Shift Work

[makemesleep]

I am an RN in a hospital. I just started working 3 weeks of 12 hour days, then 3 weeks of 12 hour nights. I am looking for suggestions from people who are working similar shifts, who can tell me what works and what doesn't. I am a new nurse; just 6 months under my belt. I have 6 years experience working straight nights driving a semi accross the country with my husband. Living in a truck is quite different from a house.(Cleaning house takes less time in a truck!) My husband works straight nights, 8 hour shifts. Anyone out there with pearls of wisdom, or tales of lessons learned, please share them.

[DaveNewman]

I have worked rotating 8 and 12 hours shifts for 27 out of the past 42 years, and I can truly tell you, if you can leave working them, do so now. I will not go into all my medical problems but they are many and varied, and at age 60 I am just learning how much my past work history has been the root of most of my illnesses. My best advice to anyone working anything other that straight 8 hour day shifts would be to do whatever possible to get themselves on day shifts as soon as possible. If you must work nights or rotating shift work for a time, then eat small, well balanced meals, get as much uninterupted sleep as you possibly can, and have medical check ups regulary. I also recommend that you search the internet for studies that have been and are presently being done by University's concerning Shift Workers.