Anyone else hate "winter nursing"

Nurse Ratched, RN · Jan 2, 2005

Psych gets the influx of the homeless with addictions when the shelter fills up in the cold weather. Increase in nursing home dumps because the ECF doesn't want their screaming little old ladies in the corner when all the families are visiting during the holidays or because they are short on staffing. Families bringing in their elderly with convenient changes in mental status as they head off to Florida for a break. Still more come as families are home visiting for the holidays from out of state and suddenly realize Grandpa isn't mentally right, no matter how fine they've convinced themselves he sounds on the phone.

On the outpatient side of things, if it wasn't for URI's, I'd be out of a job, so I guess I'll take it lol. Flu season usually peaks in January, so we'll see how things look in a week or so.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 2, 2005

I hated last winter, working as a CNA in a hopsital. Being the only float aide on a floor of a 35 pts. was busy enough, but when flu season hit, we turned into a nursing home with confused people.

SharonH, RN · Jan 2, 2005

Hi folks,
Just wondering if anyone hates "winter nursing" as much as I do?...LOL... The other night I went in and we had some pneumonia's, a few gastroenteritis's, a couple influena's, and two little old ladies that had fallen on the ice and broken their hips. Errrrrr....I just hate winter nursing and everything that goes with it. I literally feel like a portal of germs by the time I get home. We are always so damn busy in the winter...like I'm sure a lot of you are too. I always find "winter nursing" to be high stressed and our staff always seems way over worked this time of year...not to mention always working short because of all the employee call ins. Oh yeah....and why do little old people insist on getting that darn mail right after a fresh ice storm...hmmmmmm?????? LOL..... Ok..enough venting...I don't want to be a whiner....but I just feel like my love for nursing always seems to take a dive this time of the year. I'm already hoping and praying for SPRING...anyone else?
Yours sincerely (buried in snow, ice and germs, in lovely WI),

Snoop

I totally feel ya! I used to call this respiratory season for the COPDers and the pneumonias. This is also the time of the year that callouts were in full swing as if it weren't busy enough.

Oh and I forgot when I used to work peds we were up to our necks in RSV. *shiver* I'm glad those days are over.

webblarsk · Jan 2, 2005

I hate all the poor sick babies and toddlers!

SarasotaRN2b · Jan 2, 2005

Well there is always the option of doing seasonal nursing in Florida from ~Oct/Nov through to Easter...The hospital here pays $40/hour for seasonal nursing. I know they are always looking...if anyone want more info, feel free to send me an email.

Kris

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jan 2, 2005

Oh totally with you here! My facility has so many stomach bugs and cold symptoms that everyone...including staff...are as grumpy as all heck! LOL!

Falls have increased tremendously, but our residents are not going outside to fall (whew), but rather taking on more than they should and not asking for help. Like putting up and taking down Holiday items in their apts, showing off for guests by not using their walkers when they must, or going out with family and getting so tired that a simple walk to the bathroom is too much! We are starting to average 3-4 falls a day...and us RN's are going nutty!!!!!!

Respiratory too big time, over the last month, we have had 6 residents die r/t complications of COPD or CHF. The go to the hospital and all come back on hospice, and hospice is so overwhelmed right now you can't get a hold of them (poor guys!!!). We normally get that many over a year or so...not boom, boom, boom! It is rather freaky!

Oh and who gets the old heater in their place going nutty this time of year??? Gotta love that! My residents rooms are all like 80's, and the hallway air conditioner won't stay off! LOL! Its brrrrrrr then hotflash...LOL!

According to my hubby (paramedic) it isn't the illnesses as of late that is the probelm here which is shocking...it is the car accidents! So many car accidents and we haven't had any snow or ice yet..none! Oh goodie, they expect that this week...that will be fun! I live in a region we may get one snow that lasts a day or so, then in ices over...people just don't know how to drive in it...it will be very messy for paramedics and hospital staff!!!

Well, with the holidays over...I expect an increase in winter blues, colds and flu to increase tremendously, UTI's like crazy and the subsequent falls from it, and lots of family panicing over their grandma having the sniffles (which by the time they call me it is all my fault!?!?!?!?).

Oh yeah.....I love winter!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Chaya, ASN, RN · Jan 2, 2005

For us, summer mirrors the winter. We get the pnuemonia and falls plus lots of staff call-outs in the winter. But in the summer we get lots of CHF and COPD exac from the heat, plus staff taking vacation time.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jan 2, 2005

Well there is always the option of doing seasonal nursing in Florida from ~Oct/Nov through to Easter...The hospital here pays $40/hour for seasonal nursing. I know they are always looking...if anyone want more info, feel free to send me an email.

:rotfl: Now be fair and tell the truth.

This is our busy time, and pneumonia and respiratory stuff hits here especially hard on all the old folks. I can't tell you how many times I got coughed on the other night. I just wanted to wear a mask for everyone and be done with it. I think the worst are the pneumonia with C. Diff patients. *Cough* bed change, *cough* bed change... all night long. :uhoh21:

They're old, so they c/o CP and we get them. Sometimes they have a really bad cold or COPD exacerbation plus an MI. All you hear all around is the hissing of Neb treatments all night long and hacking coughs.

That's wintertime for us here in Florida, anyhow.

stbernardclub · Jan 2, 2005

I guess no matter what the season or weather, we are still up to our hairlines in work...ha

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jan 2, 2005

Where I work, we experience a phenomenon every year that I call "Half Off on All Admissions For Addicts".......seems like every doper and alcoholic in the county comes in for detox right after the holidays, and it doesn't let up until March! :uhoh3: I hate working with patients in active DTs.....they put the staff through hell as they go through withdrawal, then they get better, and as soon as they're released they go right back out there and get themselves into the same kind of trouble. Some of the time they'll get so bad that they have to be detoxed under sedation in the ICU, for which I bless the inventor of Propofol :chuckle

The other major promoter of job security during the winter is, of course, the flu. It's just hell on the elderly, who come in from the nursing homes and the assisted-living centers in poor health anyway, and then succumb to the pneumonia that often accompanies the illness. Some weeks we'll lose one or two every shift, and that really gets to us.........dang, I'm getting depressed just thinking about it. Anybody ready for SPRING??

Nurse Ratched, RN · Jan 2, 2005

Where I work, we experience a phenomenon every year that I call "Half Off on All Admissions For Addicts".......seems like every doper and alcoholic in the county comes in for detox right after the holidays, and it doesn't let up until March!

Stupid new year resolutions :chuckle .