A day in the life

dodoy, BSN, RN · Apr 6, 2012

Hi NewlyGradBSN

Reading from your post, you already found a nursing job. I can still remember some years back when, together with you and some members, we were lurking here in this forum to find some info regarding hospitals which are hiring. Congratulations! =)

Anyway, let's get back to the topic. In my opinion, many factors determine how one's life as a nurse goes everyday. This may include the hospital and the number and type of patients they cater , the area where he works, the nurse-patient ratio, the adequacy of nursing staff, the distance of the hosp to the nurse's residence, the list goes on.

For one, my previous job was at a dialysis unit. The schedule was a "decking" type, meaning overlapping, so most of the time we were able to go home after our 8-hour shift (except when there's so much to handle for the next shift, we are obliged to stay longer). There are no night duties for us (only am and pm) because the unit is closed at night so we happen to live an almost normal life (in the context of sleep pattern, LOL!). Opens only at night when there is someone for emergency HD.

The story would be totally different if we'll take it in a different nursing area. At present, I'm undergoing a training at a certain hospital where I'm assigned at a general nursing unit. The staff typically goes home after about an hour past his shift on a "normal, not toxic" day, and more than that if the shift was particularly busy. They do not utilize a functional type of nursing (except that the charge nurse is the one who checks new orders and relays them to the bedside nurses) so the bedside nurses do almost everything. Referrals are usually handled by the charge nurse. Endorsement is usually done 30 minutes prior to the next shift, followed by nursing rounds. Then completion of charting if the shift was too busy to do charting before the shift ends.

That's how my life went before (past job), and how it goes today (present training).

nursejoe15 · Apr 12, 2012

I've been in a hospital for more than 3 and a half years until now.I saw how it evolves from a 50+ bed capacity to now a 160+. When I started more than 3 years ago, we we're only 2-3 NOD per shift (12 hours shift) in a general ward, most of the time only 2 nurses during night shift and we do primary nursing meaning you do everything under the sun for your patients..The unit has only 50 beds but our census then gets to 80+ and even to a hundred during peak seasons that we get to use the hallways. I usually get off from duty 4 hours after shift when i was only starting, i thought it was just normal but afterwards I still get off 2-3hours during toxic times or the least I get is 1 to 1 and a half hour.

When the hospital upgraded to 110 bed capacity, I was transferred and we were the ones to start the new private ward, I was happy at first because census was just less than 20 at start but staff nurses were still few. We were 2 nurses for am shift and 1 nurse for night shift. but after a month the admin decided to utilize other rooms to OB and pedia service patients with no change to staffing pattern. I had to receive endorsement for almost an hour. I had to experience having a code with only the resident doctor doing the CPR, my nursing aide ambubagging the patient and I the circulating nurse, administering meds, ecg, and everything... I had to argue with ER doctors and nurses on receiving admissions..as they insist to bring patients one after another not giving me some time to do admission care and orientation of new patients and do my medications for 40+ patients.. I had no one to talk with when my aide do rounds for vital signs. This time around I had to get off duty after 4-5 hours. There was a time, I asked myself if this is still right, i thought of resigning but my mom told me of how hard to find a job that time.

Those were only the few moments of hardships. After a year, nurses were slowly being hired, when we were 150 bed capacity and it was also that time I was promoted to charge nurse, the nurse patient ratio 1:10, I envied them so much but then again that's life.

Im still happy after all of those, I felt my accomplishments being part of the development of the hospital..now im the OIC unit manager of our ER but now im finally arranging opportunities to work abroad and hopefully leaving this year..I wish the new nurses to have fruitful experiences as well may it be in hard ways or good ones. KUdos to all pinoy nurses.....