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The nurse
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.”
