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At 11:34 p.m., the Children's News team met up with Allen
Bouchard, RN, the night nurse-in-charge in the Emergency
Department (ED). The ED was in full swing, with a flurry of patient
activity on the floor. But apparently it was not quite as active
as on other nights. “This is relatively quiet for this hour.
It's usually much busier,” Bouchard observed, as he easily
navigated the halls, greeting fellow nightshift nurses and staff.
Bouchard has worked straight nights for 10 of his past 16 years
with CHB. He explained that he doesn't really see much difference
in patient volume between days and nights until the wee hours—after
3 a.m. But what he truly appreciates is that there are fewer people
around in general. “I'm always shocked when I walk through
the lobby during the day,” he said. “The lobby is basically
empty at night, much more peaceful. During the day, it seems like
total chaos to me.”
The nightshift doesn't typically attract nurses over the long-haul.
According to Bourchard, “Many new nurses start out working
nights and switch to days once they have more experience. I guess
some people just can't adjust to the night schedule.”
Bouchard, on the other hand, has no problem modifying his schedule
when he works, often playing tennis after his shift, before heading
home. “I can exist on only four hours of sleep each night
and can easily kick back into 'day mode' between shifts,”
he said. But Bouchard's true secret may be as simple as a cup of
Joe. “I have my coffee at midnight, when I take over as charge-nurse,
then again at 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., and that keeps me going,”
he said.
“ I prefer nights overall,” he added. “Because
we have less resources—fewer staff—you really rely on
everyone to help out. There's a strong sense of camaraderie. We're
a pretty close-knit group.”
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