Lighting at night

Whispera, MSN, RN · Mar 9, 2009

Can you see your patients well enough to do what you need to do with the lights dimmed? That's what matters.

chicookie, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2009

I wouldn't mind as long as I don't trip over anything. Or its too dark to see who is coming at you. =o that would be freaky. LOL but I doubt they are that dim.

kcochrane · Mar 9, 2009

Our hallways are dimmed at night until 5:00 when we start AM care. I like it. It gives the air of "this is night". Even in rooms I only turn on the minimal lights necessary. This is my resident's night time, so I would look at it from that viewpoint.

The nurses station is always lit up. I had some "sleepers" that tried to dim those lights too - until I put my foot down. Sheesh! It isn't the workers night time. :lol

As some else mentioned, as long as it isn't a safety issue, I think its a good idea.

MelissaPhoographerRN · Mar 9, 2009

My only complaint would be that I think it would be harder for me to stay awake during the shift. :yawn:

loriangel14, RN · Mar 9, 2009

We turn our hall lights and room lights off when we are done hs meds.The nursing station has reduced lighting and we use a flashlight when we answer the call bells. Then we can turn on the bathroom light if we need more light.

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Mar 9, 2009

We turn off the hall lights after everyone finishes their 9pm med pass. Pt room lights out at 11, unless they request them left on. Each room had a built in night light, we would turn those on. We turned them off at pt request, but then would turn on the bathroom light and leave the door cracked a little so the rooms weren't pitch black. We kept the nursing station lights on. I never had a problem with this arrangement on night shift. I know I have trouble sleeping with lights on, so I feel it is only fair to the patients to have the hall lights out. There is enough light from the nurses station to see your way down the hall and not trip on anything. Sometimes it is a little difficult to see the MAR in the hallway, though, so a pen light is handy.

smalltownnurse2506 · Mar 9, 2009

We did this where I used to work, but we waited until after night shift made first rounds. I never minded it.

jjensen · Mar 9, 2009

At 2300 our lights go down... There are bed lights that do help... It is important for patients to get sleep if they are able... We are in enough bothering them with vitals and assessments for sure... I love the dark and I guess it is good that I work nights...

morte, LPN, LVN · Mar 9, 2009

We turn our hall lights and room lights off when we are done hs meds.The nursing station has reduced lighting and we use a flashlight when we answer the call bells. Then we can turn on the bathroom light if we need more light.

i think this is over kill, but dimming, yup.....minimal light, yup....

miko014 · Mar 10, 2009

Hmm cool, thanks for the replies. I happen to be on the pro-dimming side of the argument, haha. We just have to flip on the bathroom lights in the visitor restroom so that people can see down that hallway, otherwise it's darker than normal, but not so dark that you can't see. I can see the "it makes me sleepy" argument, but some people are fighting it tooth and nail. I think my side is going to win, though! It seems like once we turn the hall lights out, the patients seem to use their call lights less and are generally calmer. I guess it's true - they feel like it's night time if the lights are low.

Overland1, RN · Mar 10, 2009

At 2300 our lights go down... There are bed lights that do help... It is important for patients to get sleep if they are able... We are in enough bothering them with vitals and assessments for sure... I love the dark and I guess it is good that I work nights...

Exactly. Patients find it difficult to sleep while in the hospital, and we should not add to that difficulty.