A Rough Nursing Shift...

Nurses General Nursing Toon

Updated:   Published

Look at the bright side... only 7 hours to go.

I'm sure you can relate. We've all had rough shift.

How bad is burnout in your area?

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Specializes in Medical Oncology.

Was taking report the other night. Every patient on the team had just been admitted within the last couple of hours so there were still loose ends that needed tying up. Then, just when assessments and 9 PM meds were finished, and I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, I was told I'd be getting another admit... a falls risk, 2-person assist patient who was being treated with lasix every few hours. Ugh...what a night! Except for meds, I wasn't able to get to any other charting until after shift change in the AM. And even though I work on a unit where everyone is very team-spirited, every other RN had a rough team, also, so no one was available to help anyone else. I didn't even take a sip of coffee all night. There was just so much action, there was no need for caffeine!

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Too funny and too real.

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Specializes in LPN.

I total understand this comic

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Home Health, LTC.
Liddle Noodnik said:
What I remember most - coming in to relieve the previous shift and they proceed to tell you what hell they have gone through - and then they expect you to STAY~ hahaha

Now that is funny!!

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That was me last Tuesday.

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I can totally relate to this!!! Lol

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Last night this was me, l hr. in my shift. Couldn't believe the things I found left for me. But after 8 hrs I got to

go home, Hallelujah!!

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When you come in, have a code in the first 30 minutes and spend the night trying to keep that patient (who was brought in essentially dead) alive, and then have a code on a DIFFERENT patient at the end of the shift!

As my brother the doctor always says, "Jesus is gonna come at shift change, and with our luck we'll be tied up in a code somewhere."

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I'm a hospice nurse. Had a patient become imminent very quickly on Friday. When I left him at 1330, he was very comfortable with a PCA in place. When I returned at 1530, he was groaning with every expiration. Unresponsive. Tried treating it as pain first, but was unsuccessful. PC to MD who said I must be overdosing the patient because I had increased the rate to the top of our parameters. (Very understanding hospice medical director). Turns out it was terminal agitation, needing to be treated with Benadryl supp and Thorazine (meds we don't always use at end of life). Had to wait 1.5 hours for Pharmacy to deliver these meds. Very frustrating as it was a small house and the family was very distressed hearing their dad making these noises. I could tell he was not in pain, but the family just wanted relief from the groaning. Finally, we got him comfortable about 4 hours later and he passed an hour after that. He was still married and his 35 year old daughter had been caring for him, so I know he was busy processing what he was leaving behind. I went home 2.5 hours after my shift ended but didn't want to leave him before he was comfortable. Hospice is always very rewarding, but can be so frustrating when you have to wait for meds to arrive to get someone comfortable.

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Specializes in Family Practice, Med-Surg.

I hardly remember the staff ratio that day, I'm remembering only myself, perhaps an other person. We had maybe 16-18 patients and two staff on a post neurosurgery floor. They look easy in the Kardex (remember those?). But are are unsteady on their feet, can't remember, terrible proprioception, etc. I tried to take care of my patients. I put an obese lady on the bedpan and when she rolled on her back, my arms up to my armpits were stuck, I mean STUCK under her. She was too sick to help me or even understand I was in trouble. I had to yell for help, finally the p.m. Nurse who came early, a God bless her, helped me.

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Ahhh, that's me every single night. Sad that almost every problem that makes nursing overwhelming could be solved with just a little extra staff.

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Specializes in LTC, Assisted Living, Surgical Clinic.

It was one of these shifts from hell yesterday, what a relief to walk out of there knowing I was off today!

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