Any nurses out there?

humblemonkey

Hey there- Nursery RN here and work straight nights, full time 12 hour shifts....so hard to keep away from the food at 2-5am......what do you do as far as food goes overnight??

i have this problem working overnights on the ambulance... I pack a bunch of little snacks that I have the cals saved up for....because at 3am driving the ambulance to albany or binghamton or syracuse is ROUGH. And munching on something helps me stay awake and focused. I pop popcorn (high fiber, low cals, VERY filling. just dont get the super buttery kind) i pack special k multigrain crackers with laughing cow cheese, and pistacios! all yummy, filling, and healthy!! and not excessive calories but all taste like they should be ebcause theyre delicioso!

TDGee

Hi all! Looking for other nurses out there trying to loose weight. Looking for tips on eating healthy, even with a crazy day/night schedule. Any suggestions???

Eating healthy as a Nurse.... Whoda thunkit? I've eaten all manner of things, most of it pretty nasty; (night shift barf cart chow:noway: ), and almost always in a bigass hurry!
Who hasn't eaten out of an emesis basin with a tongue blade for a spoon? I'm a Critical Care/Emergency RN for the last 16 years, and an RT for the 10 years before that. I do LOVE taking care of sick people, the more boogered up, the better. Nothing better than reaching into the jaws of death and snatching someone out. Yeah, it sounds corny, but it's absolutely true! A good save,(where the patient gets to go home and have a meaningful life with their family) can keep me perked up for a couple of years. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: Feel free to send invite
Ted

jsteras

I finished school three years ago and have since gained 60 pounds, you would think working the way we do would burn it off. I know from my experience the toll stress and working long hours with no real breaks, working night shifts, takes on a body is sad. I have the stress belly to prove it. LOL. I am really focused on healthy eating and feeling great , anyone feel free to add me. We all can use all the support we can get.

jsteras

i just graduated nursing school & am waiting to sit my boards ) hello everyone! lol

Good luck with boards, I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy:)

Mundy86

Bump for when I can get to my computer not my phone.

syd1980

work 7P-7A , 3days a week. im pretty much a jack of all trades, i do cna, phelbotomy, HUC, and ekgs. im always moving at work. i feel like im straving all the time. what helped me was planning out my meals and snacks ahead of time.. this keeps me in my calorie goal. the hard part staying away from the yummys the patients family bring in .

Also i work with a great bunch of people. they all took an interest in my first round of p90x. more like they notice how slow i was moving on certain days . lol now about 90% are getting healthy. some have even lost 30-40 pounds. the ones that havent are keeping us straight, they will say in a heart beat , you arent supposed to have that .

barbmpac

So, I am a PA, can I play too? I have been a CNA, cardiac monitor tech, diener and forensic death investigator so I have always worked in the medical field.

Currently work in occupational medicine but I'm not that busy yet. I sit at my desk in my office ALOT. The best thing going for me so far is I haven't eaten sugar for 73 days.

I LOVE my nurses. Always have. I have learned so much from them through the years. I was admitted to nursing school but wanted to go to med school so I declined. Besides, nurses work WAY too hard.

Gotta go see a patient.

Barb

ALW65

Like Cheryl, I'm one of the lucky ones who spent several years in home health working a 8-4:30 M-F (mostly) schedule. Now I'm self employed doing audits and coding in home health. I work from home, so it's very easy to eat whenever I want, and boy, do I want! I work more hours now, and find I want to eat more if I get too tired from too many hours.

I did have to laugh at TDGee's eating from an emesis basin...took me back to my night shift days on the postpartum/nursery floor. I sympathize with those of you on 11-7....you eat to stay awake, eat to combat night shift nausea, and eat normal hours with the family and are still hungry at work later on.

Best of luck to everyone! Feel free to friend me if you're looking for more support buddies

Mundy86

Work on Med/Surg for past 3 years and love it. 3 days a week, 12 hour shifts plus all the extra shifts normaly 2 a pay period. I use to eat at the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch. Now I have been taking a piece of fruit or yogurt and a mini bagel for breakfast. Then for lunch I will still eat at the cafeteria but try and go for the healthier option and always double up on the vegetable. Then mid afternoon I get a piece or two of cheese for a snack.

Eating every 3 hours has helped me. I'm not hungry all the time and I don't let myself miss a lunch or break. I am thinking about taking my lunches as its getting too expensive to eat in the cafeteria.

Pot-lucks are one area I have not conquered at work. I start off just with a bit of everything but its so good I go back. I don't touch the sweets though just sides and main dishes. I do take healthy options and try to mostly stick to that but still slip up. Good thing I am with the group that does not do pot-lucks frequently, may be once every other month rather then every other week.

Off topic but how do you add friends on here and what are the benefits of it?

caberselli

I've been a nurse for over 20 years & would like to friend other nurses at MFP.

stacimusmax

RN since 1997, mostly ER, however, I transferred to critical care float pool 2 1/2 years ago. I love learning. I have my first balloon pump tonight (silly but proud...an ER nurse can learn new tricks). I never know where I am working until I get to work and check in. So, I try to plan ahead and bring my lunch (and snacks)
Feel free to add me, nice to know others out there with similar stories

M_lifts

Hello all.

another nurse here. Worked in intensive care for 6 years until I had my daugher 2 yrs ago. Worked crzy 12hr shifts and night shifts were always a killer as I couldnt sleep after and used to get very ill. But like tdgee I loved it! The more inotropes and balloon bumps someone had the better I enjoyed it!

I am a respiratory nursee specialist now- run my own independant chronic lung clinics, and a lot of teaching/education of staff and patients and managing difficult asthma/copd on the wards. So am kept very busy as am forever walking/ climbing stairs etc etc. The hours are good as well 8-4. The biggest food vice is sharing offices with secrataries who bring in too many goodies! Lol.6owever ive managed to get them all to eat clean as they all want to lose weight and have seen that I have . So that helps to keep the goodies at bay!

Feel free to add me, would love to have other nurses to chat to

stephanielynn76

RN here for 11 years. I used to work on a telemetry floor but now I work in a surgery hospital. I have always worked nights. I'm part time now too...

timeforachange2011

i basically eat what i would normally eat for my meals on overnights....but that 2-5 am time period is the hardest! It's usually pretty calm and I get sleepy....want to eat to stay awake! I try to drink some water and eat a healthy snack!