UK night shift for all those students

[melz34]

hi my name is melissa and I am going to tell all you student nurses all about the night shift

I work on a childrens pediatric ward I work from 7pm-7am but i also work a mixture of days 7am-7pm half days 7am-3pm and weekends and bankholidays

anyway on my night shifts we all meet up at the start of a shift with the nurse in charge and here all our patients are assigned which means all patient details are handed over including the reason for the stay, the care they have recieved, and any tests they are due to have and many other things at about 7.30pm I will go to each of my patients which is usually about six-ten depending on how full the ward is and how many nurses are on sometimes it can be more than 10. I will go to each of my pts and ask them if they need help getting to the bathroom for a shower or a bath or if they are confined to a bed if they need help having a bed bath I will also administer fleet enemas to those children who require them and I will change any dressings that are wet or damaged.at 9.00pm I will go to all my patients and check if they are due any painkillers or medication and then I will give the painkillers or medication to the patients who are due to have them this usually takes me up to 10.00pm and from 10.00pm till 12.00pm I will answer call lights get patients drinks and help young patients with sleeping and going to the toilet before sleeping if they need it I will also answer phonecalls to worried parents or relatives and I will sign back in pts who have been out on pass and admit pts who are brought up from A&E all through the night at 1.00am-6.30am all the excitement calms down and it goes quiet so I check on stock and order new if needed i will answer to call lights do the 24hr chart audits,help young children and babies get back to sleep, give bottles to bottle fed babies and just check on the odd few patients taking observtions as I will do all through the night every four hours my first set starting at 7.30pm and my last set at 6.30am. at 6.30am I will do my last rounds of observations and do blood sugar tests and administer the last set of medications before the day shift come on

I hope I helped love melz

[krisdelro]

I just got off working the night shift...I absolutely loved it but it definately took a toll on my body. I live in the US and am going back to school I have to find an international RN to communicate with. It would be interesting to see how things are different over there.