can't do enough (kinda long)

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I just had the shift from hell! Worked 7p to 7:30a on Sunday to Monday. 14 pts on the floor, 2RNs 1 aide so we take 2 pts as total cares. Not to bad, right? pts with total hips replacements, both are 92 and confused as all heck. Can't get orders for restraints but the doctor will order haldol prn of course so its up to my dicrection and Lord knows, I better not overmedicate! Both are pulling at their IVs and foleys and when I call for mitts I'm told not to restrain at all just give more Haldol. My admit is a man who speaks only Spanish and the interpeter wnats to assess over the phone so she doesn't have to come in. My trach pt is spikiing a temp and needs suctioning every 1-2 hrs. Thank God for my total knee pt that only woke up once thru the night for pain meds! The pt next to her is a woman who found out her remission from CA is over and wants to talk. Last but not least is the pt who had "stomach pain" who is a frequent visitor to our floor. OK, I'm working my butt off but around 4am I think I just might gret out with only 1 hr of OT when "stomach pain" lady does her famous trick of "falling" I unfortunately was with one of the hip pt convincing her to leave her foley alone when I got called into her room. Shes on the floor and states she can't get up. Weighs around 300lbs so I call security for help. Guy comes up and states he won't help "with all these people sitting around on their a** eS. aides hear this and cop an attitude. All I want is t get her back to bed! While helping lift, somehow the patient turns, I twist my back and the pt pins me under her on the bed. While this is going on, my confused hip pt got out of bed, and attempted to go sit on a chair in her room. She was found crawling on the floor. Filled out incident reports for 2 hours after my shift ended. I hope this is as bad as it gets! Sorry so long but I just had to vent. Thanks for listening

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

You need a ((((((((((BIG HUG)))))))))))! :kiss

Start looking for another job that doesn't cause you to jeopardize your nursing license, place you in a position of being sued so easily, and offers you more nursing support than what you currently put up with. The only one who can help you is YOU! Happy job hunting! YOU are NEEDED and will be appreciated better than you are now ELSEWHERE!

Tell me WHY you are tolerating that mess? :confused: Exercise your freewill and choose NOT to put up with a job like that!

Also....HEED that quote at the bottom of all your posts, and free yourself! :)

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Specializes in geriatrics.

thanks for the hug! I actually have a transfer in the works. Should hear if it goes thru tomorrow and if it don't, I will look else where. Remember those signon bonuses that were offered? Still working mine off and if there is ANY advice I'd offer to new grads, it would be careful, they offer those bonuses for a reason! Also told my manager this morning that I had my liscense for 9 months and I WILL NOT lose it because of such poor staffing. There is an incident report on this also. He told me I was worried over nothing and I told him I hope I can take his reassurances to court with me. The RN who worked with me last night told me I was too sensitive and everyone has nights like this. I for one hope to never have one like that again and it worris me that she was so flip about it.

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

Darn Mom 128....GOOD FOR YOU DAH-LIN! Work the system to your benefit and safety of your nursing license. Listen to your own voice, and pray for that other nurse who thinks working under conditions like that is okay to put up with, even for one shift. Glad to hear you are one nurse who is using her noggin. I hope that transfer comes through for you. :kiss

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.

It's stuff like this, that makes me not want to work in hospitals anymore period! And not going the NH route either! I used to love working on the floors, but that love has turned to self preservation! {{{{{{{{{{{{DARN MOM 128}}}}}}}}}}}} What you described was just awful!:o

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Specializes in geriatrics.

thanks, you know who I feel bad for? The 92 y/o crawling on the floor. I can't get her out of my mind. I just feel like I let her down. I really love my patients and this was one time I feel they didn't get what they deserved. I know I can't beat myself up about it but it really scares me how wrong things went and I had no control over it. I just want to be able to take good care of my pts and I feel that they didn't receive that last night. How do you get over that?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

wow Darnmom, you sound like a caring, conscientious soul. too bad for the unit that loses you,

good luck, hon!

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.

You DON"T!! There are times when I'm not even thinking about stuff, and it just pops in my head! Or something will happen to remind me of stuff like that! But for me there used to be less times when nites were bad, and I did think like that other nurse, that sometimes you have bad nites. But what you described is not something I would ever what to go thru twice! When ever they do come back, I just start praying...seriously!! Because if I think about it too long it would depress me!

I try to turn my mind off, and think of something else, work out, or just turned on something mindless on TV, which I rarely ever watch.

And you're right, you can't beat yourself up about this, because you hung in there, and did the best job you could. You're not super human, and none of us are. You didn't fail this patient, your admin failed you, and her, by not giving you the ability to be there for her. So YES, don't beat yourself up...beat up management, by documenting incidents like this, and letting them know you won't put up with it! Good luck in your transfer, and when your time is up...good luck in finding a better place for you:).

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Definately you need a hug! Days like that you just can't beat yourself up. I hate that feeling of knowing you've worked your butt off, but still not delivering good care.

Thank goodness here, an RN can initiate restraints for 24 hours. I never bother calling a doc to ask. Some soft wrirst restraints would have saved you so much aggravation and time, would have made it safer for that patient, and allowed you some time to care for the others.

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Specializes in Neuro Critical Care.

Darn Mom ~ Many many hugs to you...no one should have to endure shifts like that. I am reminded of a shift I had last week that involved multiple incident reports and me leaving in tears frustrated beyond belief. The only good thing I can think of that comes from these terrible nights is that it makes it easier to recognize the good nights. Good luck to you with your transfer, hope it comes through for you!

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Specializes in geriatrics.

this is why I love this bb, you guys are sooo wonderful. I couldn't ask for better support than what I received here. Thanks and much gratitude!

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Welcome to the Wonderful Glamorous World of Nursing.........never worked the hospital scene, but Nursing Homes are just as crazy, when it rains it pours, rained so hard on me one nite, my lady that was up crawling around on the floor, happened to die, on the floor(she was expected to die soon) while I was busy, with my Trache resident that Dr had ordered Piggy back oxygen for because she was in distress and family didn't want her to go to hospital, she 2 needed suctioning, also, had another patient sugar bottoming out, I too feel very bad for my lady crawling on the floor, but when you have 4 units and only 2 other CMT's helping and low on CNA's, you have to tell yourself that you did the best that you could do

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