5 Ways Nurses Can Start The Shift Right

Some days you do not want to put on the scrubs and head in. Everything feels like a drag and your bed wins the argument. When today is one of those days, these five tricks set you up for the shift ahead.

1. Stretch before work

Movement like walking and stretching releases endorphins, the neurotransmitters that lift your mood. If you have the time and energy, run a 10-minute routine: core work, cardio, or a few yoga poses. A walk before a morning shift does the same job, and a dog that needs walking will get you out of bed whether you like it or not.

2. Sleep well before your shift

Sleeping after a night shift is a struggle, but it is non-negotiable. Skip it and you compromise both the care you give and your patients' safety. A few things that help you get a solid eight hours:

• Wear an eye mask to block light, and earplugs for noise.
• Keep the room fully dark, since even a little light disrupts your internal clock.
• Avoid heavy exercise close to bedtime.
• Skip caffeine before sleep.

3. Meditate

Most of the dread is anticipation: the difficult patient, the coworker, the physician who snapped at you last time. Clear your head before any of it happens. A breathing exercise, a few journal lines, or a page from a book you like all work. There is plenty to be grateful for in this job, and a few quiet minutes puts it back in view. Some nurses keep a short motivational line in a pocket and read it before heading to the station.

4. Enjoy the commute

Walking or riding in, take the quiet while you have it. Nurses rarely get a still moment at work, and if you have kids at home, silence is in short supply there too.

5. Hydrate before the shift

Once the shift gets busy, you will not track how much water you have had. Drink a few glasses about two hours before you start, which gives you time to empty your bladder first. Beyond the obvious, dehydration drags down your mood and your mental performance on the floor.