Major Vent...

[Ortho_RN]

UGH.. Work last night was horrible.... I work on a Ortho floor as a PCA... Well our hospital census has been so low, that we have had 14 maybe 15 pts at the most for a long time... With 2 PCAs and 2 RNs.. That always works well, plenty of time to get everything done... Well last night we went to hell and back... We had 27!!! With 3 RNs, 1 LPN(she only passed meds) and 2 PCAs... Well that sounds like it would work out just fine.. Well it didn't.. I had 14 of my own, with 4 being fresh post-ops Needless to say I never got caught up... I was constantly running back and forth between the post-ops, then trying to take care of everyone else.... Had one guy who thaught it was fun to vomit 30mins after we changed his bed... He did that 3 times.. And he has a broken hip and was in Bucks traction, so his bed was ALOT of fun to change... Well PCAs on our floor also do I&Os and chart them along, with a flow sheet and charting vital signs. We got a fresh broken hip at 11pm.. Shift is over at 12... Nurse tells me that she will need a Pre-op bath, and I said I'm behind, but if I get caught up, I will get it.. Otherwise I will tell the night shift PCA.. And that is what we are suppose to do.. If we can get it done, then we do it, otherwise the night shift can do it.... Well new shift comes on at 11:30, I still haven't charted ANYTHING.. Everyone decided they needed a bed pan.. :) So I tell the new PCA coming on that room 97 is gonna need a pre-op bath, and she says ok... Well I'm charting at 12 and the RN comes up to me and says "Don't worry about that bath, I did it" I was like Ok... Not much I can do.. We get into big time trouble if we go OT... So I was trying not to... Well at 12:15, I'm finally done and ready to go.. And I hear the RN say to someone else.. "I shouldn't have to do these baths"

WTF.. It was ONE bath, and she was finished with everything... GEESH.. Sorry this is so long, but I was very aggravated by that comment, ONLY b/c she makes it sound like I wasn't wanting to do it, rather than I have ran my butt off all night with 14pts, when she only had 6

[Merry1]

Find the balance young weed hopper:). This is the worst night in a long time?? Well, I will hope for you not to have another bad night for another long time:). You have two good hands, two good feet, a strong back and a very giving nature, passing on pts is why there is another shift coming on. You did your best and can only do so much with the time alotted.

[redshiloh]

The good thing is you will remember this as an RN....you will treat your PCA's much better b/c you understand BOTH sides of the coin. I've been an aide, lvn and rn...i think it makes me a better work colleague BECAUSE i know what life is like on the other side.

[atownsendrn]

Sounds like you did a great job and handled everything very professionally. Perhaps you should speak to the nurse regarding the comment she made behind your back. It might open her eyes and help her realize how much you truly do for your patients. And perhaps she needs to be reminded that it takes teamwork to survive in this job;)

[charissa]

I remember not so very long ago being in that PCA like role myself before becoming an RN. Nights suck sometimes and thats all there is to it, and i think you will be a better RN for it, here is why. If we have a bad night I help out more than many other nurses I work with. It seems like all of us that do were in that role once ourselves. I have also realized something else. Even as a graduating nursing student I did not realize everything that the nurses I was fuming with sometimes were doing. SOmetimes I can tell people are getting frustrated, and then comments are made that simply make situations worse. There are LAZY nurses out there. However if it looks at first glance like an RN is just sitting at the desk look closer. Most of the time when people have thought i was just sitting at the desk i was doing 2 or 3 things at once, but since i was also talking to someone my PCA assumed I was just reading a mag or something. The amount of stress and responsibility that an RN has, you are soon to find out, can be crippling. Plus, at least where I work, missed lunches are routine par for the course, and not for PCA's, for the R's.

As a whole you will be a better nurse for having seen both sides and be better prepared to handle whichever situation comes up, because you CAN say , "I have been there"