Working the 12 hour shift can be the toughest and put off both amateurs and experienced NHS nurses. You could be a mental health nurse, qualified rmns, critical care nurse, scrub nurse, orthopedic nurse, but you certainly will be drained out, both mentally and physically handling those day and night shifts. To those who have gone through this earlier and to those who are going to see it for the first time in their schedule, it could be infuriating, but trust us, there’s no need to be concerned.
At JP Medical Recruitment, our top priority is our healthcare professionals’ needs, hence we thought of collating the top 7 tips on how to successfully get through a 12 hour NHS hospital shift!
How to survive my 12 hour shift?
Prepare ahead
This is the key to working stress-free throughout your shift. Concentrate on setting these following things in order the night before;
- Pressing uniform
- Packing bag with necessities
- Preparing breakfast and lunch to carry (individual plastic containers or in big portions, however, it may please you)
- Cleaning up your home
Trust us, with the above things done perfectly from your end, half of your stress is reduced. You can get ready for the long day with peace and orderliness.
Get adequate sleep
This may sound cliche, but if this doesn’t happen, your whole schedule will go for a toss. Working in a 12 hour shift means you certainly have proper sleep the day before. Following good sleep hygiene is a must. This will help you maintain cheerfulness in your workplace and add to good health.
A study points out that nurses working 12.5-hour shifts with no proper sleep report committing more medical errors than those working in 8-hour shifts.
Try and get at least a minimum of 6 – 8 hours of quality sleep with no disturbance. Ensure you keep your phone away, as the screen time may affect your sleep, and choose a calm environment with no disruptions.
Think of healthy lunch
If your hospital doesn’t offer catering services, or if you dislike the menu or if it isn’t affordable, the best option is to bring them packed yourself.
Make sure you cook a healthy lunch loaded with nutrients to sustain you throughout the day. Carry some yummy snacks that are a mix of nuts, dates, apple slices, vegetable sticks. Such a meal will rejuvenate you and bring back your lost senses. Skipping reasonably healthy foods during such a lengthy shift could result in fatigue and in worst cases, fainting.
Take advantage of the breaks
Try and have lunch at a later part of the day. Taking it much early can drag your day longer and make you feel your shift is much longer than it actually is.
During break try to catch up on things that need priority. It could be to replying to urgent messages, grabbing a cup of coffee, meditating, or taking a relaxed walk for fresh air, just to refresh yourself. You could also try to listen to some good music or interesting podcasts, chat with your colleagues, read your unfinished book or newspaper!
Drink lots of water
Staying hydrated can boost your energy level and prevent dehydration and exhaustion. If you are too busy that it never happens to you, we advise you to set reminders on your phone or have a water bottle right in front of you visible enough.
Go further by setting drinking goals with your peers, they will love it too!
Set a goal and remind yourself to achieve it
The 12 hour shift can definitely demotivate, depress you. You could even question yourself about life’s commitments for working such long hours. Fixing a goal and aligning yourself towards it will give you a push to achieve it. Keep reminding yourself of the outcomes and how better your life could turn out due to it.
These goals could be as simple as meeting your monthly rent, buying something that you have been craving for, or settling well in your dream career. Whatever it be, have them right in front of you as you work through your shifts.
Include healthy supplements
We know you would find ways to relieve your stress level in any which way. Consuming caffeine and coffee may turn out to offer a temporary sense of energy, but their quick spike will leave you drained out the rest of your 12 hour shift.
A healthy and better way to handle this is by replacing it with healthy supplements. Make this habitual. Add Omega-3, Vitamin D, moringa powder, and Vitamin B into your everyday diet. You could also connect with your doctor and get personalized recommendations before starting with these.
We know your job. The 12 hour shift is quite challenging to take. Being an NHS nurse is tough, especially working during emergencies like COVID can wreck your inner self. You may have dreams, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of sacrificing your health. We advise you not to take additional shifts that are over your might, unrealistic to handle.
Try getting in touch with an NHS recruitment agency like JP Medicals Recruitment if you wish to get shifts that are flexible, challenging, and with exciting pay. Contact us now.