Hospital Night Shift: You know it's not gonna be a good experience when:

[rixstix]

You know it's not likely to be a pleasant NIGHT SHIFT experience when:

• Hospital has overbooked their rooms and waiting in recovery room 6 hours until 8pm for a room to be vacated.
• You finally get a room and
• Your nurse says "I hate my job. I wish I were not here"
• Your nurse says "I'll get you some water after I finish my paperwork chores"
• Night Shift staff can only poke and fish for veins. Finally called the LifeFlight tech from the helipad to do it.

Specialty areas of the hospital were GREAT
Day Shift staff was GREAT
Night Shift staff really Sucked.

 

[duncsuss]

Sounds like they send the under-performing staff to the night watch instead of remedial training (or parting company with them if that doesn't improve things.)

Hope you are quickly recovered and out of there - don't need another night like that one.

 

[rixstix]

My wife had C4-C7 fusion so it wasn't me and we got her discharged the next morning. Actually 12:01, most likely timed to allow for a 2nd billing day (Rick's conspiracy hat talking).

We're still trying to get a couple of doctor's to talk since no one will be responsible for drug interactions except for the patient to play middleman between them. The surgeons don't seem to understand their post op pain & muscle relaxers don't play well with cardiac conditions and cardiac meds. That has been scarier than the NightShift since the interaction is deadly instead of the NightShift inconveniences.

BTW: TNX for the well wishes

 

[mark james]

My wife had a melanoma and 3 lymph nodes removed 2 years ago at an excellent northern Ohio Hospital. They sent her home with the cheapest, grocery store quality bandages. She had already ordered on-line a pricy, but little used wound care patch. She showed me how to apply it. It goes on damp and is an electrical, flexible, antibacterial conductive hydrogel patch formulated for accelerated wound care. At the followup 2 weeks later the nurse said "Wow, your incisions look about 2 weeks more healed than I would expect". 10 minutes later the room had 3 staff listening to an explanation from my wife (PhD Polymer chemist - she helped develop the patch). Evidently 12 cents is more cost efficient than $23.00.

 

[Woodchipper]

Not necessarily true. My SIL is a retired LPN and worked third shift for years. She was an excellent nurse as exhibited by her helping family, particularly my parents when they were in the hospital. She loved night shift. No doctors, visitors, etc. to contend with. Checked patients periodically to make sure everything was OK; dispensed medications as required. I was in the local hospital for nine days and got excellent care around the clock. Even got to know the custodial staff who were great. The situation depends on the hospital and the staff.
"Your nurse says "I hate my job. I wish I were not here." Then change jobs...problem solved.

 

[montmill]

Rick, exactly my experience after a knee replacement. This teaching hospital has had an on going dispute with nurses and many have left. Some I had were traveling nurses that move from hospital to hospital. Each hospital has different equipment and supplies. The traveling nurse came in for a blood draw and didn't know how to draw blood from the infusion line. She was pulling on it causing pain. A supervisor came in and told her how to do it and she argued and said she didn't need any help. I told her to get out and never come back. The nurses in surgery and recovery were outstanding. I suspect they pay them more. I was sent home with hypotension. My wife was the best aftercare nurse.

 

[rixstix]

Not necessarily true.

Didn't say ALL nightshifts were less than professional. This particular team needs (and is going to get) a refresher course.

Our niece is a CNP & worked nightshift in ICU

"Your nurse says "I hate my job. I wish I were not here." Then change jobs...problem solved.

That is out of any patient's control

 

[Ray-CA]

" Evidently 12 cents is more cost efficient than $23.00."

Take a look at the medical billing and see how much the hospital charged for the those 12 cent bandages. Then, multiply the $23 bandage by that factor. Also, your medical plan might only reimburse the cost of the 12 cent band-aid.

But, all said, glad your wife is better and what a wonderful idea for wound care. Would you mind sharing the information about this new bandage?

Ray

 

[Woodchipper]

OK, we have a 12 cent bandage from Walmart or Walgreens. Just think how many people are involved in getting the bandage from the supply room to getting it delivered to the floor and for the nurse to apply the bandage. Same with the $10 aspirin. Also, how much is being charged to help cover people with no insurance?

 

[mark james]

Take a look at the medical billing and see how much the hospital charged for the those 12 cent bandages. Then, multiply the $23 bandage by that factor. Also, your medical plan might only reimburse the cost of the 12 cent band-aid.

But, all said, glad your wife is better and what a wonderful idea for wound care. Would you mind sharing the information about this new bandage?

Ray

I don't want to hijack the thread, or promote a product that has many distributors, but here is a link for a clinical synopsis: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04956. She bought her product On-Line from Amazon. As you indicate, it is not favored from insurance, but for us the cost of faster, better healing, less scar tissue, etc was not even a question... I spend more on a nice pen kit - put in perspective, a slam dunk. I'll give precise product via PM's.

 

[rixstix]

@mark james Sounds like good info. PM details when you get a chance please.

Kate has a couple tubes of CA on her neck & in her hair right now.

 

[Smokey S]

I certainly hate to hear of your bad hospital experience. Back in late '21 I had an opposite experience following a removing a kidney w/tumor, adrenal gland and 7 lymph nodes at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Due to such an enormous OR nurse shortage at that I finally got into surgery at 7pm. Got to my room @ 2am. My nurses were awesome! They tinkered with me all night. The day shift was just as awesome as the 3rd shift was! I must say that I was only there for the late,part of the 3rd shift and only part of the following day shift because I was released from the hospital @3:30pm. Besides getting some of my innards pulled out and put in the trash can, medically and professionally it was an excellent experience. MD Anderson Cancer Center Rocks! Just saying…. Smokey

 

[mark james]

I will just add - our (wife and I ) experiences the last 5 years have been great! (too often recently, but that is not on them).

 

[CHARLES STOPCZYNSKI]

You know it's not likely to be a pleasant NIGHT SHIFT experience when:

• Hospital has overbooked their rooms and waiting in recovery room 6 hours until 8pm for a room to be vacated.
• You finally get a room and
• Your nurse says "I hate my job. I wish I were not here"
• Your nurse says "I'll get you some water after I finish my paperwork chores"
• Night Shift staff can only poke and fish for veins. Finally called the LifeFlight tech from the helipad to do it.

Specialty areas of the hospital were GREAT
Day Shift staff was GREAT
Night Shift staff really Sucked.

Rick, Just got out of hospital Sunday at noon. 5-days. 99% positive experience. Had one nurse on one shift tell me not to get out of bed unassisted and insisted on leaving bathroom light on and door part open. One doesn't sleep well with all that light, noise etc. So I played her game when it came time to take care of business. I called, couldn't wait and got up and took care of it. Back in bed, covered up when assistant comes in. I told her what I had done. She said, you are perfectly OK doing what you did with me. You are not unstable on your feet, don't let it bother you. So there!
Had two gentlemen who were "Patient Technicians", absolutely OUTSTANDING individuals. Couldn't do enough to make you comfortable and well. Many hospitals do a post departure survey as this one does. I solved the problem of remembering names of the outstanding individuals. I used the camera in my phone to take a photo of the board where all your care givers sign in at each shift on wall in room. There are several who will get a very positive report from me.
Get better soon. Less than 48 hours after discharge I feel so much better. Heading off to indoor pool, to say hello to swim buddies, while wife joins them. Just to get out of the house.

Charlie

 

[Lew]

Rick, Just got out of hospital Sunday at noon. 5-days. 99% positive experience. Had one nurse on one shift tell me not to get out of bed unassisted and insisted on leaving bathroom light on and door part open. One doesn't sleep well with all that light, noise etc. So I played her game when it came time to take care of business. I called, couldn't wait and got up and took care of it. Back in bed, covered up when assistant comes in. I told her what I had done. She said, you are perfectly OK doing what you did with me. You are not unstable on your feet, don't let it bother you. So there!
Had two gentlemen who were "Patient Technicians", absolutely OUTSTANDING individuals. Couldn't do enough to make you comfortable and well. Many hospitals do a post departure survey as this one does. I solved the problem of remembering names of the outstanding individuals. I used the camera in my phone to take a photo of the board where all your care givers sign in at each shift on wall in room. There are several who will get a very positive report from me.
Get better soon. Less than 48 hours after discharge I feel so much better. Heading off to indoor pool, to say hello to swim buddies, while wife joins them. Just to get out of the house.

Charlie

Glad you're out and active and posting here!

 

[rixstix]

Charlie, I'm glad all is going well for you and hope that you get back to normal soon. Your experience is what everyone should have.

 

[Curly]

I get the other side of the story from my wife when she comes home (nurse) from a 12 hour night shift. Not everyone is a good patient.

Pete

 

[rixstix]

I agree that is true in some cases.

 

[rixstix]

I get the other side of the story from my wife when she comes home (nurse) from a 12 hour night shift. Not everyone is a good patient.

Pete

But not likely in this case due to the 2 minutes it took to go from recovery to the room @ the other end of the hall. Hugging recovery nurses, wheel down the hall, then start the shenanigans of the night with "I hate my job. I wish I were not here."

 

[Curly]

But not likely in this case due to the 2 minutes it took to go from recovery to the room @ the other end of the hall. Hugging recovery nurses, wheel down the hall, then start the shenanigans of the night with "I hate my job. I wish I were not here."

Maybe not you but the nurse, depending on the kind of unit may have 4 to 6 or more patients. Some of them may be the kind that will go to the bathroom in the bed even though they can walk to the bathroom themselves. Some might be voilent for one reason or the other and need to be restrained but the family won't allow it. Might have an inappropriate patient that gropes them or says foul things to them. Has partners that don't help or disappear for long periods of time. Now they may not have all of these things to contend with at the same time but often enough. So why stay? Nursing pays 3 or 4 times or better than minimum wage which is the kind of job they would end up with if they leave. Not everyone is a bad patient. Many are very grateful for the care they get and if they are not the most cheerful it is because they are in a place they don't want to be and are not comfortable. So it is hard to know what the staff have or will be going through and while not professional for them to utter it. It might be understandable it the circumstances are known. I was never a nurse but uttered even more than "I hate my job" at times. Just part of life that you may not understand. I'd cut them some slack. The next shift might be better. It ain't a hotel.

Pete

 

[TellicoTurning]

I can agree that some hospitals or better than others.... back in Texas about 1998 or 99, (I'm getting too old to remember much past yesterday) I woke up with the godawfulest pain in my side, almost couldn't get out of bed and the pain made me nauseous... the wife bundled me up and drove me to the local ER... I lay on a gurney in the ER from about 7:30 am until nearly midnight before they finally decided I was having an appendix attack.... I went into surgery just about midnight..... problem was the hospital didn't tell my wife where I was, where to find me in recovery or what the outcome of the surgery was.... she finally gave up about 2 or 3 am and went home to be back next day by 7 or 8, steaming mad and ready to tear into someone.... by then they had me assigned to a room and told her where I was so she could come up. She never forgot nor forgave them for that.

I recently had a TAVR procedure, A valve job, at one of the hospitals here in Tennessee... couldn't have had better care. Only had to spend one night because they were concerned with possibility of bleeding at the entry point... in about an 8 hour period they changed the bandage on the wound 3 times and checked again as I was getting ready to go home. Really cute nurses too.

 

[Woodchipper]

I get the other side of the story from my wife when she comes home (nurse) from a 12 hour night shift. Not everyone is a good patient.

Pete

My SIL is a retired LPN. She tells some stories that are hilarious but once was almost chocked to death by a patient. Fortunately, another nurse came by and saw she was in trouble.
Story: Sir, have you had a BM today? No, but I had two RCs.