The day from hell!
Well, I got up this morning quite tired as I had worked quite hard yesterday, had a chiropractor appointment & then led out in cell ... yep, definiately was tired.
Had handover and then hit the ward.
As I was getting myself organised ... a couple of things happened:
a doctor rang and wanted his paitent to have a CT abdo instead of a Xray abdo & wanted me to organise it
a patient complained of shortness of breath (very serous complaint)
a confused lady wanted to pass urine yet was quite shaky on her feet & had a bit of pain on her hip & therefore the assistant got her a pan
I had a patient due to be transfered to a Nursing Home & had transport booked at 1000hrs therefore needed showering, feeding, packing & paperwork ... all to be organised at least by 0930hrs in case transport came early
another patient complained of pain yet was Nil by Mouth therefore needed to have panadol put up by IV
A patient had an extensive complaint about the fact she had to share a room with a lady she thought of as a pig ... snoring, burbing etc. throughout the past two days
The lady who one of the assistants put on the pan to pass urine climbed out of bed, put the pan on the floor & stood over the pan to pass urine & then got stuck in that position .. yep, she was confused!!
A wardsman came to pick up my lady who was going for the CT abdo ... and I realised that I hadn't changed the test she was going to have ... she was booked for a X-ray & I hadn't changed it after I got the phone call from the Dr ... therefore the X-ray had to be cancelled and her abdo CT had to be booked .. for later in the shift
One of my ladies went for a Renal Ultrasound (things did need to be done to prep for it!)
The lady who had the IV panadol up was also confused & starting saying things like the panadol was giving her diarhoea ... in other words, she soiled her bed & needed to have a second shower & second bed change!!
One of patient stated that a man from the hospital trasnport service came and saw her & introduced himself to her as he would be the man driving her to the Rehab Hospital today - the patient freaked out as she thought she was going tomorrow (as she just had surgery yesterday!!), the Rehab Hospital rang to check if she was coming & the Dr came to review ... thankfully she was staying another night but there was at least 1/2hr down the drain.
Then all of the sudden, the confused lady (the one who stood over her pan) starting crying after her shower complaining of pain in her hip (which made me wonder if we really should have gotten her up for a shower!) & we had to call the doctor to get an order of morphine for her which helped settle her a lot
And one of the patients who had blood in her stool last night needed to have stool speciems obtained and send to Pathology ... all morning I was waiting for this ... but did get it in the end!! Thankfully, this patient is NOT confused! :)
Basically, nothing was flowing nicely at all ... then 2 major things (even tho I do realise they are minor things really!) happened ... I was suppose to have 2 assistants this morning (sharing them with other RNs, of course!). One I knew from yesterday and we managed to sort out our working relationship & she worked quite well with me today ... the other one I had never meet ... but all of a sudden I found her in the room showering the patient who was due for a discharge to a Nursing Home ... I introduced myself & ensured I did the careful wording of "so, we are working in a team today" instead "so, YOU are working for ME, today, huh?" yet she took one look at me (I could almost see her mind tick over as she took in how young I was & I am positive she recognised me from when I was a student nurse on this ward) & ended up being really rude to me stating things like "I don't know!! I am being shared between three teams so you are expect too much of me today!! Oh, and so you know for next time, I was only allocated 1hr to you so I only shower 1 patient for you. This patient is the only patient I will shower ... don't ask me to do any more! SOMEONE ELSE told me he was being transferred today!! I have showered him so don't TALK TO ME!!" (that last bit was later on, when I stopped her & asked her how she was going with all her patients & if she was holding up ok!!!! Good grief!!!)
The second major (yet minor) issue happened at 0930 when an high and mightly clinical specialist nurse (sounds all technical but basically, her nursing is narrowed into a specific field!) came into my patient's room and found the patient still in bed. She was then quite rude to me in re: to why this patient had not been mobilisied after her surgery (as in this particular surgery, the patient needs to start mobilising straight away!) & why she was still in bed! (BY THE WAY, ANY NURSE WHO HAS EVER WORKED ON THE WARD KNOWS THAT IT IS A MIRACLE IF YOU HAVE ALL, AND I MEAN ALL, YOUR PATIENTS UP & SHOWERED BY 0930!!!). Thankfully, the team leader came around just then to help hand out the DD (Dangerous Drugs) Drugs (e.g. morphine etc.) & this RUDE lady demonstrated her attitude to her ... stating the patient had no pain so she didn't need to be on such strong pain relief (Um, lady, it is the Dr's call to cease such strong pain relief ... there could be potential terrible results if we suddenly took this patient off her pain relief!). My team leader was great - stating the patient wasn't in pain as she was taking this pain relief etc. But I was so offended & upset ... this dear patient, I have looked after for the past week & I have always gotten her up for a walk & mobilised her & she had just complained of pain a bit earlier so I said we might wait till she has had her DD med & then get her up for a shower then which was fine with the patient (it is called implementing good time management!). I was so upset that this stupid lady was indicating that I was not caring for my patient (my favourite patient) well enough ... I just starting crying & since I couldn't leave the team leader with the DD meds (policy to have 2 RNs at all times with the trolley) I ended up crying in front of the patient ... her grabbing my hand & saying things like "I didn't get you into trouble, did I, dear? You are such a wonderful nurse! I love you looking after me" was wonderful but just didn't help stop the tears! I just had to leave the ward then and there! :(
Thankfully, I have a good relationship with the Educator & we had morning tea together & once people knew I was just having a shitty day, I had a fair bit of support ... still hard going & it just didn't seem to stop .... things not working out etc. It was terrible!!
Even the hope that my hope that I would lose a patient since he was being transferred to a Nursing Home didn't happen ... when the ambulance came to pick him up, they couldn't wake him up ... really really unresponsive & his level of consciousness had dropped ... had to do obs, BSL (blood sugar level - just in case!), and then the CMO (Dr on call, basically) came & reviewed him & decided that he wouldn't be discharged & he needed to have bloods taken, a CT of the brain to be booked & an ECG (test of the heart basically) done. I then needed to run to the heard ward & borrow the ECG machine & take this patient's ECG ... I did it with the Educator but somehow we only printed out half the ECG ... so when the CMO came around a bit later, we needed to redo the ECG (meaning, running back to the heart ward, reborrowing the machine, and reconnecting the machine to 10 different leads!!) & then it just wouldn't read one of the leads!!! I grabbed the team leader & the educator to help me ... & they ended up needing to call Clinical Support & sending me for lunch (as it was almost 2pm!) The ECG did end up being done but WOW!! It was just a bit crazy!
And basically, that was my day (normally, there are meds, showers, obs, meds, obs, and maybe some tests) - a truly BAD day! I am thankful that I only had to stay 1/2hr late ... and that is mainly because of the ward staff meeting we had after lunch!
So, yes, I cried! AGAIN!! And yes! I had to learn to get along with a huge variety of people!! And i had to learn how to ask for help & care for myself as well as 6 other people! Let me tell you one thing, nursing is a truly draining job!! It is hard. It is tiring. It is demanding.
But as the cleaner pointed out today - it is the sort of job you need to have a passion for. And I guess this year, is the year where I find out if I have a passion for nursing. It is the trials that test my passion. And i pray that I continue to be so determined & stubborn to have a passion for nursing & force myself to return to work after having shitty days like today.
Anyway, that was my day - just wanted to share - it has been a while since I had a good BITCH!! :D
Oh, but my favourite patient is discharging tomorrow & I said goodbye to her at the end of my shift & both her & her sister gave me hugs & said the nicest things about my nursing ... at least, the shift ended on a good note, huh? :D
Thanks for listening to my vent & rant & rave! :D
Had handover and then hit the ward.
As I was getting myself organised ... a couple of things happened:
a doctor rang and wanted his paitent to have a CT abdo instead of a Xray abdo & wanted me to organise it
a patient complained of shortness of breath (very serous complaint)
a confused lady wanted to pass urine yet was quite shaky on her feet & had a bit of pain on her hip & therefore the assistant got her a pan
I had a patient due to be transfered to a Nursing Home & had transport booked at 1000hrs therefore needed showering, feeding, packing & paperwork ... all to be organised at least by 0930hrs in case transport came early
another patient complained of pain yet was Nil by Mouth therefore needed to have panadol put up by IV
A patient had an extensive complaint about the fact she had to share a room with a lady she thought of as a pig ... snoring, burbing etc. throughout the past two days
The lady who one of the assistants put on the pan to pass urine climbed out of bed, put the pan on the floor & stood over the pan to pass urine & then got stuck in that position .. yep, she was confused!!
A wardsman came to pick up my lady who was going for the CT abdo ... and I realised that I hadn't changed the test she was going to have ... she was booked for a X-ray & I hadn't changed it after I got the phone call from the Dr ... therefore the X-ray had to be cancelled and her abdo CT had to be booked .. for later in the shift
One of my ladies went for a Renal Ultrasound (things did need to be done to prep for it!)
The lady who had the IV panadol up was also confused & starting saying things like the panadol was giving her diarhoea ... in other words, she soiled her bed & needed to have a second shower & second bed change!!
One of patient stated that a man from the hospital trasnport service came and saw her & introduced himself to her as he would be the man driving her to the Rehab Hospital today - the patient freaked out as she thought she was going tomorrow (as she just had surgery yesterday!!), the Rehab Hospital rang to check if she was coming & the Dr came to review ... thankfully she was staying another night but there was at least 1/2hr down the drain.
Then all of the sudden, the confused lady (the one who stood over her pan) starting crying after her shower complaining of pain in her hip (which made me wonder if we really should have gotten her up for a shower!) & we had to call the doctor to get an order of morphine for her which helped settle her a lot
And one of the patients who had blood in her stool last night needed to have stool speciems obtained and send to Pathology ... all morning I was waiting for this ... but did get it in the end!! Thankfully, this patient is NOT confused! :)
Basically, nothing was flowing nicely at all ... then 2 major things (even tho I do realise they are minor things really!) happened ... I was suppose to have 2 assistants this morning (sharing them with other RNs, of course!). One I knew from yesterday and we managed to sort out our working relationship & she worked quite well with me today ... the other one I had never meet ... but all of a sudden I found her in the room showering the patient who was due for a discharge to a Nursing Home ... I introduced myself & ensured I did the careful wording of "so, we are working in a team today" instead "so, YOU are working for ME, today, huh?" yet she took one look at me (I could almost see her mind tick over as she took in how young I was & I am positive she recognised me from when I was a student nurse on this ward) & ended up being really rude to me stating things like "I don't know!! I am being shared between three teams so you are expect too much of me today!! Oh, and so you know for next time, I was only allocated 1hr to you so I only shower 1 patient for you. This patient is the only patient I will shower ... don't ask me to do any more! SOMEONE ELSE told me he was being transferred today!! I have showered him so don't TALK TO ME!!" (that last bit was later on, when I stopped her & asked her how she was going with all her patients & if she was holding up ok!!!! Good grief!!!)
The second major (yet minor) issue happened at 0930 when an high and mightly clinical specialist nurse (sounds all technical but basically, her nursing is narrowed into a specific field!) came into my patient's room and found the patient still in bed. She was then quite rude to me in re: to why this patient had not been mobilisied after her surgery (as in this particular surgery, the patient needs to start mobilising straight away!) & why she was still in bed! (BY THE WAY, ANY NURSE WHO HAS EVER WORKED ON THE WARD KNOWS THAT IT IS A MIRACLE IF YOU HAVE ALL, AND I MEAN ALL, YOUR PATIENTS UP & SHOWERED BY 0930!!!). Thankfully, the team leader came around just then to help hand out the DD (Dangerous Drugs) Drugs (e.g. morphine etc.) & this RUDE lady demonstrated her attitude to her ... stating the patient had no pain so she didn't need to be on such strong pain relief (Um, lady, it is the Dr's call to cease such strong pain relief ... there could be potential terrible results if we suddenly took this patient off her pain relief!). My team leader was great - stating the patient wasn't in pain as she was taking this pain relief etc. But I was so offended & upset ... this dear patient, I have looked after for the past week & I have always gotten her up for a walk & mobilised her & she had just complained of pain a bit earlier so I said we might wait till she has had her DD med & then get her up for a shower then which was fine with the patient (it is called implementing good time management!). I was so upset that this stupid lady was indicating that I was not caring for my patient (my favourite patient) well enough ... I just starting crying & since I couldn't leave the team leader with the DD meds (policy to have 2 RNs at all times with the trolley) I ended up crying in front of the patient ... her grabbing my hand & saying things like "I didn't get you into trouble, did I, dear? You are such a wonderful nurse! I love you looking after me" was wonderful but just didn't help stop the tears! I just had to leave the ward then and there! :(
Thankfully, I have a good relationship with the Educator & we had morning tea together & once people knew I was just having a shitty day, I had a fair bit of support ... still hard going & it just didn't seem to stop .... things not working out etc. It was terrible!!
Even the hope that my hope that I would lose a patient since he was being transferred to a Nursing Home didn't happen ... when the ambulance came to pick him up, they couldn't wake him up ... really really unresponsive & his level of consciousness had dropped ... had to do obs, BSL (blood sugar level - just in case!), and then the CMO (Dr on call, basically) came & reviewed him & decided that he wouldn't be discharged & he needed to have bloods taken, a CT of the brain to be booked & an ECG (test of the heart basically) done. I then needed to run to the heard ward & borrow the ECG machine & take this patient's ECG ... I did it with the Educator but somehow we only printed out half the ECG ... so when the CMO came around a bit later, we needed to redo the ECG (meaning, running back to the heart ward, reborrowing the machine, and reconnecting the machine to 10 different leads!!) & then it just wouldn't read one of the leads!!! I grabbed the team leader & the educator to help me ... & they ended up needing to call Clinical Support & sending me for lunch (as it was almost 2pm!) The ECG did end up being done but WOW!! It was just a bit crazy!
And basically, that was my day (normally, there are meds, showers, obs, meds, obs, and maybe some tests) - a truly BAD day! I am thankful that I only had to stay 1/2hr late ... and that is mainly because of the ward staff meeting we had after lunch!
So, yes, I cried! AGAIN!! And yes! I had to learn to get along with a huge variety of people!! And i had to learn how to ask for help & care for myself as well as 6 other people! Let me tell you one thing, nursing is a truly draining job!! It is hard. It is tiring. It is demanding.
But as the cleaner pointed out today - it is the sort of job you need to have a passion for. And I guess this year, is the year where I find out if I have a passion for nursing. It is the trials that test my passion. And i pray that I continue to be so determined & stubborn to have a passion for nursing & force myself to return to work after having shitty days like today.
Anyway, that was my day - just wanted to share - it has been a while since I had a good BITCH!! :D
Oh, but my favourite patient is discharging tomorrow & I said goodbye to her at the end of my shift & both her & her sister gave me hugs & said the nicest things about my nursing ... at least, the shift ended on a good note, huh? :D
Thanks for listening to my vent & rant & rave! :D
posted by blue nurse | 3:40 AM
5 Comments:
goodness shaz, sounds like a horriblely stressful day! hang on, it sounds like it can only get better... (insert hopeful smile here). everyone needs a good rant now and again. hang tough. love you!
Caring people are truely great health care workers. But they tend to burn out fairly quickly if they don't set boundarys for themselves.
So here is the first boundary rule and what you say to those who give you grief.
Boundary rule #1- It isn't about you. It IS about the patient.
So, if you have a beef with me about what you want, I suggest that you stuff it and focus on the patient. If you see a need, then YOU do it as I am already too busy helping other patients who also have pressing needs.
So, hang in there, and you will do just fine...and so will your patients...
Oh, and if you loose that "caring for the patients" attitude, you need a holiday or two.
i know you're currently intoxicated with the toy boy, but really! write something, darn it. :P
Just surfing nursing related blogs and came across yours. All the best with your site.
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