Love night shift .... not confused pt's!!

[stephalina6, BSN, RN]

We have a great night crew on the telemetry unit and I love working the night shift. But I am having a real hard time dealing with the confused patients! The last 2 nights I worked I had 4 out of 5 patients that had dementia/sundowners/alzehimers and I couldn't hold back the tears on that 2nd night around 3am. I'll receive report from the day shift and will talk about how all the patients are A/Ox3 with no signs of confusion to massive confusion at night. I'm a new nurse with only being off orientation for 3 months but these confused patients are starting to make me want to switch to days.... but like I said I love the people I work with on nights. How do you all handle so many patients that get confused during the night?

[booboo0331]

Hi there,

I know what you mean. I am a night nurse and we have many confused patients that seem to get so much worse at night.

It can be exhausting. I don't really have any helpful advise. It is just something we have to deal with. I had a great uncle who developed dementia. He had always been such an independent person and very smart. This was such a heartbreaking change for him. He went to an assisted living facility until he fell and broke his hip. He was hospitalized and then moved to a nursing home. I know how badly he acted in the hospital and the nursing home. I would think about that while caring for someone else's family member with dementia. I would try to be as patient as I hoped my great uncle's nurses were. I felt a pay it forward sort a moment. Yes, it is hard but this is caring's highest calling. Yes, you will lose your cool sometimes but just excuse yourself and come back. We are all human. See if your charge nurse knows if the patient load is too heavy for your assignment. Perhaps see if you can trade a patient if you have too many confused pts in your group. We try to share the wealth. No one should have all the confused or crazy patients. That isn't fair. You may also be hesitant to ask for help since you are a new nurse but don't be. We have all been there.

Best of luck to you. Hope you stay with nursing as long as me! 29 plus years!