pray, read the bible, but overwhelmed

Nurses Spirituality

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I spend time with God each day, particularly before going to work. I'm 7 weeks into my job at an LTC/SNF. I pray for His guidance throughout work and that through His strength I care for my residents the best I can. Some days go "relatively" smoothly, and I thank God for His strength that got me through the day and allowed me to be a blessing to others. Other days like last night, almost NO ONE got their meds because from the get go there were multiple things going on that needed my attention, but I couldn't be everywhere at once, let alone pass out meds. I ended up only being able to pass narcs and antibiotics. I had no back up to help me. We are VERY short staffed with CNAs. What I'm not understanding is why after all ny prayers and all my thanks giving and all my faith, why is it that my residents didn't get all the care they needed from me? Is it perhaps God new that (while illegal) BG over 600 and multiple phone calls to MD and documentation took precedence over many meds that He felt could be skipped tlast night? That the many falls I prevented took precedent over many meds I didnt get to? I tried my absolute hardest, prayed during work, but so many meds were not given. Even BP meds. I have prayed that God will let me know if he wants me in this work place, and I feel I keep getting the answer YES.

Any thoughts?

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God's not going to pass your meds. That is your main function at the facility.

Call the doc with the blood sugar, act on the orders and push your pills. Did you notify supervision of the event and ask for assistance? You need to do that to protect yourself.

Do you have standing orders to send out to ER?

Most assistants will let you do their job for them. You must be firm and delegate patient care .

Again, notify supervision and document these delegation attempts.

Pass your meds, let them do the patient care.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Sounds to me like you need to spend less time with God and more time developing a plan of action to pass meds. The time you spent praying could have been spent collaborating with what staff you had to make sure med pass went smoothly. If you're relying that much on God to make things happen.....and they aren't happening....maybe it's time to rely on something else.

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All I can is "WOW." 1: I specifically wrote in this section because it is the spirituality section. 2: I dont set aside time during work to pray. I silently say to God AS I AM WORKING "Father help guide me through this." Last night was especially difficult because we were down 3 aides. I had no one to delegate to when I needed help. I of coursed utilized every resource that was available to me. Unfortunately, there was barely any.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Don't stomp on people's religion and beliefs. I am quite sure her praying didn't slow her down instead it gave her resolve.

As far as her assuming God was going to fix her problems? You don't understand true faith; people of faith don't assume the hand of god is going to reach down and hand meds or fix problems, rather those things are fixed through God acting through the individual.

As far as I see it, there is no harm to praying.

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And OF COURSE I'm trying to build a plan of action to get it all done. I'm brand new to this, and time management skills take TIME. Trial and error. I float to all units (200 residents) so it's taking even longer than usual to get a routine down on some units I don't work on much. I WILL rely on God for guidance WHILE accepting responsibility as an RN utilizing my nursing judgement. I did not try to make it sound as if I say "Ok God, do it all for me."

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God's not going to pass your meds. That is your main function at the facility.

Call the doc with the blood sugar, act on the orders and push your pills. Did you notify supervision of the event and ask for assistance? You need to do that to protect yourself.

Do you have standing orders to send out to ER?

Most assistants will let you do their job for them. You must be firm and delegate patient care .

Again, notify supervision and document these delegation attempts.

Pass your meds, let them do the patient care.

I spoke with the MD 4 times. He and I both wanted to send the resident out, but the famy refused.

I am very good at delegating when there is someone to actually delegate to. It was the roughest night in my 2 years of nursing. I was seeking encouragement that maybe God was testing me with this incredibly challenging day, but am trying to understand why when I was struggling, I didn't feel God help me in my thought process.

Well this has taught me a lesson to not post under this section again.

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Don't stomp on people's religion and beliefs. I am quite sure her praying didn't slow her down instead it gave her resolve.

As far as her assuming God was going to fix her problems? You don't understand true faith; people of faith don't assume the hand of god is going to reach down and hand meds or fix problems, rather those things are fixed through God acting through the individual.

As far as I see it, there is no harm to praying.

Thank you very much Boston.

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I spoke with the MD 4 times. He and I both wanted to send the resident out, but the famy refused.

I am very good at delegating when there is someone to actually delegate to. It was the roughest night in my 2 years of nursing. I was seeking encouragement that maybe God was testing me with this incredibly challenging day, but am trying to understand why when I was struggling, I didn't feel God help me in my thought process.

Well this has taught me a lesson to not post under this section again.

I also pray. I would not begin to mock anyone's faith.

We are tested many times as nurses. We can ask for guidance, but I feel we better be hauling butt at the same time.

I was trying to give you some ideas . i don't understand what the family has to do with the decision to send her to a hospital?? If the doctor orders it why can't she go out?

Unless the family wants to come in and treat her....

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I also pray. I would not begin to mock anyone's faith.

We are tested many times as nurses. We can ask for guidance, but I feel we better be hauling butt at the same time.

I was trying to give you some ideas . i don't understand what the family has to do with the decision to send her to a hospital?? If the doctor orders it why can't she go out?

Unless the family wants to come in and treat her....

My surprise and defensiveness was more derived and aimed at/from the other poster.

It was because she was palliative and a DNR. I didn't quite understand it myself. DNR doesn't mean do not treat. Apparently the resident had stated to her family in the past that she did not ever want to go back to the hospital, so the family was honoring her wishes. The back and forth between the family, MD and admistering more and more insulin plus checking BG levels, entering each one time insulin order, and finally straight cathing her for a U/A and ordering CBC and CMP (oh and entering those orders in the system, took the 2 hours out of my med pass time from 4-6 pm. So in that time I only had time to admister narcs and ABTs. I was able to give HS meds and mix some of the missed ones from the 5 pm pass.

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Oh and believe me, lol, I was hauling butt. I was sooo thirsty but didnt have time to drink more than 2 cups of water.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

OP...I think whatever it takes for a nurse to help his/her day is perfectly acceptable. Some of us pray and ask for strength.

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