Calories Consumed Working as A Nurse

KMMRN
KMMRN Posts: 104 Member
edited February 3 in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone know how many calories burned on a 12 hour shift on a busy med/surg unit? Even drinking lots of water, I end up .5-.7 kg lighter at the end of my shift. Sometimes have to miss my meal breaks, too. They put pedometers on us a few years ago- we averaged 1km per hour walking on the unit - but there is more too it than that: lifting, stress, etc. Any advice on how to calculate the calorie usage?

Replies

  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,159 Member
    I wear a Fitbit Flex. I haven't paid attention to the calorie burn when I'm at work, but mostly to the steps. It can add up on a busy night. I don't log work calories as exercise, it's part of my routine. If it's slow and I'm trying to stay awake, I can do laps around the unit and log the steps/distance if I do a mile or more. But I only log calories as something outside of my regular activities. Work is a regular activity to me. And while some nights are crazy busy, there are nights when I sit around so it kind of evens out over the long run.

    I would suggest a heart rate monitor if you want to see and be accurate.
  • jewels391234
    jewels391234 Posts: 3
    I wear a Body media device and when I worked 12 hour days last week I burned more calories then I did at a body pump class. I was on my feet a lot that day and it was crazy busy. I did almost 10000 steps. Like the other person that posted I do have night shifts where I barely move.
  • CherylP67
    CherylP67 Posts: 772 Member
    I want to buy a fitbit and start wearing it to work. I'm a float nurse at a pediatric hospital so I go to whichever unit needs me the most that day. I rarely have slow days at work, which I'm totally fine with.
  • sukiwabi
    sukiwabi Posts: 221 Member
    i don't track a shift as specific exercise. i determine what my average weekly activity level is (eg, 3 very active shifts plus 3 fairly sedentary days averages out to light active, kwim?) and then tend to go to the lesser category and determine caloric need from that instead.
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