what time does your shift really end?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi , i was wondering for those of you that work in a hospital, does your shift really end when it is scheduled to? For example if you work 7a - 3p do you really leave at 3pm? or is it closer it 3:30 -4?. Trying to figure out if i would be able to work 7-3 and make it to my other job, which is 30 minutes away by 4. I have never worked in a hospital before so i was wondering. THanks!

Specializes in LTC.

Shift ends at 11pm.

Usually I leave between 11:30pm and 12am. Sometimes earlier if the night is good. if the place was a nuthouse(which it has been lately) I don't leave until 12:30, 1am.

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Specializes in floor to ICU.
My shift is 7p-7a. Most of the time I leave at about 7:30, but at least once a week its more like 8am, and once or twice a month more like 8:30-9am. It like the above poster said things happen. The last time it was a new direct admit dropped on me 15 minutes prior to shift change...gotta love it.

Our hospital has been pretty good about those late admissions and who does the paperwork. I wk 7a7p. If the pt arrives after 6 (am or pm) the current shift settles the patient and gets vitals but is not responsible for the admission. They don't want to pay a RN OT to do an admission. Now if the patient is unstable, thats a different story. ER rolled up an admission at 1820 on Tuesday with Afib w/ RVR. Last BP in the ER was supposedly "120/50". He was on Cardizem gtt. My BP on admit was 70/36! :uhoh3:

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Specializes in LTC.

I work in LTC and my shift is 1:30-10. I am LUCKY if I get out of there by midnight. Some nights I end up there until 2 or 3am...

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Specializes in Med Surg.

There are a couple of doctors who like to show up around 0645, write out a half dozen pages of orders, then hand the chart to one of us with a big grin and say "You didn't want to go home on time anyway, right?" Jacka$$es.

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Specializes in pedies and er.

hmmm,...2p-2a. ending on time was an enigma. remembering hopefully, correctly, it'd be maybe by 3/4a....driving the highway w/ a view of the chesapeake bay/bridge all lite up @ nite, was AMAZING. (need to be in an SUV (height-wise to view ;-> ).

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Our shift isn't technically over till 30 minutes after it "ends." There is supposed to be a 30 minute overlap to give report and give the oncoming shift a chance to settle in. Generally, that 30 minute overlap is more like 45 minutes and it's not unusual at all for the previous shift to be there for a full hour. For some reason, this is particularly true with nights being late getting out. I don't know if it's because day shift gives a shorter report (ours is taped) or that night shift always starts on time while dayshift tends to have stragglers rolling in 10-15 minutes late every day (including the charge nurse who listens to everyone's report).

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Specializes in Med Surg.
Our shift isn't technically over till 30 minutes after it "ends." There is supposed to be a 30 minute overlap to give report and give the oncoming shift a chance to settle in. Generally, that 30 minute overlap is more like 45 minutes and it's not unusual at all for the previous shift to be there for a full hour. For some reason, this is particularly true with nights being late getting out. I don't know if it's because day shift gives a shorter report (ours is taped) or that night shift always starts on time while dayshift tends to have stragglers rolling in 10-15 minutes late every day (including the charge nurse who listens to everyone's report).

Do you by any chance work with me? One day shift crew isn't too bad though a couple of them seem to have trouble remembering what time to come to work but no trouble at all remembering what time they get off. The other day crew not only can't seem to get to work on time, once there they have to play around and catch up on things, show the latest kid pics, etc. like they haven't seen each other in a month. When we relieve them in the evenings (most of us on nights get there a few minutes early), we can't even put our stuff down or go to the restroom before they are trying to get us to do narc count, chart checks, and take report so they can go home. I'm beginning to think this is a common practice in a lot of places.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
My coworkers know they had better not be late relifeing me. I fully expect to be out the door by 7:15 on the dot, if not earlier. I don't get breaks or meals, so i will bloody well leave on rme. If there isa problem, I fully expect the hospital supervisor to be there so I can can leave on time. I am never late either; we are all very respectful of each other this way.

Sorry for typis, iPhone.

I find this very unrealistic. What are you going to do when you have a pt coding at shift change? Stat orders? Nursing is a 24hr job and sometimes, that requires going over.

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Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.

Your shift ends on time if the oncoming nurse has had coffee, slept well, and is not PMSing or having hot flashes, and actually allows you to talk non-stop interuptus during your report. And you will get to leave on time if those pesky interns in their silly white coats do not interrupt you for something they could find themselves. Also patient's and their families (what's the difference, anyway) smell desperation as well as a blood-hound can sniff out a dead rat; so the call-lights will blare as you stutter your way through report. And, oh, the cna of course will want to report that a patient has just pulled out his iv as she saunters out the door. Just try to leave on time with all this f(&^*%g shieste going on!

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

A 7-3 shift is really 7-3:30 because you typically have 30 mins to give report, if you are on time. I usually get out closer to 4. I would not take a job that starts at 4 if I were you.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.

When I work LTC and my shift ends at 3pm, I walk out the door at 3pm or 3:01pm.

When I work acute care and my shift ends at 7pm, I walk out the door by no later than 7:10pm. Anything past 15 minutes (that is beyond my control-code, late replacement, etc), I put in for overtime. If I get out later than 15 minutes past due to my own poor time management, I do not put in for overtime (which is very, very rare as I usually have very good time management and want to be out the door when my shift is over!)

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Specializes in FNP.

I find this very unrealistic. What are you going to do when you have a pt coding at shift change? Stat orders? Nursing is a 24hr job and sometimes, that requires going over.

My job is 12 hours, certainly not 24, lol. Not by a long shot. I give report on what has happened up to that point and leave. My coworkers are very capable, they don't need me to do their job for them. And it works both ways. When they give me report, I want them to get the heck out of my way and leave it to me, lol.

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