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I've been doing nights for 14 years now and I love the shift, but I too get sleepy around 4 am. I will get up and walk around or bathe my patient or chat. I also drink coffee but try to avoid that after 4 am. I usually do worse if I work 3 in a ro...

A great reminder of why I became a nurse! What a difference you made in all those peoples life! Great for you! :)

I work in a 20 bed ICU. At any given time we might have 4 or more tele overflow patients because the tele unit is always full. ( Why doctors feel these days that every patient has to be admitted to tele is another issue :angryfire ) I was wondering...

I've been working nights for 14 years now. I swore once the kids were older I'd go back to normal hours but like nights so much better than days. There are many advantages to nights---better pay---less administration around---less people around in ...

You know how recently there is a big push to make sure all patients are on DVT prophalaxis? Well, one night I asked the doctor to order some lovenox or heparin for his patient to prevent DVT and he looked at me strangely. Feeling like quite the pat...

I saw on episode of ER where the cell phone set off a patients AICD. You know if it was on ER it must be true... :)

I work the 7p-7a shift in critical care. On friday night we were pretty short staffed with several nurses having to "triple" (take 3 patients). I was in charge and had my own assignment which is something the nurse manager has told us wouldn't happ...

I work nights and we have a tech about 50% of the time and while it's great help for us they are counted in the hours per patient day the same as a nurse. The hppd is calculated as the number of nurses, techs included x 12 hours and divided by the n...

I usually go by systems. Start with patient name age diagnosis allergies code status and pmh. Then just a quick system review. I also include the doctors including the consults. I hate when you are giving report and the person you are talking to...

Very well said!! I know in my facility the management is now saying that if you are a registered nurse you are expected to take leadership responsibilities and if you don't it will reflect on your evaluation. I am in charge frequently and it steam...

1. customer service. I once told a patient who complained about "the service" that she didn't have to leave a tip. 2. Not starting report on time. Also since we pick our own assignments in the ICU where I work some nurses come in early and expect...

I would ask if the hospital you are going to has a critical care course. My hospital had a very good core curriculum course and it was great. Although since you are just out of school and a lot of it would be review for you. I always advise new n...

I am sure you will do a SUPER job. I came to the ICU after 13 years of med-surg. My organizational skills came in very handy. I remember thinking that the ICU nurses were all snobs when I was a med-surg nurse too. It's just a different world. Wh...

i can relate. i had a wife get all mad at me one night complaining that we told her her husband only had a few hours and here he was still alive 2 days later and she would have to get her hair set again. also had a family member from out of town a...

I agree with everyone else. I think that the judgement you are looking for comes with time. Pay attention to the patient. The way he looks when he is in pain or when he is overloaded. Listen to the patients lungs and heart sounds. You will get t...

Dr Cowboy???? :chuckle

I have a couple. One night while working in the oncology unit we has a dying patient whose family was all around him comforting and telling him it was all right for him to move on that they would be fine. The daughter at one point asked him "what a...

My Only fear is that this will be a way to justify higher nurse patient ratios in the ICU. What is the liability issue for the "watchers" if they do not pick up on something? Also seems like a way to get rid of intensivists in the units. My hospit...