My last 2 nights at work were really tough. Today I was extremely tired and decided to take a short nap. I had a horrible dream. Here it is in a nutshell:
I dreamed that I was sitting there charting about 3AM, when I realized that I had forgotten about 6 of my patients. I had not assessed them, given them their meds, or even SEEN them since I came on shift. Panicked, I went and checked on them. I found one Cheynne-Stoking, one with his skin melting off his body, one with his arms and legs missing, and the other who had moved in the whole family and hung curtains. The other 2 were climbing out of bed, and starting to fall.
Then I woke up!!! Augghhhh!!!!
Translations, anyone? I am a little freaked out!!!
I had been working in ER about 7 months when I would sleep walk out of the living room and insist to my (then) boyfriend that there were patients in the (living) room that needed to be moved. (I work nights so this was mid afternoon).
I vaguely remember actually seeing the stretchers lined against the wall as they would have looked in our ER and realizing at the same time that I was looking at our couch not a stretcher. Happened several times. He'd take me back to bed and I'd fall back asleep instantly.
Experienced those scary dreams constantly until changing jobs to one I just love...none since! I think my subconscious was telling me something and I'm so glad I listened !
Specializes in Med-Surg, HH, Tele, Geriatrics, Psych.
Experienced those scary dreams constantly until changing jobs to one I just love...none since! I think my subconscious was telling me something and I'm so glad I listened !
I often have dreams that a patient will code and I will forget every bit of CPR training I have ever received and the patient will die due to my dumbness!! ZOIKS!:icon_roll
I have also dreamed about attempting to page someone and every time I tried to dial the pager number, I misdialed. I just kept attempting to dial and being unable.
I've had the forgotten patients dream lots of times, dang I wish i could leave work at work and out of my dreams!
Another one is when studying for ACLS or something, everyone I run into suddenly needs ACLS done to them. Or I keep punching 911 but hitting the wrong numbers.
Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.
I have that dream a lot, too. Usually it's just one patient, and it's the end of my shift. Once, my husband was trying to wake me up, and I must have been still dreaming because I asked him if he had any patients on drips.
I don't usually dream about work until the day before I go in. I like my job, for the most part, but apparently my subconscious mind doesn't.
I had to smile when I read this thread because I have been having some really weird dreams lately. I've had the dreams like everyone else where all of a sudden it's time for report and you realized that you haven't seen or cared for your patients all night, or the one's where you hear ventilator alarms and cardiac monitors going off in your head the entire time you sleep, but lately my dreams...wow.
The first one I dreamed a giant turd was chasing me. It was huge and I kept wondering how I could wade through it all. It had a mouth like a leech that kept coming after me!
The next one, I dreamed I was getting off work, and in order to leave, I had to walk through the doctor's night sleep room to leave. When I walked in, there was one of our regular ER doc's, laying on the bed, french kissing my dog!
New2ER
83 Posts
I had been working in ER about 7 months when I would sleep walk out of the living room and insist to my (then) boyfriend that there were patients in the (living) room that needed to be moved. (I work nights so this was mid afternoon).
I vaguely remember actually seeing the stretchers lined against the wall as they would have looked in our ER and realizing at the same time that I was looking at our couch not a stretcher. Happened several times. He'd take me back to bed and I'd fall back asleep instantly.
Talk about stress.