Do the night nursing assistants clean the patient?

caliotter3 · Dec 14, 2011

It depends on whether you are working in a long term care facility or in an acute hospital. LTC assistants do rounds every two hours and clean incontinent residents to prevent and manage skin breakdown. In an acute care hospital, the assistants will only attend to a big mess as necessary and spend more time answering call lights in general. You would be surprised how often people use the call light during the night.

NewLPN11 · Dec 14, 2011

You will answer call lights etc..depending where you work you may have a "chore" list to complete if there is down time. You will turn and reposition the immobile patients q2h (or as ordered) and provide peri care if incontinent, toilet if needed, etc.

Rob72, ASN, RN · Dec 14, 2011

Depends on the tech. I did all VS and lab draws, many IVs, dressing changes, I&Os, diaper/Depends changes, pt transfers, help with new admits, pick up blood- and call lights. This was on a private med-surg floor, with (IIRC) a max of 24 patients. Staffing varied from 3-4 RNs + me and a unit clerk, to the "low point" of 1 RN + me and maybe a UC. I had two co-workers (also AUAs) who had a similar work ethic.

Others would do VS for their "half" of the floor, and occasionally answer a call light. :rolleyes:

Fiona59 · Dec 14, 2011

If there is time, linen carts are prepared and stocked for day shift.

Supplies for the unit and med room are restocked. Sharps containers emptied if needed. Charts are labelled.

In acute care there are no night shift unit clerks, so everyone chips in.

LSmiley · Dec 14, 2011

At the long term care facility that I work at the CNA's on 11-7 shift do rounds every two hours which they change residents and turn them to prevent break down. They also have certain residents that they have to get up at 5 am that have to go to dialysis.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2011

I had a question regarding the night shift 11pm-7:30am for PCT/NA. I think most patients will be sleeping during that time so what do the PCT/NA do during the night shift?
at a hospital, not ltc

There will patients that need to be changed, repositioned, put back to bed as much as any nursing home...depending on what floor you work. YOu will do stocking carts and depending on the facility may do lab draws and EKG's. YOu will get whatever vital signs necessary and some will be more frequent than others. You will answer call lights, empty foleys, transport patients if needed and assist in admitting patients form the ED. MANY patients do not sleep at night in the hospital.....they become confused after sundown (hence "sundowners")...Believe me...you will be busy;)

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2011

I had a question regarding the night shift 11pm-7:30am for PCT/NA. I think most patients will be sleeping during that time so what do the PCT/NA do during the night shift?
at a hospital, not ltc

It depends on the floor. In acute care, patients still get vital signs overnight. On my floor, VS are anywhere from q 2hr- q 8hr depending on the acuity of the patient. Certain patients need to be turned q 2hr, depending on their disease/treatment, certain patients need to be changed at least q 2hr (chemotherapy), etc. If there are admissions, our assistants set up the rooms. They are also supposed to stock the med room. There are things to do on the night shift... we have nights where NONE of us sit down to chart until like 5am.

DennRN · Dec 14, 2011

The answer is simple but not easy. The ones that are good do everything regardless of what shift they work. The ones that are trouble will try and duck out of the"little things" because they either lack the knowledge of what it means to a client's care, or don't care.

Simply cleaning a client could mean the difference between infection, skin breakdown, sepsis, even death if you want to go to extremes. The CNAs I trust and respect are the ones that do everything within their responsibilities as the situation requires regardless of what the clock says or if the sun is anti/post meridian.

Btw I am a rn that does everything my client needs as time permits before I choose to delegate a task out to a cna. I got certified as a cna while in nursing school and recognize how important you and your peers are to each of our patients.

aquarius04 · Dec 14, 2011

At my hospital we just implemented a new policy where the night pct's need to clean a minimum of 2 pt's to make it easier for the day shift and we do their morning accu checks. So I guess it depends on the hospital.

Dawnski · Dec 15, 2011

At my hospital, I'm on the tele floor. Patients with telemetry get their vital signs taken every 4 hours. Check on all patients every 2 hours and turn patients who can't move and change those who are incontinent. We also are required to shower or bath a minimum of 2 patients per night. Hard to do if all your patients are trying to sleep! Many times I have more than one patient that is awake ALL NIGHT. Many demented patients don't use they call button and get out of bed and we have to run for the bed alarm. Then wait around 5-20 minutes while they use the bathroom. Help the RNs admit new patients (vs, ekg, set up room, take bed weight), bladder scanning, pick up blood at the lab. Change linens on pt who wet the bed, pull out their iv or when they shower/bath.

I've worked there for about 4 months now and I'm always surprised at how busy the nights are. I can't imagine what it's like during the day when the patients are all awake, doctors are around, they have to pass out all the food and feed some patients, and deal with the families.