Tonite was...tonite was...

Specialties Emergency

Published

:chair:

To start off with, I want to thank my co-workers, especially the techs who came running to help when I had really bad patients. I also want to thank my coworkers for transferring my patients to tele and ICU with me, and did so happily. I had a very, very, very bad night tonite! If you read these boards, you know who you are. If you don't then to anyone who takes the time to help the new kid, I'm eternally grateful.

It was such a bad shift -- I nearly started crying at one point, when the doc decided to put my 94 yo DNR patient on a dopamine drip and get him to the ICU. Titrated him up to 5mcg/kg/min with little success. After 2,000 cc's of NS. Can anyone say "Game over?"

I nearly quit when the psych facility refused to take my bipolar patient because there was no 'nurse to nurse' report (there it was, documented. Before my shift began. First question I asked the off-going nurse).

No time to eat (10 hours). No time to use the bathroom.

Then I had the patient from Hades who is calling for the bedpan every 30 seconds. After the fourth or fifth time, it was like, oh just mess up the chuks already :angryfire since she wasn't really doing much of anything other than making a bad situation worse. "Ma'am, what did you eat today?" 'Oh, a whopper, fries and onion rings. And a chocolate shake. Is that what is causing my tummy to hurt?' She was straining, causing a vagal response, which would drop her heart rate, then her bp, then she'd vomit for fun... "Ohhh, I'm going to be sick...quick, I need that medicine to settle my stomach."

Of course she may perhaps think that nurses are psychic beings who know what the cause of her belly pain is (but stupid isn't medically accepted yet) and can just invent a diagnosis and a medication to cure it all! Oh wait -- she screamed at the two nurses who tried to draw blood from her and she was just tickled pink when I drew from her foot. Never mind the fact that I had to page phlebotomy about nine times then get the doc and phleb-sup involved. By then I just got blood from her foot -- doesn't the phlebotomy people realize that when the ED calls/pages/begs, it's because we really mean it!

Uhhhh...where do I start?

All I can say, there isn't enough money in the world for nurses these days. Since when did ER's become drive-thru's for people's stupidity?

Tom, you are not allowed to say "welcome to the wonderful world of ER nursing". you've said that to me already.

And now I must get back to drowning my sorrows (but not my achy feet) in two Miller Lites, Taco Hell, and a great thunderstorm.

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Specializes in ICU.

(((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))

I can tell the story from the other side. Got constipated the other day (yeah I know my own silly fault) not just constipated but teethmarks-on-the-toilet-door type constipated. Strained so much ended up with severe lower back pain radiating down my legs. Nothing was shifting the blockage from hell and no way was I going to one of our overworked ED's with something as silly as constipation. So I trot on off to the private hospital.

$135.00 later I had some relief - I will grant them that but in the two hours I spent there no one bothered to take one set of observations - not one!!! No pulse, BP, Temp nothing.

The best bit was the nurse who trotted into my room with the two pain killers

She:- "Here these are for you"

Me:- "Hadn't someone better get my allergy list from me before they give me anything?"

She looking at chart:-"I was just told to give you these" trying to hand them over

Me:- "Still a good idea to get someone's allergy list first - I got quite a few"

She:- "Oh I suppose so"

I then list half a dozen medications (no pain killers but I am one of the rare ones with an actual allergy to metclopropamide) I mention a cough medication where upon she promptly says

"We don't have to record that we will not be giving that to you here!!"

Oh Boy! Can we say "walking disaster"?

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How awful it would be if you weren't as sharp as you are. Allergies are one of my biggest fears. I always check after starting a new abx at least twice, and I positively hover over blood starts.

Sorry you were so stopped up. I've been there too; had a gallon of strong coffee and a walk on the treadmill, and I was 'moving right along', but I don't think my issue was as serious as some I've seen/heard.

Thanks for the reply. I'm having a hard time shaking the shift. :balloons:

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Stitch -- Hang in there!

And rest up!

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Awwwww Stitchie..sorry you the shift from hell :/ ..I think we ALL can relate..hope the next shift is a little better (((hugzzzzz)))

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

OK I wont say it

but ya gotta love it

helps if you keep chanting at work

doo wah ditty

doo wah ditty

doo wah ditty

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OK I wont say it

but ya gotta love it

helps if you keep chanting at work

doo wah ditty

doo wah ditty

doo wah ditty

Thanks Tom. I knew I could count on you. :)

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

I try to never dissappoint

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Well, there must have been something in the air last noc...besides the storm from he#@!!!

Got to work at 0600...

ED full (of course)

All but one chest pain patient were psychs or drunks...or drunk psychs!!

3 ODs...of course HAD to go to tele or ICU...

4 drunks sleeping it off...2 in handcuffs (oh yea!)

3 psychs crying and screaming

3 psychs pacing yelling for their "God Da$$ Ativan"

1 drunk 18 y/o calling for his mom...puking..and threatening to run into the street to "off himself"

(I felt sorry for him...1st time doing beer bongs...silly little boy!!) :rolleyes:

Tom..although your choice in lyrics is cute...

I thought "Welcome to the jungle" was more appropriate!!

Stitchie...hang in there my friend..it's all down hill from here!

:rotfl:

If your working with a great team...you'll sing your song together!!

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Specializes in Emergency Room/corrections.
Well, there must have been something in the air last noc...besides the storm from he#@!!!

Got to work at 0600...

ED full (of course)

All but one chest pain patient were psychs or drunks...or drunk psychs!!

3 ODs...of course HAD to go to tele or ICU...

4 drunks sleeping it off...2 in handcuffs (oh yea!)

3 psychs crying and screaming

3 psychs pacing yelling for their "God Da$$ Ativan"

1 drunk 18 y/o calling for his mom...puking..and threatening to run into the street to "off himself"

(I felt sorry for him...1st time doing beer bongs...silly little boy!!) :rolleyes:

Tom..although your choice in lyrics is cute...

I thought "Welcome to the jungle" was more appropriate!!

Stitchie...hang in there my friend..it's all down hill from here!

:rotfl:

If your working with a great team...you'll sing your song together!!

sounds like my weekend!! And to top it off, the super duper clinical manager who is soo powerful and changes everyones schedules just to piss people off. "Forgot" that one of our regular RN's had surgery three weeks ago. And so subquently he "forgot" to fill her open shift!! no biggie for him, he was at home enjoying the weekend with his family. (I mentioned it to our manager 3 days prior to the weekend and was assured that the clin manager had it all "taken care of") :rolleyes: :rolleyes: SO... I had a crew who ended up working 2 RN's short because the orientee we were counting on to fill a hole ended up with a gallbladder attack!!

Did I mention that we saw 165 patients from 0700 sunday morning until 0700 monday morning??? (our average is 120-130 per day and over 130 of those were from 1500 sunday afternoon until 0700 monday morning)... On saturday night we ended up with about 6 spanish speaking only hispanics who had all been in different fights (all at the same time)!!

It wasnt a full moon was it??

BTW Stitch, hang in there, tomorrow is another day.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Been there, done that. You made a difference. :)

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(((((((hugs)))))))

Maybe someday i'll be there with ya Stitch! Hang in there! :)

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