Nurse's StationNursing Blogs

The ideal rotating shift?

0

Jupiterimages | Photos.com | Getty Images

I just read a new study that claims that ‘working rotating shifts is not as potentially unhealthy as it used to be’. What? Is there such a thing?
I wonder if those who conducted the research have ever worked a rotating shift in their life??! It seems that there is now a more ‘ideal’ formula for rotating your day and NOC shifts. Instead of working 2 weeks of days and then 2 weeks of nights this article ‘claims’ there is now a trend to work day-day-night-night then five days off in a row. I like the adjective they used in the article I read though. They called this trend of rotating shifts more ‘humane’.

I must admit, I’m glad to see research is being conducted on ways to minimize the detrimental effects of shift work. I don’t think they will ever eliminate the health risks involved with ‘flipping’ your circadian rhythm.

When I read the word ‘humane’ I immediately blurted out ‘Darn right!’. Working a NOC shift has got to be a warped zombie-apocalypse training scheme in my book. I don’t know about you, but working ANY type of NOC shift turned my brain into much and pretty much guaranteed all my autonomic bodily functions would short-circuit. I couldn’t see straight, I could stand without swaying and stringing more than two words together to form a comprehensible sentence just wasn’t possible. I remember feeling like I had the ‘flu’ every month when I had to do the shift ‘flip’. My hats off to those that can ‘flip’ with minimal damage.

It probably didn’t help that I have chronic insomnia and I am such a light sleeper. So much of light sleeper than a kitten walking on a newly installed carpet woke me from my sleep (true story). When I would work nights every trick in the book to help you sleep would not work for me, since the wind blowing outside would wake me up.

*sigh*

This would explain why I don’t work nights anymore.

I’m still chuckling at the word ‘humane’.

Article of interest:

Modern Shift Work Patterns May Be Less Harmful to Health

Scrubs Editor
The Scrubs Staff would love to hear your ideas for stories! Please submit your articles or story ideas to us here.

    Doctoring the ‘Doctor’ title?

    Previous article

    When is education not a good thing for all patients?

    Next article

    You may also like