Nurses Working Night Shift
Working night shift for nurses can be one of the hardest shifts to work. Here are some safety tips for working the night shift. Make sure you get enough rest! When your shift is over, it's important to get rest without interruptions. Even though you think you have all day and all evening to get your rest, it's advised that you sleep when you are done your shift and then if you have to rest a couple of hours before starting the shift, at least you would have had some substantial rest in the morning already. Sometimes, people get off from working the night shift and it is day. Therefore, it is hard for them to try to sleep during the day, and this causes them to get less sleep.
Another safety tip for nurses working night shift is to eat healthy. Take some healthy snacks and fruit to work and eat a good breakfast when you are finished your shift! It's not a good idea to skip meals just because you are working the night shift. Three healthy meals a day should be something you follow up with each and every day. Also, if you maintain a good diet, you are more likely to stay in good health and perform your duties better.
Make sure you take breaks during your shift. You need to step away from your work and give your mind a rest. Even though the night shift may not always be as busy as other shifts, you are still busy taking vitals, making sure your patients are stable and charting notes, to name a few things. A light duty shift to some is still a shift and breaks have to be taken at least twice during the shift.
Keep yourself in good shape by exercising in some sort of way. Exercise is good for you and it also relieves stress and helps you feel better about yourself. Any kind of exercise is better than none at all. Exercise regularly and keep up with your check ups. This will help to stay in good physical and good mental health.
Stay alert at all times! Sometimes if you don't get your proper rest or you have other things or your mind, you drift off and that could cause a fatal mistake or mishap to one of the patients. Have a clear mind when you arrive for the night shift and keep focused.
