What does an LPN do in the nursing home on midnight shift?
Asked by ADonnaurnmo
i landed my first job in a long term care facility (Yay!) its midnights and i just wondering what an LPN does on this shift other than around 6 am... pass meds... i havent been to orientation yet im sure i will find out then but im curious now lol!

Best Answer:
Congratulations! I used to do the same thing you're going into. Some duties are specific to the facility, while others are general. There are usually med passes here and there at odd times that are routine, then of course you have your PRN meds. Those are mostly given at night (especially when there's a weather change). Things like arthritis, heartburn, etc. show up a lot more frequently on your shift. You also may be required to do bed checks - some of your residents will be more confused at night and wander. You'll do some charting, of course, and if someone's just returning from the hospital, you may have to do a Heparin flush every so often (if you are allowed to do that in your state). Checks on vital signs are pretty common, and looking over lab results for your shift reports are usually required. You'll have to bring critical lab results to the attention of the next shift and the resident's doctor. You will probably have to change wound dressings (again, that varies according to the person's health issues) as well. The big thing is the monthly Medication Administration Record audits. You'll have to check the med sheets against MD orders to make sure the records you go by are correct. You'll have to make sure they are signed off on med passes before you file the records in the patient's charts. You may have to edit the records before they go into effect for the month (always happens with the Coumadin!) PT/INR's always change,so the dosages will change just as frequently. You'll have to handle and report on emergencies and contact family afterward. You also have to make sure that everyone is performing their assigned duties on time and as required (assisting with toileting, turning at certain times, etc.). You may be asked to do chart audits (if your state and facility allows for it) to make sure they are all up to date and ready for state inspections. You'll have to make sure all patient's DNR orders are current, if this is assigned to you. You do stay busy, but if you treat your CNA's fairly and jump in to help where you can, they'll take care of you, too. Don't forget the last, but most important thing: a lot of your patients don't have many people coming by. Some families are great, but some are not so great. Get to know your residents and smile when you walk into their rooms. If they need help, act like you don't have anything else to do besides help them. They'll be the ones telling you that they are sorry for being a burden because they know how busy you are. Look at them like they are crazy and tell them you'd take them over paperwork any day - no matter how stressed you feel. Let them tell you about their lives, families, friends, and experiences. Finally, carry a pen and a small pad around with you. Those "little sweet old ladies" can tell the dirtiest jokes you'll ever hear - write them down and tell them to other people. The looks on their faces are awesome when you let them finish cracking up, and you say "Yeah, a 97 year old lady told me that one the other day...." Good luck at your new job - make sure to take care of yourself, and you will be just fine. I miss my "family", but wouldn't have changed that experience for the world.

Supervise the nursing assistants. Be there in case of emergency - a fall, an illness, a heart attach, a death.
Answered by marqueen71

Usually they watch while there patients sleep. There is a lot of paper work. Between 0400 and 0600 it gets busy as patients wake up and you have to take morning blood sugar and give insulin. My wife has been a LPN for 28 years.
Answered by Craig M