Any experienced nurses still have bad shifts?

[PAERRN20]

I am in no way a new nurse but I had an awful shift the other day and need to vent. Not a thing went right and I felt like I was a new graduate all over again. I feel bad that my coworkers had to pick up some of my slack, but all of my patients were sick sick sick. Please tell me I am not alone and nurses with decades of experience have off days too!

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

heh, Ruby and CNL2be, you sound a little like kids: 'Mom, she's teasing me!'. I think Ruby was just making a valid observation about nurses' tendency to not take the best care of themselves in favor of their job, but it did sound a little aggressive at first glance.

Flipper, she didn't say she was incapable of doing her job--just that it sucked that night.

[Flipper911]

hyper - i was just venting in general not directed at any one person.

[CNL2B]

I think Ruby was just making a valid observation about nurses' tendency to not take the best care of themselves in favor of their job, but it did sound a little aggressive at first glance.

Flipper, she didn't say she was incapable of doing her job--just that it sucked that night.

I thought it was hypercritical and not related to the original post. Valid or not, to tag my post with statements like she did imply that I exhibit similar behaviors and/or did something wrong.

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

Flipper, my apologies. I always hate it when people get 'yelled' at for just random rants, and I just did that to you.

[Flipper911]

hyper - :beer: No worries here...sometimes what we write comes across not exactly as we mean.... btw I had to use the barfing icon..it makes me laugh!

[Redhead28]

Of course all nurses have bad shifts. Like someone earlier said the bad ones get easier to handle because of experience and the knowledge that it will end. On those bad days I mumble to myself "anybody can do 12 hours, it is only 12 hours." Take your lunch break and re-group and go back out to the mess, it will end.

[steelydanfan]

I am in no way a new nurse but I had an awful shift the other day and need to vent. Not a thing went right and I felt like I was a new graduate all over again. I feel bad that my coworkers had to pick up some of my slack, but all of my patients were sick sick sick. Please tell me I am not alone and nurses with decades of experience have off days too!

Oh, please: I have been doing this for 30 years in EVERY speciality except PEDS/OB and there are STILL days I go home thinking "***"! Coulda, shoulda, didn't. Stuff happens, you cannot and WILL not be perfect every day. What peeves me off are having days when I am cruising and ask others if I can help; then having days when I am totally swamped and seeing other nurses in the report room texting, emailing, and totally oblivious/uncaring to what else is happening on the floor.