A career in nursing is demanding. How do you get through working the night shift to offer your patients the care they need? Here are some night shift survival tips every nurse should know.
1. Set a Schedule
Sleep is critical for your performance, especially when working the night shift. Create a consistent schedule that you can follow during your nightshifts to allow you to get sufficient rest during the day, and be ready for work at night.
Your schedule will vary based on your family and priorities – the bottom line is to create the space and time to rest sufficiently so you are ready for work. Your schedule might take a while to become consistent, so give it time for you to adjust to sleeping during the day.
When creating your new schedule let your body get used to working at night and sleeping during daylight. It might take some adjustment, but it is possible.
2. Eat Healthy Food
Healthy eating is critical to your well-being, especially when working the night shift. Avoid unhealthy snacks at work. Instead, prepare your meals and snacks in advance so when you do get hungry your food energizes you and keeps you feeling good.
Eat well-balanced snacks that distribute your energy provisions evenly. Avoid food that might make you crash and burn during your shift.
3. Watch Your Caffeine Intake
Tempting as that cup of coffee is, it might mess up your work-sleep schedule. Make sure your caffeine is moderate so that you can sleep well once your shift is over.
The best approach is to take a cup of coffee or your favorite caffeinated drink at the start of the shift, then transition to healthier caffeine-free beverages as you progress through the night. This way, the caffeine in your body will have broken down, allowing you to sleep when you get home.
Instead of over-depending on caffeine to stay awake, drink water regularly throughout your shift to keep your energy up and fatigue low.
4. Take Breaks
You’re entitled to a break so don’t forget to take it! Use this time to take a rest, consume some food, give your feet a break so you can dive right back into work when it’s over. If you have the facilities for a lie-down and do choose to nap, make sure it’s a structured snooze no more than 20 minutes. Otherwise, you could spiral into a deeper sleep which is much more difficult to wake up from. You don’t want to resume a shift when you’re groggy.
Working the night shift?
Nursing is a demanding field, especially when working the night shift. Nurses on nightshifts might take time to adjust to the new body and work schedule and sometimes can struggle with tiredness. Set your night shift up for success by adhering to a set schedule, maintaining a healthy diet, managing your caffeine intake, and taking regular breaks throughout the night. How do you survive the night shift?
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