One component of my identity that I feel shapes my relationship with food is my occupational role. I work as a Registered Nurse working 12.5 hour night shifts on a PCU (Progressive Care Unit). Studies have shown that most night shift nurses have poor eating habits which lead to an imbalance in their diet. They often consume fewer, less nutritious foods and consume foods with more high energy values. It is also common that night shift nurses eat more snacks rather than a balanced meal. Many nights, it is difficult to find time to eat something and especially an actual meal. It is much easier to just snack throughout the night because we are often too tired to eat an actual meal. We also often consume large amounts of caffeine as well as sugary energy drinks during a night shift. By the time I get off of work at 7:30 am and drive an hour home and shower, the last thing I want to do is eat a meal. I usually just try and go right to sleep before I have to wake up and do it all again. I have been trying to be better about eating actual meals rather than just snacking or not eating anything at all.
How i maintain a normal eating schedule as a night shift nurse | cook with me. (2019, February 28). Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o42TYPiNAwE
Samhat, Z., Attieh, R., & Sacre, Y. (2020, April 15). Relationship between night shift work, eating habits, and BMI among nurses in Lebanon. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7158014/
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