ER Medicine Involves Adapting to Varied Shift Times

AN ER is 24 hours 7 days a week. If you are a PA or Doctor more than likely you don’t work the same shift all the time but you rotate through the different shift times. Over a 5 day stretch your shifts could start at 4 or 5 different times. The key is to avoid starting earlier the next day as you started the day before. Also to get adequate sleep in between. Sometimes if you jump from a day shift one day and third or night shift the next, you may want to stay awake into the early hours of the morning to be more accustomed to being awake for the third shift hours. Shifts in my ER start at 0830, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1600, 2030. Its amazing how screwed up your body clock can get. This is one of the unique aspects of working in the ER.