Bad Day at Clinical

[citylights89, BSN, RN]

I can't say that my clinical was the worst on Earth, but man, I was feeling pretty lousy.

When I went to the floor yesterday, after reviewing one of my patient's chart, I found out that it was a possibility that my patient may die, and hospice care was pending. I show up this morning, already feeling a little glum, only to find out that both my patient's were gone. I never had that happen to me in a yr of clinical, so it threw me for a loop. All that paperwork for nothing, but I tried to get over and move on. Then I find out that the patient pending hospice actually did die, with no family, and there was another patient in his room. Depressing. I'm trying to find some patient's that doesn't have the possibility of being discharged or dying, so I ask a nurse who basically put me in my place. Out of nowhere she called me out on not saying "Good Morning" to her after I had just previously saw her in the break room. OK, maybe I should have said "Good Morning", and I realize that, but she didn't say it to me either. There wasn't even eye contact; I was heading on my way out the door and her countenance wasn't very positive. Didn't know it would be such a big deal where you have to announce it loud enough for other people at the station to hear while flopping down a chart.

I attempt to find a new nurse to talk to, this time properly saying "Good Morning" (even saying it was a lie because it wasn't) and asking. I didn't know she was super busy from appearance, so she told me "Please, I have a critical patient right now and can't really answer questions." I understand her reasoning, so I decide to pick the patients on my own. I got them, found out who the nurse was, and told her what I was available to do. Of course I missed out on report during all the madness that was going on at the station and trying to find patients. She assertively said "Did you get report on the patients?" to which I answer "No" and she tells me, "Well, how are you going to care for them if you didn't get report?" Makes sense, but it was the way she said it. I did get a short report after that. Then it was work trying to find the PCA, who wasn't the most helpful either. I went ahead and did VS and my assessment. The patients were nice, it was just everyone else. I felt like a burden. Then I went in cried for a minute in the bathroom for whatever reason. Finally my instructor came around, after I lost my opportunity for giving meds, and asked how were things going. She could tell right away that I didn't look well and offered for me to go home (We get 1 day off). I never took an off day, but today I was just not mentally there. Usually, I try to troop it out, but I didn't know how I was going to make it through the day. It's like this dark cloud was following me and i was getting bad vibes from the place. It didn't help that patient's were dying left and right on the floor and the nurse's were basically crumpling their papers saying "This patient's dying. she's going to the morgue." I felt like s**t today, from out of nowhere! Has anyone else ever felt this way?

Sorry for the rant.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

Awww, that sounds like a rough day. I had a patient I cared for discharged to hospice once, and it was very sad and emotional for me, because I really felt like I'd clicked with him too.

For the "good morning nurse"- that was nasty of her. For the nurse with the critical patient...try not to take that personally.

There were definitely days I felt more in the way than anything else. And there were clinical sites that were more welcoming than others. Hopefully this was just an off day for everyone.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

She assertively said "Did you get report on the patients?" to which I answer "No" and she tells me, "Well, how are you going to care for them if you didn't get report?" Makes sense, but it was the way she said it. I did get a short report after that.

If you said this to me as a student, I would respond the exact same way. However, if you had said my pts just died, left whatever, it would make me feel a lot better. I just graduated and I know whats it is like to go in and have your pts gone. I would cut you a lot more slack that way.

Thats just what Im saying to try for next time. See if it works.

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

I think all days on a medical-surgical floor are bad days. It's such unpleasing work. I don't see how people do it. I wouldn't be happy if that's what I had to look forward to when I get out of school.

[Kaybee24]

Advice my profs gave before we started our clinical, don't take anything negative from patients or nurses personally. Working any job it's hard NOT to take things personal, sometimes people say things to you that just wanna make you say ***** But to get your work done and get the information you need, you have to just say eff it and power through. Be aware of how you feel going into the hospital, like if you're already feeling like it's gonna be a bad day try to put on your nurse face and do the work. Because whether or not everyone is receptive or every condition is optimal to you getting your work done easily, the work has to be done.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I think all days on a medical-surgical floor are bad days. It's such unpleasing work. I don't see how people do it. I wouldn't be happy if that's what I had to look forward to when I get out of school.

I normally agree with you on most things, but you have to start somewhere. Im on medical now after graduating and it isnt that bad. Its a good place to transition. Now I dont see myself there in a few years, but its a great place to learn a lot.

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

I understanding needing a place to start at. I've started at the bottom of a field before just to break into it although I'm not equating med-surg to be the bottom of nursing, lol. I just can't imagine being at all happy or content doing it.

[citylights89, BSN, RN]

I don't think I can do Med-Surg either. However, this was an Oncology floor. The hospice wing was a few feet away. I feel more at ease in Orthopedics or maybe Community Health. At first, i was like "Hmmm, oncology should be interesting." Now, nuh uh. I never felt so bad a feeling. I've had days with nurses who were aloof, I was sleepy, my back hurt, and my instructor made me feel like an idiot. This was the worst. My teacher was so nice and comforted me when I started to cry in front of her. I was a mess. If anyone believes in energy fields and spirits, some bad ones were affecting me there.

[solneeshka, BSN, RN]

It was a bad clinical day - shake it off!!! Bad days happen, good people can be crappy to you, you're allowed to have a bad day sometimes. Working the floor is generally pretty miserable. There are some exceptions, but they are exceptions. You don't have any choice but to do it in nursing school because that's where the general medical experience is. Just keep your eyes on the prize. After you graduate, you can do something different, probably. With this economy, you never know. I would have rather eaten my own leg than work med-surg at graduation, but I didn't have any choice. Did it for a miserable year and learned tons about medicine and nursing care. Wouldn't trade that year for a thing, now that it's done, but it was no fun. I'm in the OR now and love love love my job, and love that I know how to handle a code if it ever happens because I did probably a half dozen of them in my year on the floor - none of the other nurses in my OR can say that, even though most of them have been nurses for decades. Just get back on the horse, you'll be fine!

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Eh. I'd just assume not be a nurse and keep on doing what I'm doing than resort to med-surg. Just my perspective though... It wouldn't be the first time I've wasted life on further education.

Let's see there was my B.S. in general science that I got because there wasn't a major on campus I wanted, paramedic school, the master's in education administration that I didn't finish because I got tired of being a teacher, another bachelor's in accounting that I'm a semester away from finishing (didn't say I was good at it), admission into a master's in community counseling program from which I never registered for a single course, application to law school that I left fizzle, and now nursing school. Yeah, I can see where this is headed, lol. Thankfully school is cheap here and I was often able to secure scholarships through good letter writing!

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I don't think I can do Med-Surg either. However, this was an Oncology floor. The hospice wing was a few feet away. I feel more at ease in Orthopedics or maybe Community Health. At first, i was like "Hmmm, oncology should be interesting." Now, nuh uh. I never felt so bad a feeling. I've had days with nurses who were aloof, I was sleepy, my back hurt, and my instructor made me feel like an idiot. This was the worst. My teacher was so nice and comforted me when I started to cry in front of her. I was a mess. If anyone believes in energy fields and spirits, some bad ones were affecting me there.

Ortho was the worst for me, I think I would rather be in just about any other area of the hospital lol