Question About Hitpoints in Wildshape

[Schadenfreuda]

The description of wildshape in the SRD says that each time you use Wildshape, you regain hitpoints as if you rested a night. Now, if a druid with access to several uses of wildshape but no more prepared healing spells, can the druid simply expend a charge of wildshape as an emergency self-healing tactic, or does this require coming out of the form and spending another action to take their shape again?

Also, can you if you're coming to the end of your time in a new shape, simply expend another usage of the ability to stay in the form longer, or does one have to revert and take the form again?

[DrMotives]

So a wild shape usage has 2 parts; First you assume an alternate form, the second part is your return to your normal form. The second part doesn't count as a change, and is optional if you use another use of wild shape to change again.

So, as an example. If a gnome druid becomes a bear for melee combat and is hurt, becoming a gnome again is the 2nd part of your wild shape, your wounds don't heal. But, if you plan to switch to hawk form to scout, that's a new use of wild shape. You can go straight from bear to hawk, and heal in the process. Also, for your other question, if you use wild shape again near the end of the duration to reset the clock, that's fine. It does count as another usage, which means you will heal as stated in the description. You're just skipping the optional free "return to normal form" bit again, which is explicitly called out as something you can do in the Player's Handbook.