Did your last shift hold? — Sensus shift check

Seven questions about one real shift. Two minutes. At the end you get a plain-language read: held, strained, or broke.

Honest framing: this is a self-check, not a measurement. Sensus measures reliability from the operational record — events, responses, and recovery across shifts — not from a quiz. Nothing you enter here is collected, stored, or sent anywhere. It all stays in your browser.

1. Did the shift start short?

Unfilled roles, call-offs, or a float that never arrived.

No — staffed as plannedRoles filled, no gaps at handoff. Partly — a gap, coveredShort somewhere, but someone absorbed it. Yes — started shortUnfilled roles from the first hour.

2. Did demand surge past what the unit could absorb?

Admissions, boarders, or acuity rising faster than the team could take on.

No — demand matched capacityA normal flow for the unit. Partly — a surge, managedBusy, but the unit kept up. Yes — overwhelmedMore coming in than the unit could safely hold.

3. Did you lose experience mid-shift?

A senior nurse pulled away, called off, or reassigned when the unit needed them most.

No — experience stayed putSenior hands where they were needed. Partly — stretched thinExperience spread across too many rooms. Yes — lost itThe most experienced nurse was gone or pulled away.

4. Did an unresolved problem carry into this shift?

Something the last shift couldn't close — a bed, a patient, a staffing gap — handed to you still open.

No — clean handoffNothing carried over unresolved. Partly — one loose threadSomething carried over, but it got handled. Yes — inherited troubleOpen problems arrived with the shift.

5. Did help or escalation take too long?

Waiting on a decision, a float, a bed, or a second pair of hands while the situation worsened.

No — help arrived when neededEscalation worked the way it should. Partly — slow, but it cameHelp arrived later than it should have. Yes — waited too longEscalation stalled while the unit strained.

6. Did people work outside their usual scope to cover?

Newer nurses carrying loads they weren't ready for, or anyone covering two jobs at once.

No — everyone in scopeAssignments matched experience. Partly — stretchedSome coverage beyond the usual scope. Yes — out of scopePeople carrying work they weren't ready for.

7. At handoff, were there unresolved issues for the next shift?

The test that matters most: did the shift end with its problems closed, or pass them on?

No — handed off cleanIssues resolved or clearly owned. Partly — a few loose endsMostly closed, some carried forward. Yes — passed the problems onThe next shift inherited open issues.

Answer all seven questions first — the read needs the whole shift.

What Sensus actually does: it records operational events as they happen, tracks whether the response held, and builds the record across shifts — so leaders can see strain coming instead of hearing about it after. This check is a sketch of that idea, not the instrument.