Transitioning from day to night shifts can be very tough for healthcare professionals, particularly due to the impact it has on your personal life, as well as your professional life. We’ve provided our top tips for dealing with those dreaded night shifts.
Get your 8 hours:
Some people tend to nap little and often during time off, when on night shifts. However, this cam be detrimental to your overall sleep quality, as it restricts your circadian rhythm. Purchase some blackout curtains, follow the same bedtime routine you would normally and get a full 8 hours sleep before your shift. It will make the world of difference.
Stay busy:
It’s easy to feel quite jaded during your night shift when things quieten down, so try to stay active and keep your mind occupied on tasks throughout the night. Additionally, a productive night shift can make a considerable difference to the day shift’s efficiency. Use the time when most patients are asleep to ensure everything is replenished, reordered and ready for another busy day.
Use your free time well:
Try to structure your time off in the same way you would working day shifts. So, when you arrive home from work, have breakfast with your family, run some errands, watch some TV and go to bed. Creating and adhering to a firm structure will mean you find it much easier to reset after shifts and avoid burning out.
Remember the benefits:
Usually, the main attraction to night shift work is the increase in pay, but there are other benefits to reap from the inconvenient working hours. Work is often less pressurised; there is a team comradery, more freedom of management and a very different change of scenery.
There will always be a period of adjustment when making such a drastic change in lifestyle; however, with a little patience, you may prefer it over the normality of day work!
If you’re looking for a new role in the healthcare industry, speak to one of our expert consultants about our open vacancies!