New job

Oh quick question. I've only worked the 6a-2p shift. Now I am working the 2p-10p shift. For those of you that work nights what types of duties do you have?

I used to work 2p-10p. We'd set up the dining room for dinner, pass out meal trays, help feed those who needed help feeding, clean up dinner trays, help people with their toileting and washing up and get them into bed.

After a certain point at night, the vast majority of the residents were in bed and we could chart/take our breaks and then we spent a lot of time answering call lights and watching out for those who would wander. The hardest part was when everyone wanted to get in bed at the same time. There was only so many of us CNAs to go around and several people required more than one of us to get them transferred into bed. :)

I had a hard time adjusting to the evening shift, but I rode the bus so I wouldn't get home until about 12:45am. Which was brutal but not the fault of the nursing home. :)

Congrats on your new job.

Sakura answered your question well as far as the 2p-10p shift. Where I worked we did have a few patients who we would bathe in the evening (preference), so that would be in addition to all sakura pointed out.

I used to work 3-11 all the time. The pace is different. Instead of being pretty steady all day like on first shift, you start off moderate, then after dinner you move at a breakneck speed, and the last hour is soooo slow. The staffing is less, so you have more people to take care of, but it's usually quicker because you're undressing the person, washing them up quick, and throwing a gown on. You don't have to pick out an outfit, wrangle with jobst stockings, fix their hair or do anyone's makeup. So it evens out. You do have to deal with sundowning.

The routine is basically to get people up from their naps, toilet everybody, ambulate, do vitals, and take down beds. Then people would eat dinner in their rooms. After dinner the CNAs would start taking their lunch breaks and you'd run around like crazy giving all your people partial baths and putting them to bed. There are showers too. Most of the residents start ringing to get ready for bed as soon as they swallow that last bite of food, and then there are those who don't ring, they just try to transfer by themselves into bed, so between the lights and alarms and trying to get everyone done and trying to find another CNA to help you with doubles (remember half of them are on break), you go nuts. Then around 830 everything quiets down and you do 2 sets of changes/turns before the end of the night and it actually ends pretty boring.

Congratulations on your new job!

Dondie

Jolly, how many hours are you going to be working? I'm in LPN school right now and working full time too. First half the semester was great, I figured no problem... Right now though, I have to say its kicking my a$$! Much as I like and need my job, it's getting to be a real problem. Maybe I'm too old but I'm finding I can't do it School trumps work but then again, I don't want to live under the bridge. So I'm not sure whats going to give but something has to and soon.

I'm working 35 hours. I'm not too worried about this trimester since it's A & P (already had it once) and CNA (which I already obviously have), it's next trimester I'm worried about. I go to school Mon-Thurs and am working Fri-Mon so the hours don't overlap too bad, but we'll see. If it comes between school and work, then work is going to have to go, but I'd really like to do both.