Things to do on night shift

LovingNurse, BSN, RN · May 17, 2009

I hardly have ANY down time, but if I do, I do thorough chart checks, also read up on the consults and progress notes, tidy up patient rooms, update communication tools, tidy up and "decootify" nurses station and keyboards, and do whatever favors I can for day shift: have am lab results available, put paperwork on chart for surgeries, print out discharge info if I know pt going home, etc. We are also asked to have at least a couple pts bathed at night, so we can sometimes work that in while we're cleaning up an incontinent patient. Know who's IV or tubing is going to expire by their shift and take care of it if reasonable. I'm always busy... and exhausted.

nkara, CNA · May 17, 2009

The nights I do have down time I study or do homework. Sometimes I have to sit in a patients room all night.

Psqrd · May 17, 2009

Pretty much like Lovingnurse said but in addition..with the H and P I try and learn just a bit more about the patients history and pass it on to dayshift as they never have the time to that kind of reading. P2

casi, ASN, RN · May 17, 2009

I stop to slam down some food and pee. :)

talaxandra · May 17, 2009

Visit allnurses

marilynmom, LPN, NP · May 17, 2009

I usually read a book or a magazine or go online :)

DA314 · May 17, 2009

I usually find free time between 1 and 5 AM (with the exception of the 2:00 vitals, which takes about 30 minutes). During that time, I try to empty linen carts, clena up, and I study if everything else is done. however, I am not a nurse (yet), so I don't have quite as much to do. I see the nurses doing chart checks during the downtime.

rn/writer, RN · May 17, 2009

You can go through file drawers to clear out deadwood (old forms no one uses anymore), make copies of things that are running low, and just generally organize whatever is in there. This is a never ending task, but one that lends itself to short bursts of activity followed by weeks of neglect.

Another much-needed chore is cleaning med-room or kitchenette fridges. I wouldn't tackle a breakroom fridge as that is usually a HUGE job that can incur the wrath of many, but the other fridges often need spills wiped up and outdated stuff tossed.

Straighten whatever reference books your unit keeps on hand. These sometimes resemble a book-based Jenga game that requires skill and bravery to restore to usability.

These things have been pretty much universal no matter where I have worked or visited.

Good of you to want to make yourself useful. I'm sure your efforts will be appreciated.

whipping girl in 07, RN · May 17, 2009

Toomey syringe fights. Saline bullet fights. IV pole surfing. 4 AM toga parties. UNO. People and US magazine.

Man I miss night shift!

Besides those things, I read H&P and progress notes, to get a feel for why we were doing what we were doing for the patient, back when I was new and didn't know as much about how to treat different illnesses. I'd look up meds, tests and diagnoses I didn't know much about so I'd learn. I had a lot of trouble doing CE and reading deep journal articles as I wasn't able to concentrate very well and they'd make me sleepy. If my patient(s) were awake and I couldn't get em back to sleep, I'd spend a little time with them just interacting, talking, trying to make their stay a little more pleasant. Sometimes all it took was 5 or 10 minutes of one on one time and they'd relax and go to sleep. I'd do my chart check, reconcile the MAR, see if any missing meds needed to be ordered from Rx, straighten up the rooms, etc. Those are things I did every night anyway, I might just take my time a little more if I wasn't so busy.

MichelleB34 · May 17, 2009

LovingNurse- I love your word decootify. That's great.

MisMatch, LPN · May 18, 2009

Down time? Surely you jest:jester: I couldn't even take my meal break the past 2 nights and had to stay over 1+ hours to get my charting done. The CNA's have some down time, we nurses go non-stop all night doing all the stuff days and evenings don't get done. They THINK we have lots of down time:yawn: