have you ever lost it at work?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Went to work even though I was feeling sick I thought I'd be OK. Had the family from hell. Nothing worked and I couldn't seem to get anything done. Couldn't get an IV in, orders got lost...you name it. I made it halfway through a 12 hr shift then starting crying when someone asked me how I was doing. Ended up going home sick. Every morning at work I feel like I just can't take one more day and I have to quit. Almost every night after work I can barely walk and I'm brain dead but I usually feel like I did OK. I'm almost off orientation. My preceptor keeps telling me I'm doing great. I tell her I can't do this and she says "You ARE doing it...you have been doing it - you just need more confidence!" They tell me they felt like this too at first. I don't think it's normal to feel so scared and sick inside all the time. I tried to finish today's shift but was just too sick. Once I started crying I just couldn't pull myself together. I could no longer function. I should have never gone to work sick. Now I'm worried that I was doing so well on orientation but now they'll think I can't do it. Does anyone else ever feel like this?

couple of sick days is what you need... regroup

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Yeah, me too.

I got a job as a nurse, not Ms. Perfect.

Be a duck--let it roll off and keep paddling.

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Specializes in ICU.

Boy did I lose it one day. I was just off of orientation at my first job and was having a horrible day. Two of the nurses that I often went to with questions were tied up on the other end of the unit. I went to ask a nurse who was in the next room for help several times but she pretty much left me on my own. I went in there again and just started crying hysterically! I think everyone has these moments, especially in the first year or so as a nurse or after moving to a new area. Hang in there though and don't give up. I left that unit not long after that day and am still regretting it!

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Specializes in jack of all trades, master of none.

Oh yeah, been there, done that... a few times... Most recently a few months ago. Basically, same scenario, hadn't been feeling well for several days, just kinda blah, really (pre-menstrual). Couldn't find the surgeon's preference card to save my life & rarely work with him. Was trying to remember the meds he used & just couldn't. The nurse that normally worked with him was gone for the day. Ugghhh. He's barking at me for his meds... I was like, Name what you need b/c I don't know what you want. I kept getting "the stuff I always use. Go ask so & so." Well, so & so isn't here & your card isn't where it's supposed to be. "just get me the damn meds." I went to the Pyxis & just cried for a few... then it came to me & the stupid Pyxis was not stocked yet!!! I'm going back to the room without the med to call pharmacy to get it to me ASAP, they need someone to come down & pick it up, I'm getting screamed at.... you get the idea. My favorite surgeon then saw me in the hall & was "hey, what's up?" & that totally did me in. I could feel my face crumble & I startd crying again. He looked so stunned b/c normally I'm the happy camper of the bunch. I just waved my hand at him as I was running to get a transporter to run to pharmacy & get my meds. Had to go throw cold water on my face...

But, later in the day, my favorite surgeon gave me a half hug & said we all have bad days. Hang in there. It was so sweet & really cheered me up.

Anyway, sorry to ramble on, but it gets better with time & we're all subject to a bad day once in a while.

As an aside.....

To quote TeleRNer "Being at work sick, especially in a health care setting, makes the work that much more stressful; besides, your patients are wondering, "if this person is coughing, wheezing, and slurping juices back up into nasal passages, this person is using poor judgement to show up for work, is s/he going to be able to judge rightly when it comes to my own health?"

I think part of that problem is we are penalized so harshly for being sick & have such limited sick time. It really does seem like we should all get triple what non-healthcare workers get b/c we're constantly exposed to every last germ.

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

Does being ordered by the Charge Nurse to go outside and smoke count? It was after my first code, and while I didn't cry or scream or faint, I was literally shaking. My poor old bod ain't used to that much adrenaline.

On the whole, though, orientation is the worst. The first six months are not a picnic, either. After that, it gets better. It did for me, and I'm seeing it in others who were hired last summer. Still hard work, still scary at times, still stressful--but there will be shifts when it takes everything you have to keep all the necessary balls in the air at once, and you're doing it, and it's a rush. There will be others where you're on top of things from the get go, nothing goes wrong, and it's almost easy. (Thank God for those.)

If we were realistic about it, I think we would have to consider orientation to nursing a medical emergency. If anyone else presented with the same symptoms, they would be admitted immediately.

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Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

every 4 months, pms, unbeknownst to me, i am sappy and teary

then all normal again [as normal as can be]

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Specializes in ICU, L&D, Home Health.

Both I and the 1st year medical resident in his first few days of rotation lost it during my ICU orientation. Both "new grads". I have to say, the poor guy probably had it worse- he hadn't slept in over 24 hours...Fortunately for both of us my preceptor with 20 years experience was able to get us to suck it up and think. We had an unstable patient with schizophrenia with a hx of excessive mentrual bleeding and frequent ER admits to be transfused. This time her paranoia got to her and she refused to come in until it was too late. Hgb of 2.9. Massive MI. Such a crappy EF we suctioned over 500mL pink frothy crap out of her lungs and couldn't keep her sats up. No brain stem reflexes, BP swinging wildly from 50s/20s to 220s/120s with no rhyme or reason. And her little elderly mother (pt was in her 40s) sitting quietly in her nightgown and slippers in the corner of the room with tears rolling down her face. We ended up withdrawing treatment. I was totally sobbing in the bathroom for that one. We all have crap days like that...

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Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

ophelia, that sounds like one mother of a shift

pardon the unintended pun

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.

Yep.

Oh, it said my message was too short.

Yeppers.

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Specializes in L&D,Wound Care, SNC.

Yup! There have been a time or two where I just had to go to the clean utility room and cry.

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.
Yup! There have been a time or two where I just had to go to the clean utility room and cry.

I find I get more privacy in the dirty utility room.

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That is why I am here now, I am suppose to be working but they gave me a "mental health day" . Yesterday was horrible and it all started with me not feeling good to begin with but I didn't wake up in time to call off. When I got to work I was given the worst assignment becasue it was my first day back and ended with my patient pulling his trach out and the surgeon yelling so loudly at me from the surgery suite that me co worker outside of the surgery department heard him. Our census went down and they asked me if I wanted today off,,you bet I took it.

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