nut to crack, but it can help you pay down debt and build up your finances.
No Interaction with Upper Management Is Required.
Being a night nurse has several benefits, including independence from management social duties. The time that your shift begins is often after those in managerial roles have left for the day. When looking for directions, you won't need to put on a smile or be in a good mood because you won't need to do either of those things. You won't have to worry about being micromanaged, though, as your superiors won't be doing that.
The Care You Give to Your Patient will Change Less at Night.
As a night nurse, your patients' treatment plans rarely alter. Due to the reduced need for changes in your patients' treatment plans, you must ensure that everyone remains stable until morning. Since you won't have to adapt to the ever-changing needs of your patients, you may find that your evenings and weekends are less stressful than your typical workweek.
Nighttime Surgical Procedures Will Be Reduced.
No elective procedures are required of night-shift nurses. Since you won't be helping with many procedures, the timing of the treatment won't put any extra stress on you. In other words, you won't have to bother about helping out with processes or the tedious paperwork that goes along with it. Instead, you will not have to worry about any of those things.
There May Be a Fair Amount of Time for You to Do Your Assignments if You Are Returning to School.
Working the graveyard shift is ideal if you're a nurse who wants to return to school during your downtime. After you have attended to your patients' needs, you can snuggle them into bed and continue your studies without disturbing their sleep.
You'll Have Plenty of Spare Time for Errands and Scheduled Events.
If you're a nurse and you work overnight, you'll receive the day off every morning and every afternoon. This is an advantage of working in this field. Now is a great time to run errands and schedule meetings. You need not be concerned about the possibility of not doing all of the chores you have throughout the day. A pharmacy, a mall, a grocery store, and a bank are all within walking distance from where you are. As an added bonus, you'll have more time for self-care pursuits like going to the spa or the gym. There is no limit to the possibilities.
Conclusion
A nurse who works the overnight shift is known as a "night shift nurse". This type of nurse is in charge of giving medical care to patients throughout the night. Nurses working on night shifts can be found in hospitals, long-term care homes, doctor's offices, and outpatient clinics. Sleep-deprived drivers are the second leading cause of car accidents after drunk driving. Try to avoid foods with heavy components and instead focus on veggies and natural carbohydrates.
Exercise not only keeps you alert and focused, but it also exhausts your body. Stretching out your worked muscles and reinvigorating them is also an excellent exercise. As a nurse, you must be physically and emotionally prepared for the demands of your profession. There are techniques to keep your body and mind functioning properly during your overnight job. Focusing on your nutrition is one approach to avoid issues on your shift.
Use breaks wisely and make good use of them. The first few weeks of working graveyard will be difficult, but with time, they will become second to no longer feeling drowsy. Being a night shift nurse has several drawbacks, one of which is the toll it takes on one's mental and physical well-being. Night shift nurses are at increased risk for metabolic alterations that can lead to serious health concerns, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Skipping daytime sleep in favour of nighttime activity means you miss out on precious family time.
Being a night nurse has several benefits, including independence from management social duties. Night shift work can be a tough nut to crack, but it can help you pay down debt and build up your finances. Many nurses consider this as a safeguard against burnout caused by working too many nighttime shifts. As a night nurse, you may find that your evenings and weekends are less stressful than your typical workweek. No elective procedures are required of night-shift nurses.
Now is a great time to run errands and schedule meetings. You won't have to bother about helping out with processes or tedious paperwork.
Content Summary
- Before you get ready for work, take another 20-30 minute nap to rejuvenate your eyes and body without leaving you sluggish.
- In order to relax your muscles and get to sleep faster throughout the day, you should go to the gym or take a walk around the block.
- You must be physically prepared for the obstacles of night shift work, as well as emotionally prepared to deal with the demands of your profession, regardless of the hour.
- Focusing on your nutrition is one approach to avoid issues on your shift.
- Nurses working night shifts are surrounded by less experienced nurses, which is a major disadvantage.