Are there any ST nurses out there. Fortunately, I only have to work 3 nights (ugh) a week…but they are 12hrs…translating into at least 14 hr days/nights.
I’ll be training for my first Half IM this year and I know that I have to increase my training hours. Just wondering if there are any fellow nurses out there and how they work in their workouts on work days without sacrificing sleep and our patients care.
I am in nursing school and I work almost full time. I usually get up an hour earlier than I would normally would and work out than. When I do get a day off I usually get in as much training as possible. I also belong to a fitness club that is open at 5:00 a.m. and closes at 12:00. Those hours really help me. Good luck!
3/12’s make for the perfect workout plan. i mean, c’mon. bust ass four days, do a little 30 min spin on the rollers or run around the neighborhood 2 days before or after work , and rest one day. T-im T-he N-urse.
All you female nurses need to post pics, in your best scantily clad uniforms, hehehehehehehe
.
Jeesh, get the porn out of your head. We wear pajamas to work…and not the lingerie type.
Nurses do rock though!
Porn is what makes me healthy, and it lasts a long time :)))))))
.
hahaha!!
Damn. Clicked on this thread, then I realised this isn’t the Lavender Room.
Oh well.
I’m an RN and I’m male (sorry guys). Three 12 hour shifts/week are not bad if you are on nights, but the 12 hour days are kind of long. Factor in family time/going to the store and your day is pretty much done. What about 8 hour day shifts? You are done at 3pm every day. That leave plently of training time and evenings for the family. I am hoping to work four eight hour shifts a week starting in April. If working 8 hour shifts means every other weekend then that is a different story.
Interesting topic.
-Superman
PS t-t-n has a good point. I found that when I worked three 12’s, they were usually in a row, and then I would feel like I did not work out hard enough. By the 4th day off, I felt overtrained.
I can’t imagine working 5 days a week again! Yuck! 2 8’s 2 12’s wouldn’t be bad though!
Like ttn said, 3 12’s are perfect for triathletes. I have done two 1/2’s and one IM while working 12’s. What I don’t understand is how the regular 5 day a week 9-5er’s actually do it. I work in a Cardiovascular ICU, I usually work Thur, Fri, and Sat nights.
Here’s how my usual week plays out:
Monday - Swim in AM, spinervals in afternoon, short run in the evening
Tuesday - Swim in AM, followed by 6 mile run (all done while the kids are in school and preschool)
Wednesday - Long ride (4-6+ hours, depends on if I can convince the wife to drop all the kids off)
Thursday - Swim in AM. followed by 6 mile run (same as Tuesday)
Work Thursday night - bring bike to work in truck
Friday AM ride home - 30 - 40 miles followed by 3 mile run
Friday PM - ride to work - 18 miles
Saturday AM - Tri Club ride 30 - 40 miles
Sunday AM - long run
I usually sleep 5 - 5.5 hours on Fri. and Sat.
~Tucker
I’m jealous. Last year I worked 12 hour night shifts, 5 days on, 5 days off. I hate having only a 2 day weekend now.
Mtuck,
I stand corrected. That is a cool schedule. I will not have the option of working nights or weekends (except the occasional call shift). I am going to shoot for (4) eights or (3) ten hour shifts. I can pick up anytime (winter
I have done them all and here are my thoughts.
3-11 pm 5 X 8 is best for training, but your life sucks. You can go long almost any day of the week .
2 X 8 and 2 X 12 days is what I am doing now and is ok, but if our schedule is too hard at work I lose 2 days of training as I can barely go home and trainer for 30 min those days.
Night shift, I have known some pretty good night shifters, but I never got enough sleep and had a hard time keeping healthy. The people that can survive working nights like it because they have all day to train.
12 hour shifts I did ok with 5x 12s in a row, 2 days off then 2 X12s and 5 days off . Did bad at 7x12 on 7x12 off. Some of the night shift monsters did well with that as they had “Hell Week” every other week and got huge mileage in.
You also have to be pretty careful about being too lazy at work as I have known a couple of fellow tri RNs that got the bad rap for trying to sit too much at work. Most nursing is a lot of standing and has some pretty hard work at work. Most of the runner/tri/cycling RNs do try and sit as much as possible, but like I said you don’t want to get the lazy rap, because with the average of working every second weekend you will need to do some favors to get some favors with your trades for races.
Ok, here it goes…
I can honestly tell you there are times when I’m still trying to figure out how to fit in training between my 12hr shifts. What works for me is that I usually do my swim after my shift. I’m just too tired to run since ICU thrashes the hell out of me most of the time. Now working nites is a totally different animal. I hated it and couldn’t get with it…not a nite person at all. Be careful not to physically thrash yourself too much. Definitely make sure you are getting the sleep you need inbetween your shifts.
Ah the challenge of sleeping between night shifts. The huge downside to this profession. Perhaps if I decided to settle in a place, I could get a day shift position (I’m a traveler). Now, if only I could decide where I want to live.
NE…think not.
Denver/Boulder…perhaps.
Hawaii…love it…but way expensive and far from family.
Southern Cal…willing to try for a stint.
G-Man,
When I worked on the ICU we would work every 3rd weekend for 12 hour shifts, every other for 8 hour shifts. I miss my straight night shifts. Some people bounce back and forth day/night, but I would have trouble with that. The more I look at it the more I want 7a-3p 4 days a week. I agree with the trying to sit down at work thing.
Yea I have thought about going down to 32 hrs myself, especially as I get older. I don’t seem to bounce back as well as I used to. My problem is I am about 6 years from retirement so they look at your high three years in the past five as your retirement schedule. We may be in for a strike next month as they want to change us to cash balance program. Fun Fun, more time to train.
I am a male RN(sorry guys). I have the same trouble with training up at 6am home 1015pm Mon,Wed,Thurs.(I know no weekends sorry) Can’t train before work I just get too tired at the end of the shift. Lets be honest nurses this is not a sit on your ass and coast kind of job. We need to stay sharp so training before a 12hr shift?( Can anyone say med error). I work with nurses who went 10hr shifts just to train before work. On the other hand I would not go back to 8 or 10hr days ever again. Having days off during the week is great. The best benefit of the job. Empty ski slopes, surf line up, shopping center etc. As for training you have to double and triple up your training. But with the distance needed for an IM it’s going to be hard how many hrs in a day? As for the non nurses reading this. I know we have it good(nurses) . I think you STs who have wife, kids, work 12 Hrs a day 5-6 days a week with no over time(my wife for one) way to go. I am amazed at some of the posts about your training schedules. Please train safe it is dangerous out there.
Good point about the bad rap. Nurses don’t talk behind each others backs?