Here are the biggest differences I’ve personally found!

Here are the biggest differences I’ve personally found! Obviously this can vary from floor to floor/facility to facility ❤️ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ☀️D A Y☀️ SHIFT:⁣⁣⁣ ➡️ More interaction with the whole team (MD, physio, dietician, OT, SLP, consults with the endo or heme team, etc.) = this also means you have more RESOURCES and HELP if needed!!⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ➡️ Lab results come back in the morning = this means you may be providing treatment for any abnormalities (infusing PRBCs for low hgb, giving magnesium sulfate for low mg, providing kayexelate for elevated K+, starting IV ABX when blood cultures result, etc.)⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ➡️ Diagnostics!!! X-rays, echos, surgery, heart cath, ultrasound, colonoscopy, etc. = you’ll spend some time prepping your pt’s for these, transferring your patient to/from stretcher (takes up more time if your pt is a mechanical lift), providing teaching on these procedures, etc.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ➡️ More movement in general; tests, admissions, discharges, transfers, etc. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ 🌙N I G H T🌙 SHIFT:⁣⁣⁣ ➡️ Higher patient load and less resources = you need to be on the ball so you can catch acute changes in patient status! The higher patient load also means more time spent on documentation!⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ➡️ Usually no procedures over night (unless its a STAT test for change in status) and no bloodwork results = less running around!⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ➡️ Sundowners. If you work with geriatric patients, you know that sundowning patients can take up a lot of your time. Additional safety precautions need to be put in place if the patient is at risk for falls. With sundowners, you may spend quite a bit of time going from the nursing station to their room throughout the night.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ➡️ Night shifts can throw off your normal day-to-day schedule. You’ll need to adjust your eating schedule, workout timing, appointments, etc. E.g., when I’m working a night shift,

By Curtis

Published February 13, 2025

From the Health Care Hub community. Empowering medical learners with innovative insights for healthcare advancement.

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