Hi. Just need to vent here - will try to be short. I am just still reeling from the last shift I worked. So I get to work at 7a and was told not to clock in here (med-surg) because I was being pulled to our ortho floor. OK. So, I get to that floor and literally ran my @$$ off with 6 patients (and mind you have never been on that floor before) - never had a break or even got lunch (and of course did not eat BF). Then, I am told that I will need to go back to my home floor (med-surg) to finish up the 3-7p shift. Well, both of these floors were so short that I did not even make it back to my floor until 1630-45 (charge nurse not available to take report on my patients until then) only to find that it had been an absolute nightmare (very short of RNs and CNAs) from 7-3. So it is after 1700 by the time I get report on my additional new 6 patients that I will need to do assessments, pass meds, troubleshoot problems, etc. for and then be expected to be done by 1900.
I guess my problem is that if both floors were so short, why did they not just let me stay on my home floor to at least allow me to have some of the same patients (does make it easier)? We do computer charting which does take longer than paper charting, but at least this has a copy function for the post 1500 assessments (I still do the re-assessments, but the charting does not take nearly as long). And again, at least being familiar with the patients you had that morning also helps a great deal. Am I just being whiney? I'm thinking not, as interfacing with 12 different patients in floor nursing is just plain exhausting. I guess I am still feeling a little angry for the lack of concern for me (or whoever the unfortunate nurse would have been to have gotten pulled around that day).
Any regular 12 hour staff experience this type of pulling around in your hospital? Just curious. Thanks for listening (reading).
