new LPN night nurse

libran1984, ASN, RN · Jan 30, 2013

When giving a handoff report give objective data and do in fact round on clients. Do something like "rr even and unlabored. Mild snoring noted" Do rounds an hour or two right before shift change just to make sure no one fell during the night and save the day nurse a major headache from balancing send out sheets, AM med pass, etc.

Keep logs on the work you do and paper work you file because night shift always gets dumped on since mgmt isn't around to witness how much work u really DO perform

tyquicha · Jan 30, 2013

Thank you so much

bee007 · Jan 30, 2013

my friend advised me its not a good idea as a brand new nurse to work night shift coz its more like you are on your own when something happens

amoLucia · Jan 30, 2013

You'll probably get many more comments but my word of wisdom is to be ever-vigilant about you narc count. Never take anything for granted ... nobody will hear when you say you didn't give any percosets and your count comes up short!!! It's your problem now!

Inattention and being overly trusting of others can sink your count so BE CAREFUL!

Bringonthenight · Jan 30, 2013

I actually think night shift might be a good shift for a grad to work. It's not quiet but it's a different kind of busy. Less people around interrupting, phone calls family members etc etc.

I agree with all the advice given so far. Round as often as you can especially in LTC. Utilise your CNAs make sure they are doing their job but treat them as equals and as your colleagues, they work so hard and do not appreciate being treated poorly by the new graduate nurse!

Make a brain (or search the thousands that are on allnurses) and alter it to your liking.

tyquicha · Jan 30, 2013

Thank U all much

KRODD · Jan 31, 2013

Hello to all this is my first time on here and I wanted to know if anybody have any advice for me working in ltc night nurse..I am nervous because this will be my first LPN job...any advice is greatly appreciated thanks in advance

Familarize yourself with SBAR

tonya mays · Feb 1, 2013

Working noc shift is hard but you can and will be fine. You need to establish s routine and tweek it to work for you. Make sure that they have list of duties for you. Good luck

Succubus · Feb 1, 2013

Hello to all this is my first time on here and I wanted to know if anybody have any advice for me working in ltc night nurse..I am nervous because this will be my first LPN job...any advice is greatly appreciated thanks in advance

Awww my first LPN was psych but my second was nights as I didnt stay at psych unit but a month. I LOVE nights. Its easy as heck(in a sense) you have more time to spend getting to know patients etc, you can take time with your assessments. Dont have to rely so much on CNAs etc. I was fortunate enough to work with other nurses on other units who were very helpful in helping me. Especially when I notice something is wrong I then have them to see if its the patients baseline. Dont get me wrong I still need help with certain things...but i would definitely say that NOC are better than days any day

NurseGuyBri · Feb 2, 2013

YES YES YES to the person who brought up SBAR.. You can even elaborate with ISBAR-Q. It's so important! As a new nurse, it will get you in the habit of assessing appropriately. Being a new nurse on nights can be challenging, but it's do-able. That's how I started. It created a lot of confidence in me and forced me to hone my assessment skills. ALWAYS be very anal with your narc count and any changes in status, even if they seem minor. Locate the crash cart and supplies. Ask for a few days orientation on days as well so you can know what the system is like.

now, if you're not famliar with ISBAR-Q, it's a deviation of SBAR that adds a few steps. I: Identify (your patient and your patients demographic). S-Situation- What's going on? why are you concerned/calling/assessing? B: Background- Diagnoses, past few day history. A: Assessment/Appearance (what do you see/hear/smell). R: Recommend (What has worked before? do you think they need fluids? test?) and Q-Questions- ask questions (I'm not sure what she needs, what other options are there?)

GOOD LUCK and make Friends with the supervisor on nights!

AngelicDarkness · Feb 2, 2013

my friend advised me its not a good idea as a brand new nurse to work night shift coz its more like you are on your own when something happens

My first RPN job was on nights - it made me into a better nurse when things happened. Fire alarms go off, falls and head injuries, open skin tears, as well as patients that are stressed and need someone to talk to so they can sleep (no time during the day to sit and chat). You might be own your own, but you learn to roll with the punches quicker than having people around:)