Are headaches a contrainidcation for 12 hour shifts?

Lol but seriously, every time I work 12 hours I get a terrible headache. I was wondering if there is any way for me to be excused from them by getting a doctors note. I stay hydrated, eat well, but still get one and don't know why
I highly doubt it.

I used to get headaches from night shift and then I realized the caffeine I was drinking to stay awake actually was giving me headaches. Once I cut all caffeine out of my diet and just drank water on night shift I was fine.

Not gonna happen

Get your eyes checked. You may need glasses or a change I prescription. If you are on the computer a lot during your shift, you might be straining your eyes.

An excuse to get out of work? Unless you are diagnosed with migraines and you have X amount of them per month and require medication, you can't even get an FMLA for them. You need to see a doc if they are that bad.

I get upwards of 5+ migraines a week (improved from 10+) and I get no accommodations from my work

Seriously? Um...no. How long have you been working the 12s? Maybe you need to adjust more. Are you staying hydrated?

Do you clench your teeth or chew gum all day/night? I grind my teeth when asleep and clench them when I'm awake. Hurts. Good luck

Have you tried just asking if you can switch to 5 8 hour shifts? 12 hour shifts aren't mandatory everywhere.

We can't give medical advice per TOS, however, have you gone to see your PCP about your headaches? That is where I would start...

Quote from studentnurse9806Lol but seriously, every time I work 12 hours I get a terrible headache. I was wondering if there is any way for me to be excused from them by getting a doctors note. I stay hydrated, eat well, but still get one and don't know why

You do realize that if you were to pursue that and the hospital took it seriously, you pretty much shot your acute-care nursing career there in the foot? They may say, "sure, no 12s for you since you have a doctor's note..." but what are they going to do with you? If they don't already have the option of 8-hour shifts, I doubt they'll make one just for you because then they need to make another 8-hour shift--or get someone to work 16 hours--to cover the 4 hours you're not working. And I don't think headaches is going to qualify you for the ADA. It'd probably be easier for them to let you go. Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear.I doubt it's the 12 hour shifts that are the primary cause of your headaches--they're just exacerbating them. Get thee to your PCP to get it evaluated, as we can not offer medical advice here per the TOS.Best of luck.