I always hate the last couple weeks before vacation...

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Just a slight vent. Yeah, so it seems like everytime I plan a vacation, the weeks leading up to it are the most stressful and irritating. I had a really bad night at work last night, got an admit that kept me busy for the entire night and to top it off, it ended up with my other patient complaining about me. I seriously wanted to cry. Normally, I would just brush this off but I don't know, I'm feeling a little more emotional than normal. I did my best to meet the patient's needs, I understand she was in pain and I gave her all I could even getting new orders for more pain meds. I checked on her every hour or more often as much as I could but it was not enough and everytime I asked her if she would like to be repositioned she'd make a snarky remark about me having a plan of care for her. I just wanted to say that the plan involves her input also but she seemed offended every time I asked her which side she would prefer to be repositioned to.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Sometimes right before vacation a person is on the edge of burn-out, from having worked awhile without enough time off. That's one reason why things seem more stressful than usual. I'm glad you have vacation coming. Vacation is such a wonderful thing for recharging ourselves. Have a lovely time!

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

True. I do feel a bit burned out. Anything and everything is getting on my nerves.

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Don't allow one person, regardless of the circumstances, to enter your personal life and impact the plans you've made with your family, your money, and your time. You did what you were supposed to do last night, and anymore thought about it gives the patient more power than she deserves. It is unproductive to worry about it now - there is nothing you can change.

Now go and get a pedicure. Those feet worked hard for you this week. It's time to be nice to them - and to yourself.

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Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.

I'm experiencing the same thing and it's not from burnout.

It's just as the OP said. It seems like things blow up right before vacation. For example; we have been slow for about a month. I'm lucky if I can work 5 or 6 hours a day. But of course now that I'm thinking I can leave early and get all those last-minute errands done, we get slammed. And not just slammed but lots of miscommunication, hurry-up-and-wait scenarious and lots of time cooling my heels, looking at my watch, thinking about the millions of things I could be doing to get ready for my trip instead of standing around waiting for people to get their acts together.

It is absolutely positively not my imagination that it suddenly got worse right before vacation. It truly has turned into a nightmare overnight.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

I think it has something to do with your body still being *here*, but your mind is already on vacation :D

I know I always look sooooo forward to getting away and feel like EVERYTHING is an intrusion on my time and energy that I could be spent preparing for my vacation.

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