Conquering the Night Shift

By Patrick Wallace, DO PGY3 and Jordana Haber, MD

Night shift is not unique to the specialty of Emergency Medicine, but we are required to remain alert and efficient throughout the entire night. In order to have a successful career in Emergency Medicine, it is imperative that you conquer the night shift as well as the rapid transition from days to nights. What does the science say we should do to prepare for night shift and the accompanying circadian transitions? This article discusses the top ten evidence based practices that you can implement to improve efficiency, alertness, productivity, and transitions for night shifts to include the importance of light, timing of caffeine, timing your pre shift nap, and what foods you should be eating. ​

Check out Dr. Wallace's full article in EMJ here: https://emj.bmj.com/content/37/9/562