Dreaming About Work

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Oncology.

I'm off of work for a few days in a row, but my mind can't seem to leave work in my sleep! I just thought I would share two of the weird dreams I had this week.

I was caring for a patient who has been chronically in and out of my unit over the last several months and quite debilitated. I wanted to ambulate him around the unit. My unit secretary (who, in real life, I feel often oversteps her bounds as a unit secretary and is a know-it-all with no real knowledge or experience to back it up) told me I should have 2 people and have the patient use a walker. Telling her I knew better than her, I walked him with no assistive device and just myself. He fell and broke his front teeth. I guess the lesson here is better safe than sorry, and don't let pride get in the way of safety.

In my second dream, I was caring for another one of our chronic patients when I was watching the cardiac monitor and he was having all kinds of ectopy. I thought that was odd as he had previously been quite stable. I watch some more as he goes into SVT and then pulseless v-tach. I start CPR and call a code and as I'm doing compressions ask the wife if she has any idea what could be going on, if he complained of anything recently. She tells me that the head doctor came in and asked if he was sick of living like this and the patient had said yes, so he said he would be back in with something to put him out of his misery. The wife proceeds to tell me that he's now a DNR. I tell her that the paperwork hasn't been fully signed yet and continue CPR. He dies. Afterward, I check the pyxis and find that every opiate and benzo was totally emptied out of it under the head doctor's name. I panic and try to sign out of the pyxis before anyone links me to it or gets me in the middle of the affair.

I woke up from this dream literally in a cold sweat. I don't see what the point of sharing it is other than that it was eerie and I wanted to share it with people that might understand.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

My recurring work dream is that it is the end of an extremely busy PICU shift, and not only have I not SEEN one of my patients, I cannot even find the room! :(

I shared this with a co-worker, and she related her dream. She just finishes giving a very detailed end-of-shift report on her critically ill peds patient, and the oncoming nurse says "And your other patient?". Of course, Amy didn't know she HAD another patient!

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

At least your dreams are exciting, I just dream about IVs beeping.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I was charge one night since 7pm. At 10pm something is going on with a patient and I look at the assignment board to see who the patient is assigned to and realize I haven't assigned them at all. Not a dream, real life. Thankfully, the aid has been in there twice already and I once. I pull up the MAR and give the 9pm really quickly and do an assessment. Whoa, disaster averted.

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Specializes in Peds.

Those are some interesting dreams blondy2061h! I have had some really weird dreams myself... but usually with nursing dreams it's just IV pumps beeping... I work in mother/baby currently, and recently had a dream I gave birth... without any pain, by myself in bed... not totally nursing related, but maybe has to do with being around babies?? haha

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I have had really weird and frightening woek dreams lately. I hate it. They are rarely pleasent or tolerable and actually very realistic

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So I happen to have the gift of dream interpretation . The first dream is really about you and not your patient or the unit secretary . It represents YOUR fears and not having confidence in yourself. The patient falling and breaking his teeth is about your fears of failure . Teeth are symbolic of success and money . It's not about pride . You listen to wise counsel , but you need to trust your gut more . And you are actually a very great nurse . The second dream is a warning , again trust your gut and if something doesn't seem right , look into it no matter how busy you are or what's going on . Doctors make mistakes . Together the dreams have the same message ..... Let go of fear and trust your gut . You have what it takes .

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Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

I have these awful dreams about having five patients. Well, I need to see the fifth one, but I just can't get in the room. At all. Other patients need me, alarms go off, IVs keep beeping... I never make it into that room in an entire 12 hour shift, despite my best efforts. :nailbiting: Plus, any med coming up pink in the eMAR just about gives me a stroke in real life. And ALL of them are pink.

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I have nursing nightmares (any dream about work is a nightmare).

Even during months long periods of not working, I have had them.

I wish they would stop.

I'll probably have them until the day I die.

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Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

I have work dreams, too, and when I actually wake to go to real life work, I feel as if I have already put in my 8 hours and darn, I really do have to work 8 hours awake, this time!!!

For some reason, I have mixed up dreams with working in a prior place of employment and on my breaks(?)I go to a casino(down the hall) and play slots for my break, then go back to work!! LOL

Dreams, gotta love them!!

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I had a dream I got run into by the portable x ray machine. IV pumps, vents, and cardiac monitors alarming non stop are usually in my dreams. I have had dreams about things like getting report from 2 male nurses in the bathroom. Why in the bathroom I have no idea. No one was using the toilet, we were just in there. So strange.

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this should be an ongoing thread! some of these posts actually made me laugh.

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