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I have this burning curiosity to know why US nurses tell their time differently and not just in the workforce? For example, instead of saying 8:00 they would say 0800 I believe. Or use the 24 hour clock such as 1700? I thought that it was just the members on Allnurses who uses their time like this, but today I saw an RN right the time on her lunch as 0500?

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care-Family Medicine.

In the healthcare field we follow military time (24 hour clock). It helps prevent errors. An order says 5:00 but doesn't specify am or pm could lead to problems. Instead it either says 0500 or 1700.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

24-hour military times provide instantaneous clarification in many situations of importance or convenience...

For instance, you'll immediately know I am scheduled to work the night shift if I am scheduled from 1900 to 0730. However, if 7:00 to 7:30 is written, questions arise regarding whether it is the day shift or a 12-hour night shift.

If the insulin is scheduled to be administered at 0630 and 1630, the nurse instantly knows to give it before breakfast and dinner. However, the times of 6:30 and 4:30 could lead to medication errors. After all, is it 6:30am or 6:30pm? Many people leave out the 'a.m.' and 'p.m.' or fail to pay attention.

So, in a nutshell, 24-hour military times are safer and clearer.

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Oh thank you. I just started volunteering at a hospital and I don't want to feel too left out about not knowing how to tell time there.

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Great question....please remember there are no dumb questions. And don't be embarrassed to have trouble "translating" the seventeen hundreds, twenty-one hundreds, etc.

I always worked nights....which was easy, zero one hundred, 1 am; zero two thirty 2:30 am, etc.

Every where I have worked no one says "zero hundred" they just say 24 hundred for midnight. (Too confusing to explain why technically there is a difference between zero hundred and 24 hundred, don't ask that questions, ha ha.)

I still have trouble "translating" nineteen hundred, twenty-one hundred, etc. easily, quickly, in my head!

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