Tips for Travel Nurses to get Through Night Shift Assignments
Taking the shifts you are handed comes with the territory when you’re a traveling nurse. Sometimes that means saying sayonara to the scheduled you are used to and taking the dreaded night shift. Getting through a night shift at work can feel like an eternity. Be ready to tackle the twilight zone with a combination of proactive and reactive techniques. They will help you achieve a happier and healthier work-life balance and ensure you stay alert when patients are counting on you. Here are some surefire ways to get you through the night shift.
Create Consistent Sleep Patterns
The National Sleep Foundation released the results of a two-year study that found adults (24-64 years old) should get at least seven hours of sleep, but six hours is acceptable. When working the night shift, it is crucial that you create sleep patterns, and stick to them, to ensure you get the necessary amount of shut eye.
The rules that govern good sleep habits at night certainly apply to daytime snoozing. Avoid distractions like cell phones and computer screens when it’s time to sleep. While many believe a hot bath or shower will relax you for bed, science may disagree. Taking a hot bath or shower before bed can raise your body temperature, a natural signal to the body that it is time to wake. You may also find it helpful to invest in a pair of blackout curtains or an eye mask to help drown out the sun’s rays. And if you still find yourself struggling to stay asleep, get up. Yup, you read that right. Five or six hours of solid, deep sleep can prove more beneficial than toss and turning for a restless eight hours.
Become Friends with Other Night Shift Workers
Having friends who work the night shift will allow you to keep a more routine schedule. You can make plans with them on your days off to stay active during your normal work hours and sleep during the day. Try a movie marathon or hitting the local 24-hour gym to keep yourself awake. Plus, having a shift buddy always makes work a happier place!
Stick to a Schedule
While this is hard to achieve, regardless of when you work, it’s important to stick to some type of schedule when rocking the night shift. If you get off at seven in the morning, make sure to be in bed by eleven and sleep until five or six. This gives you a window of time to be social and taking advantage of traditional works hours for sleeping ensuring you don’t miss out. you’ll be sleeping when mostly everyone else is at work.
Don’t Overdo the Caffeine Products
Downing loads of coffee can be an easy fix when working the night shift because our brain is telling us we should be sleeping but it can also be a dangerous trap. If you drink five energy drinks before your shift is over, falling asleep will be very hard. Try to stick to your normal intake of caffeine. Be sure and drink plenty of water. It will keep you hydrated and won’t give you the jitters.
Read other ways you can get a caffeine boost besides coffee!
Stay Active at Work
While the night shift is typically a slower time for nurses, be sure to stay active on the job so you can keep your brain alert and aware. Chat with co-workers or try to learn a new skill like knitting. You could even listen to podcasts or download an app to help you learn a new language. Whatever you choose to occupy your downtime, make sure it’s something that won’t make you feel even more tired.
Monitor Your Health
Working the night shift can have a detrimental effect, so it’s important to effectively monitor your health. The NSF reports shift workers face a higher risk of insomnia, daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, diabetes, menstrual irregularities, colds and weight gain than day shift employees. While we know taking care of your patients is your number one priority, check in with yourself from time to time throughout your assignment to evaluate your well-being both physically and mentally.
Check out these tips to instantly increase your well-being on the road.
Bonus: Relish in the Benefits of Working the Night Shift
- Shift differential. With extra hourly pay for nights (and sometimes more for weekend nights) you can see a significant bump in your paycheck.
- Good team spirit. Staffing levels are often reduced on nights, so you and your co-workers help each other get things done. And since things are less hectic, you’ll get a chance to talk and learn about each other. Many co-workers go to breakfast together after their shift ends for their own unique happy hour.
- More availability. School activities, medical appointments, and hair stylists can be easier to schedule. You must be careful about overdoing it, but you may find it easier to make time for life’s little things when working the night shift.
Whether you love working the night shift or are just barely surviving, these tips will come in handy during those long evenings. For additional wellness tips or advice on kick-starting your career as a traveling medical pro, head over to Triage Staffing to speak with one of our expert recruiters.
About the Author:
John Maaske co-founded Triage Staffing in 2006, a full service staffing solution for traveling nursing, laboratory, rehabilitation therapy, and radiology professionals. His successful profession in the healthcare staffing industry spans 17 years, with a deep interest and drive to connect and assist people. John built Triage with intentions to get to know each of this travelers to create an exceptional travel experience for all with a bottom-line of: “Build Trust, Go After It!” When the DePaul University Alumni isn’t busy helping traveling medical professionals expand, grow, and spread health throughout the nation, he enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with his family. Connect with John! Interested in becoming a traveling healthcare professional? Take a look at what Triage has to offer.
