Shrink once had nurses excited at the outset (3,4)
I believe the answer is:
die down
'shrink' is the definition.
(I know that die down is a more specific form of the action shrink)
I don't understand the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for die down that I've seen before include "Quieten" , "get quiet" , "Subside" , "Become progressively weaker" , "Become less intense" .)