Have you ever left in the middle of a shift?

[SilverBells]

Has anyone ever left in the middle of a shift?  This morning, during our morning meeting, I left because I was having a severe panic attack.  I went for a 30 minute drive to calm down.  

Has anyone else ever done this? 

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

Hoosier_RN said:

Depends. If you're management without a patient load it's no big deal. But those working the floor, if not done correctly,  bad stuff..

Or if you give report. Some nurses where I am give their phone to a "'buddy" and take a 30 min lunch break. As long as someone knew OP was gone and came back, it shouldn't be abandonment. 

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

mmc51264 said:

Or if you give report

That's what I meant when I said if not done correctly 

[2B a Nurse, ADN, BSN, MSN, PhD, RN]

There will be those times when things can become overwhelming. I can think of just so many situations in my career I just had to walk away. As a bedside nurse, I always made sure my patients were covered and cared for. As a Nurse Manager, I made sure my supervisor was made aware I would be off the unit for a short period of time. As an administrator, I made sure my NMs were aware that I would be unavailable for a period of time. But I needed that 30 minutes or so to refocus. 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

At the risk of being told "None of your business!" What caused you to become so panicked?

[2B a Nurse, ADN, BSN, MSN, PhD, RN]

There will be those times when things can become overwhelming. I can think of just so many situations in my career I just had to walk away. As a bedside nurse, I always made sure my patients were covered and cared for. As a Nurse Manager, I made sure my supervisor was made aware I would be off the unit for a short period of time. As an administrator, I made sure my NMs were aware that I would be unavailable for a period of time. But I needed that 30 minutes or so to refocus. 

[Crystal-Wings, LVN]

Why are you still at this job? Your threads are always something negative about your job. What would you like us, strangers on the internet to tell you? We've given you advice numerous times. It's like you want us to give you permission to quit your job.

[2B a Nurse, ADN, BSN, MSN, PhD, RN]

Sometimes it is not a matter of panicking as it is a matter of feeling overwhelmed. Some examples from my past: As an ICU nurse caring for a patient that had died and trying to comfort the family while still grieving the recent death of my mother, as a nurse manager having to deescalate a fight between a male staff nurse and a male RT, as a med surg nurse caught in a room with a patient going into DT's. These are just a few examples where at least for me the situation required me to step away and refocus. 

[SmilingBluEyes]

Just move on. Time to quit.

[ButterflyBuns, ASN, LPN]

Never leave after taking keys. I have hidden in the bathroom and taken 1 hr breaks followed by hiding in the bathroom to avoid leaving. I've cursed out a rude CNA telling me how to do my job. I wanted to leave but stayed until shift was over. 

[delrionurse]

SilverBells said:

Has anyone ever left in the middle of a shift?  This morning, during our morning meeting, I left because I was having a severe panic attack.  I went for a 30 minute drive to calm down.  

Has anyone else ever done this? 

This seems to be misleading.  Do you really think a nurse would and risk abandonment? If you don't work as a floor nurse, you are able. 

[vintagegal, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Silver bell, the thread is unraveling the sweater. I wish you would attend to your own needs. Another one will bite the dust and we will lose another nurse to the inertia of working conditions and societal pressures.

I hate to see you like this. Please take care of yourself...

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Crystal-Wings said:

It's like you want us to give you permission to quit your job.

We have done so multiple times. SilverBells is what I refer to as an askhole. They ask a question, get good sound advice, then do what they've always done in the past, then complain because they didn't get a different outcome...