So I just worked my first week on the floor as an RN orientee. I'm on a Medical Care Unit that includes Tele, Peds, and Oncology. I felt really helpful and competent but on Friday I made a HUGE mistake that I've always heard about...
Almost half of the floor had discharged by 1pm, and I made the faux paux of saying out loud that it was slow. No one corrected or shushed me, and I wondered internally if anything would happen.
It did. The last 4 hours of that shift were the most incredibly exhausting, crazy-making hours I've ever had.
Omg...one time not long ago, a brand new CNA said the Q word not knowing it was taboo. She happened to be on my end of the hall too. Everything was fine the first two hours until she said it....then....
One of my pts who was transfered down to our unit from CCU earlier that day, decided to go into respiratory distress and I had to send her back upstairs. Literally 5 minutes later I get a call from ER saying I was getting an admit.
30 minutes after that admit, I got a call for a second admit and then a 3rd!
I seriously was going bat sh*t crazy!
Whoever was charge on day shift didn't think too hard when they made assignments because all the empty rooms except two, were on my end of the hall. I really didn't think it was very fair that I got slammed like that. 3 admits and a transfer all in a matter of a little over an hour. Yeah. Not nice.
Not sure if it was all because of the Q word, but I'm pretty sure it didn't help! Lol!
I don't know guys there have been nights where I have uttered the "Q" word because I was the "B" word. I even tried saying code, trauma, and everything else I could think of and I was still twiddling my thumbs*. I've also done it a couple of times when orienting someone to the unit and I don't feel like they have enough patients. Ex: Orientee says "I think I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting the hang of this." My reply, "Are you saying that you're getting bored?"
*I know this is not standard is unlikely to ever happen again.
I am one of the minority that doesn't believe in the Q word. I use it at work around coworkers at least once a week. Haven't yet had it backfire on me. The worst that has happened is that just by saying "quiet" I have made other coworkers nervous.
I don't believe in full moons, Friday the 13th, or any other superstition like that. I will joke about them "it's so crazy, and it's not even a full moon!" But it's all in good humor.
I'm having a not so busy day at work, and I purposely do not leave the PACU because I don't want people outside the PACU and OR to know I am not busy. Then I'll get slammed or complained against. I did make "rounds" on the floors but didn't stay long. Do not tempt the gods with the Q word.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
My recovery room one day was totally empty. I was enjoying the break. A doctor comes in and says "huh, it's totally quiet". I glared at her and was like ":no: Don't ever say that aloud".
Not half an hour later, I had two patients vomiting their guts out, one having a vasovagal rxn, and one so confused from the anesthesia I had my hands full. NOPE, the 'q' word is for real.
Specializes in Medical-Surgial, Cardiac, Pediatrics.
I did say it once on the tele floor when I was floated up there. Had a code blue not three hours after that, after three discharges, one right on top of the other.
One of the reasons I didn't like the cardiac floor for a LOOOOOONG time, haha.
SapphireJulzRN
28 Posts
Omg...one time not long ago, a brand new CNA said the Q word not knowing it was taboo. She happened to be on my end of the hall too. Everything was fine the first two hours until she said it....then....
One of my pts who was transfered down to our unit from CCU earlier that day, decided to go into respiratory distress and I had to send her back upstairs. Literally 5 minutes later I get a call from ER saying I was getting an admit.
30 minutes after that admit, I got a call for a second admit and then a 3rd!
I seriously was going bat sh*t crazy!
Whoever was charge on day shift didn't think too hard when they made assignments because all the empty rooms except two, were on my end of the hall. I really didn't think it was very fair that I got slammed like that. 3 admits and a transfer all in a matter of a little over an hour. Yeah. Not nice.
Not sure if it was all because of the Q word, but I'm pretty sure it didn't help! Lol!