Over Night Nursing Assistant (Hospital, not LTC)

Paws2people · Dec 26, 2013

Basically a telemetry floor will have a wide variety of medicine patients, most with a portable tele box on their chest.

On the night shift you do vitals q4, EKG's, phlebotomy if certified, assist pts to the bathroom, do changes on incontinent ones, bed baths in the morning, fingersticks, colostomy/nephrostomy etc care, 1:1 or safety assignments, help in codes, stock supplies, float to other units if needed, and assist the nurses with whatever they want. Similar to the day shift except you won't do meals and there are less visitors and management around.

The biggest myth about the night shift is the pts "all sleep" and it's "easier." There is always less staff and I rarely have free time. As for sleeping... Well some do, but most do not. Especially the geriatric ones who sundown.

It's a great starting point for a nursing student. Good luck and congrats :up:

taylynnfree · Dec 27, 2013

Basically a telemetry floor will have a wide variety of medicine patients, most with a portable tele box on their chest.
On the night shift you do vitals q4, EKG's, phlebotomy if certified, assist pts to the bathroom, do changes on incontinent ones, bed baths in the morning, fingersticks, colostomy/nephrostomy etc care, 1:1 or safety assignments, help in codes, stock supplies, float to other units if needed, and assist the nurses with whatever they want. Similar to the day shift except you won't do meals and there are less visitors and management around.
The biggest myth about the night shift is the pts "all sleep" and it's "easier." There is always less staff and I rarely have free time. As for sleeping... Well some do, but most do not. Especially the geriatric ones who sundown.
It's a great starting point for a nursing student. Good luck and congrats

Everything she said^^^^ Ill add alot of bariatric pts usually end up on that floor and most are turns so BODY MECHANICS are sooo important. ...lots of codes and deaths so you will get post mortem care experience ..if ur lucky compressions ....and alot of c diff and mrsa iso pts...bleach wipe all of your pts rooms iso or not ..bed rails ..counters ..pens ..its a safe bet to say most rooms are contaminated if there are 5 pts on the floor w/ c diff.I caught c diff twice..its a pretty heavy floor ..but exciting...so many different medical issues .. .I loved it ...you will be given a precepter for your first few shifts that you will follow around and help them with their shift...during ur preceptership you will be gradually given your own pts until you are given a full load. You wont be thrown on the floor by yourself your first day.

Free

Hosp float tech 3yrs

NuGuyNurse2b · Dec 27, 2013

Also don't expect to be on the same floor you were hired. In hospital settings, Night shift is always short staffed (way more than the other shifts), someone always calls out, and you will be moved to different floors if staffing needs require it. Or you'll be canceled if the census is low. I'm guessing that you're either part time or per diem. Very rarely do they ever hire nursing students as full timers. Cause if you are full time, the above rarely affects you.

Paws2people · Dec 28, 2013

Everything she said^^^^ Ill add alot of bariatric pts usually end up on that floor and most are turns so BODY MECHANICS are sooo important. ...lots of codes and deaths so you will get post mortem care experience ..if ur lucky compressions ....and alot of c diff and mrsa iso pts...bleach wipe all of your pts rooms iso or not ..bed rails ..counters ..pens ..its a safe bet to say most rooms are contaminated if there are 5 pts on the floor w/ c diff.I caught c diff twice..its a pretty heavy floor ..but exciting...so many different medical issues
For the OP: Yes, C-diff is very common unfortunately! You must wear PPE and double glove (when changing total care pts). I actually wear gloves for everyone. Even if I am just refilling a water pitcher, turning off a light switch, putting a bed alarm on, writing on the white board, etc. I know this sounds excessive, but so far it has served me well and I haven't caught C-diff, scabies, the flu or anything (yet lol). I have coworkers who don't wear gloves during vitals or wash their hands in between each pt, and I would NEVER do that. You are not only not protecting yourself when you don't wear gloves and don't wash your hands, you are putting the pts at risk too. It may take me a few extra seconds to do things than my coworkers, but it's totally worth it. Not worth cutting corners that way.
Anyway, yes it IS a heavy floor. Always fully slotted with patients, and not fully staffed. But then again, welcome to health care. Lol

Dollface4k6 · Dec 30, 2013

Thank you all for your responses =) very informative. Yes, I was hired part time, but I was also offered a full time position, but couldn't do it because I'm at clinicals til 11 at a different hospital and wouldn't make it for my shift in time if I had to work that night. Also didn't want to over extend myself because working as a NA is a great start, but counterproductive if I fail my boards or nursing school LOL. Floating would be really awesome, I'd like to get as much exposure to different floors as I can. I've spent a year on tele in clinicals, and am actually spending my last semester on Tele again, so its certainly somewhere I am comfortable as far as monitors go, but I'd like to see how the different floors are as well. Thanks everyone! =)