Badly needing to vent right now.

[NurseCard]

UGH!!!

I'm just so upset right now, and tired, and frustrated... maybe if I just take some time and vent here, I'll actually feel a little better.

I'm taking care of eight patients tonight, plus one patient coming from surgery, late. We will have eighteen patients on the floor, with two nurses.

We were SUPPOSED to have a third nurse, but this little girl didn't check her schedule, and seems to think that she has a fixed schedule. Normally she works Sat, Sun, and Mon nights, and tonight is Tuesday. Well, NO ONE on this floor is fortunate enough to have a fixed schedule, and we have a nurse on vacation and one that just transferred to another unit, so night shift nurses are having to pick up nights that they don't normally work.

Anyway, so the supervisor called her when she didn't show up for work. They talked to her and she was like "Well, Sammie (our manager) and I have an agreement that I only work Sat. Sun and Monday nights." Okay, well then we should ALL have fixed schedules then.

I'm just... not feeling up to being responsible for nine patients tonight. And these patients are high acuity. We have two patients that have advanced cancer, one six week old baby.. several new surgery patients... one patient that recently had a small bowel resection and is on TPN... I have one fresh knee replacement... I have a pneumonia patient that is also confused... I just don't feel up to it tonight, at all. There is a chance that I may be pregnant, so I'm not sure if it's hormones or what... I just feel like crying right now, and I can't even get it out. I feel like if I could get all of that out, I'd feel better.

Have you ever noticed that you can't vent your frustrations to your coworkers? That is ALWAYS how I have felt here, every since I have worked here (six years). Nights that are good, are great, but often when I am very frustrated... I feel like I have no one to turn to.

Anyway.... I feel a bit better now. Thanks for listening, all.

[MzKittenRN]

ugh!!!

i'm just so upset right now, and tired, and frustrated... maybe if i just take some time and vent here, i'll actually feel a little better.

i'm taking care of eight patients tonight, plus one patient coming from surgery, late. we will have eighteen patients on the floor, with two nurses.

we were supposed to have a third nurse, but this little girl didn't check her schedule, and seems to think that she has a fixed schedule. normally she works sat, sun, and mon nights, and tonight is tuesday. well, no one on this floor is fortunate enough to have a fixed schedule, and we have a nurse on vacation and one that just transferred to another unit, so night shift nurses are having to pick up nights that they don't normally work.

anyway, so the supervisor called her when she didn't show up for work. they talked to her and she was like "well, sammie (our manager) and i have an agreement that i only work sat. sun and monday nights." okay, well then we should all have fixed schedules then.

i'm just... not feeling up to being responsible for nine patients tonight. and these patients are high acuity. we have two patients that have advanced cancer, one six week old baby.. several new surgery patients... one patient that recently had a small bowel resection and is on tpn... i have one fresh knee replacement... i have a pneumonia patient that is also confused... i just don't feel up to it tonight, at all. there is a chance that i may be pregnant, so i'm not sure if it's hormones or what... i just feel like crying right now, and i can't even get it out. i feel like if i could get all of that out, i'd feel better.

have you ever noticed that you can't vent your frustrations to your coworkers? that is always how i have felt here, every since i have worked here (six years). nights that are good, are great, but often when i am very frustrated... i feel like i have no one to turn to.

anyway.... i feel a bit better now. thanks for listening, all.

vent....vent it all out....i've experienced some instances throughout my 5 year nsg. career where we were short-staffed @ times; i sympathize with you....and so thaz the beauty of nursing- there will always be a job for u; and if u have an opportunuty to find another place to work, then take it! if talking to your supervisor would not help, then i suggest u find another means if things are not going to change....the hospital where i work at, used to have a 9:1 patient -nurse ratio like 10 years ago....now, there is a strict ratio of 4:1 only....it's very rare where we get more than 4 patients (unless there is a snowstorm )....i am so glad i left my other job prior where the staffing ratio is just impossible to deal with....at first i was afraid to because i had my own routine and i was there for like 2 years but i just couldn't take the conditions there anymore. and now, i truly enjoy working where i am- i have no regrets that i left. hold on- big hugz and don't give up! :)

so if u seek, you shall find!

mzkitten

[diablo]

This is a lawsuit waiting to happen!!!

[MzKittenRN]

this is a lawsuit waiting to happen!!!

very true....unfortunately, there are soooo many workplaces that are understaffed like that....it's a wonder that so many facilities are still up and running even when the state health dept. is called in....the facility would just over-staff when there is a state survey.....and when they leave, they go right back to under-staffing again....how sad for the patients; that is why i refuse to work under a condition like that or @ a facility like that since u're not only putting your license on the line, but also the patient's health as well.

mzkitten