By Gifted Healthcare

March 5, 2021

6819 Views

ADVERTISEMENT

Tips for Travel Nurses: 10 Ways to Succeed on the Night Shift

This article was provided by Gifted Healthcare.

Are you a travel nurse that’s about to begin working the night shift? If so, it’s important to develop a strategy to stay on top of your game while the rest of the world is asleep.

We’ve created a list of tips to help you stay healthy and focused on the night shift. By using these tips, you’ll be focused, driven, and excelling on the night shift in no time!

Tips for working the night shift

working the night shift

Develop a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Being well-rested is the most important part of staying healthy and on your game on the night shift.

While it can be difficult for shift workers to maintain a stable sleeping schedule, try to be as consistent as possible. This will make falling asleep and waking up much easier, and reduce your chance of crashing while you’re awake.

Limit your use of electronics before bed and invest in blackout curtains to darken your room during the daytime.

Remaining open-minded about your new schedule will help you develop a routine that works. Once you’ve figured out which sleeping schedule works best for you, stick to it. Sleeping at irregular intervals will lead you to poor health, stress, and on-the-job-mistakes.

Only Use Your Bedroom for Sleeping

Do you use your bedroom for activities other than sleeping? If you’re someone that has trouble falling or staying asleep, you might need to find a new room for working, watching television, or using your laptop.

By using your bedroom exclusively for sleeping, you strengthen your brain’s association between “bedroom” and “sleep.” If you find yourself lying awake and struggling to fall asleep, try moving to another room and doing something else until you feel tired enough to try again.

Work Your Night Shifts Consecutively

If you can, try to schedule your night shifts consecutively. This will help you maintain a stable eating and sleeping routine, which will keep your energy levels high.

Working consecutive night shifts will also allow you to enjoy your days off, rather than spend them catching up on sleep.

Stay Hydrated

Due to the nature of the job, it can be difficult for healthcare professionals to stay hydrated. But drinking water is essential for maintaining your physical and mental health.

Bring a refillable water bottle with you and drink steadily throughout your shift — once you’re thirsty, a headache may be on the way.

Focus On Your Patients

While nighttime might be a quieter time in many hospital units, some patients require more care or assistance at night. With fewer visitors and distractions, take advantage of the quiet time to focus on your patients.

Paying more attention to detail and providing an extra level of care for your patients overnight is a great way to stay focused and show initiative on your team.

Exercise

Physical exertion causes the body to release endorphins, which acts as a natural energy boost. Staying fit and active will give you the energy you need to thrive on the night shift.

Studies show that just 10 minutes of light exercise will significantly increase your alertness. If you don’t have time to work out before your shift, there are ways to fit exercise into your work schedule. Lunges, wall-sits, and jogging up and down the stairs are great ways to stay active while you’re on the job.

Be Careful on Your Days Off

Although it may be tempting to change your schedule to suit your days off, be careful about disrupting your regular sleeping and meal schedules.

Staying awake for too long before starting your first night shift of the week will disrupt your internal clock, negatively affecting your energy levels. Eating at irregular intervals prevents your metabolism from functioning efficiently and optimally.

Do your best to maintain your routine. Your body will thank you later.

Eat Healthy Snacks During Your Shift

Snacking is a great way to stay energized over the course of a long night. However, it’s important to eat the right snacks.

Almonds and cashews are high in healthy fats and protein. Avocados are superfoods, which means they’re nutrient-dense and contain relatively few calories. Fruits and vegetables are low-calorie options with natural sugars and fiber.

Try to avoid snacks high in sodium and added sugar — they may give you a quick boost, but you’ll end up crashing hard.

Training and Education

There are lots of resources to help night-shift workers thrive. Organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer online classes created by experts for professionals like you.

Night shift training offers in-depth strategies for your professional and personal life intended to maximize your performance and minimize your stress levels.

Make Time for Friends & Family

Most of the world works during the daytime, which makes socializing difficult for healthcare professionals who work nights. However, it’s important to spend time with friends and family.

Your social life greatly impacts your emotional well-being, which is closely tied to your physical and mental health. Avoid feeling isolated or lonely by making time for social interaction.

Maintaining your emotional well-being will help you provide better care for your patients and help you have a longer, happier career.

We hope you found these tips for succeeding working the night shift helpful. Are you a travel nurse that works the night shift? Do you have any tips for fellow travel nurses working the night shift to help them succeed? Comment them below.

Finished the travel nursing guide and are ready to look for an assignment?

Check out our travel nurse jobs!

By The Gypsy Nurse

July 11, 2020

12257 Views

ADVERTISEMENT

The A, B, Z’s of Travel Nursing – Why Sleep Matters

Trying to juggle the demands as a travel nurse can be challenging. For the night shift travel nurse, a lack of sleep, a late-night, insomnia, more than one late night…they can all add up to a tired you.

When you are not rested, you are not at your best. That can mean irritability, grumpiness, a foggy head, and possibly poor decision-making when it comes to patients. It’s important to note that sleep is a lot like calories and nutrition. It’s not just about how much you get, but how much quality sleep you get.

Here are a few reasons why getting enough Z’s is so important.

Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that fatigue is a cause in 100,000 auto crashes a year. Fatigue is also linked to work related accidents, and medication errors among night shift nurses.

Health risks

Studies show that the majority of people suffering from insomnia also have at least one other health concern.  When left uncorrected, loss of sleep can lead to conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes.

Depression

Sleep deprivation can quickly become a vicious circle. Sleep loss often aggravates the symptoms of depression, and depression can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Physical impact

When you body is deprived of sleep it releases more stress hormones which in turn actually ages your skin. It can also slow growth and development in younger people.

Weight gain

Research studies suggest that sleep loss appears to stimulate appetite and cravings for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. In fact, inadequate sleep is correlated with decreases in leptin, a hormone that regulates and suppresses hunger.

Decreased Performance and Alertness

According to WebMD, sleep deprivation induces significant reductions in performance and alertness. Reducing your nighttime sleep by as little as one and a half hours for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%.

Sick (and tired)

Without the right amount of sleep, your immune system doesn’t have a chance to rebuild its forces. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s more likely that your body won’t be able to fend off invaders and you may take longer to get over an illness if you continuously lack sleep.

The best you means a rested you.

Your ability to care for patients, handle stress, and display good judgment rely heavily on adequate sleep. There’s a lot of truth to the saying “get your beauty rest” but it goes much further than that, so be sure to catch your Z’s!


Find your NEXT Contract NOW!