NIGHT SHIFT

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  • Tabbi_RN
    Tabbi_RN Posts: 32
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    I also am a night shift RN. I work 12 hour shifts (7pm-7am) 3 times a week, and commute an hour to get there. What I have done is changed my settings on here. Instead of Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Snacks I have it broken up by times. I eat "breakfast" right before i head to work so my first meal is around 5:30pm, I eat a snack at work around 10pm, and i eat "lunch" at midnight, i eat another snack around 3am, and "dinner" at 6am. I drive home and go to bed. Now as an RN you never know whats going to pop up so I dont necessarily get to eat right when I want to. So thats why i changed my settings into times, starting with when I wake up. Meaning my breakfast section has been renamed 4pm-12am, lunch has been renamed 12am-4am, and so forth. snacks i just left as snacks. I dont complete my logging until right before i go to bed that following morning. I keep on the night schedule even on my nights off. If I get up earlier than normal I log the food in the correct time section and just try to do better with spacing out my calories or work out to earn extra. I too try to work out every night i have off. At work on quiet nights I will do laps (just walking) in the hallway. It helps that I have friends at work that enjoy walking with me. Hope that helps!
  • upsydaisy2011
    upsydaisy2011 Posts: 39 Member
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    I'm glad I found this post as I'm due to work my first set of night shifts since starting logging on MFP. Tonight is my first night and I don't sleep before starting nights so I will have had my usual 3 meals before I go. I've some fruit and a yoghurt to take with me for when I get hungry and I've got a special k cereal bar to have when I hit that 3am wall of tiredness. Taking a big bottle of water with me. I will probably be on my feet for most of the shift if it's a busy one (I work 9pm - 8am). When I get home I'll have breakfast before I go to sleep. As I'll be sleeping I guess I'll miss lunchtime but will have a normal evening meal before going to work and again will take a selection of snacks. I also find that things like a wholemeal pitta bread with reduced fat houmous is also a good one. Some like to have a "main meal" during the night but I just find it bloats me and makes me uncomfortable.
  • lovebug885
    lovebug885 Posts: 9
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    I also work nights 7pm-7am as an RN at a busy hospital. I try to eat a meal with a lot of protein right before i leave for work. Usually I'm pretty busy for the beginning of my shift so I usually eat around 2am. Most shifts I have either a kashi bar and fruit, special K cereal, or oatmeal. I try to drink water through my shift. When i get home i usually have a small meal or snack before going to bed.
  • Play_outside
    Play_outside Posts: 528 Member
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    I am a full time nursing student and also work in the hospital. So I don't have a set schedule at all. When I do full time practicum rotations I have 2x12hr days and then 2x12hr nights, or maybe 3x12hr nights if I can get in a paid shift at my job following practicum shifts. I find what works best for me is to treat a night like it is a day-I keep basically the same schedule just swapped around, although I don't eat any large meals on nights, mostly just snacking. I always bring fruits and veggies to work on my night shifts, and things like almond butter and cottage cheese. I tend to work out at weird times anyway so that doesn't make a huge difference for me (I often go for a run at like 11pm-so on night shift I'll do something first thing in the morning instead).

    Another GREAT option for exercise, depending where you live in relation to where you work, is either commuting by bike, or if you live too far away to do that (as I do) you can drive part way and bike the rest! :) Guaranteed exercise and it will help you with energy levels at work too!
  • melaniemarie486
    melaniemarie486 Posts: 10 Member
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    I work 1900-0830 ~13.5 hours 3-4x a week!

    If I wake up at 1600 I go for a 4-6 mile run or quick workout (usually something quick and intense that doesn't take up much time... 100-120 steps/ minute for 20 minutes on a stair-stepper is my routine)! =) I try to do this 1-4x a week. Most other days I wake up at 1700. I log walking at work as exercise because sometimes I am walking non-stop the entire time. I wore a pedometer for a few weeks in May to estimate my miles walked at work.

    My food diary starts at 0000.

    My first meal is usually between 0000-0300, I log this as LUNCH.

    My second meal is at 0900, I log this as DINNER.

    My third meal is when I wake up at 1700, I log this as BREAKFAST.

    Everything else is logged under SNACK.

    I know it's backwards but it works for me :)!

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