Any nurses out there?

ksimmons19
ksimmons19 Posts: 223 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm an ER nurse at a level 1 trauma center and I work nights- 12 hour shifts. I usually work 3-4 shifts in a row and usually any daily activities are on hold for me during that time seeing as it's difficult to go balls to the wall for 12 hours and come home and want to do ANYTHING other than sleep, shower, and haul a** back to work. I always get really pumped and motivated when I'm in between "work clusters" but have a really hard time sticking to anything when I'm working, mainly because I barely have time to drink water or pee during my busy shifts-much less make healthy food choices. I don't take a lunch break, it's usually funneling something into my mouth as I'm charting and darting from room to room. It seems IMPOSSIBLE to fit in a workout during that time. Can anyone relate? Ways to incorporate a healthy lifestyle with not so healthy work environments/schedule?

Replies

  • Toddysmama
    Toddysmama Posts: 3 Member
    I just got done with my prerequisites and am applying to local programs.
  • djtessatessa
    djtessatessa Posts: 54 Member
    Try to give yourself healthy snacks at work.

    Considering nursing is a very physically demanding job, i dont think you should try to push yourself to work out extra while you are working. Just eat right and work out when you aren't on shift.
  • krithsai
    krithsai Posts: 668 Member
    I am not a nurse but I dropped by to say that YOU ARE AMAZING :)
  • wadair
    wadair Posts: 31
    I can so relate! I work ER, OB, ICU ... sometimes, all three in a twelve hour shift. I make myself take a lunch ... no matter how much charting I have to do. And I pack healthy goodies in my bag. And I do a lot of deep breathing and inner cursing. : )
  • jewelswye
    jewelswye Posts: 49 Member
    Hey ksimmons, not a nurse but Im a radiographer. Totally get where you're coming from... just going to start my third night in a couple of hours. Add me if you like. Do you always work nights?? Doing them every so often is bad enough. But it helps me to plan inadvance and usually I live off cereal and fruit :S
  • ksimmons19
    ksimmons19 Posts: 223 Member
    Man I wish I could make myself take a lunch. We usually have 5-8 patients, most of which are very high acuity so none of us have time to watch out for each other's patients at any given moment and I never feel comfortable leaving the unit or the monitors out of my eyesight for 30 minutes. I used to be really good about packing my WHOLE day's worth of food and simply telling myself that eating anything other than that just wasn't an option....but it seems like this unit loves to have diet smashing crap around 24/7 and potlucks I swear like every other shift... it makes it so much harder to make a good choice when you're starving and finally have a second to eat and you have delicious crap in front of you lol. I'm thinking meal planning and mind set are my biggest set backs at this point. I lost 35 lbs in nursing school doing similar shifts and I attribute it to 100% mind set. I was just so much more determined back then.
  • ReneeLawing
    ReneeLawing Posts: 11
    I am a CNA currently mon-Fri afternoons for 4 hours each day and then work front desk at a hotel from 7-3 mon-fri. I start RN school in the Fall and trying to motivate myself to work out now is crazy because i get home and simply want to spend some time with my husband and sleep some. But i can completely see how much more crazy my life is getting ready to become! I'm gonna have to slow down sometime! I wish you the best and if you figure out the best way to stay fit while working the crazy nurisng hours please share with me!

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