Having a tough time

[RJ 55]

I have been having a difficult time at work. We have been understaffed and have a large influx of patients in the Emergency department. The large number of patients is also impacting the inpatient side of the hospital. The hospital is full so we are holding a large amount of admitted patients in the Emergency department. The negative attitude from both patients and staff has really got me down. I feel like a failure even before I hit the floor. How do I combat this? It feels like a no win situation.

[PeekabooICU77]

Keep your chin up and remember you're not alone! Help your coworkers how and when you can help, as that usually encourages help and support in return. Try your best to go to work with a smile. I know when I'm crabby I tend to wallow in it and make myself even more crabby. Yuck.

Even when work is a complete sh* show, it's a little less terrible knowing and feeling like you're in the chaos with others who probably feel as discouraged as you are.

I'm not familiar with work flows of ED but it's my understanding it ebbs and flows. It is flu season so maybe after this slows down it will be more bearable. I can see how burnout can be so prevalent in the ED.

Hang in there!

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I married an ER nurse. He is happiest when he is triaging and "treating and streeting." Because it's not in the nature of that particular gig to treat something long term (or even desire to know outcome). No judgment on that- it's probably why nurses gravitate to the ER. You're in a period now where you have to hold people who need more care than you can provide. If they need more care they probably need to be monitored, and how is the ER going to monitor for an extended period of time???

Patients are probably not happy being held in curtained areas (or maybe even in a gurney on a wall - true story!). Your staff are unhappy because this is probably not safe for patients.

If you feel it's unsafe, file Safe Harbor. Otherwise, know that it's temporary, and you have my genuine empathy here. It sucks not feeling like you can do your job.

[RJ 55]

Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. I am scheduled tonight. I will take your advice and keep my chin up. I work with a great team and I think we are just getting tired of always being in internal disaster. I feel bad for our patients and it isn't a safe work environment.

[RJ 55]

You are right. I, like your husband is happiest when I can stabilize them and then send them to their next destination. I feel for our patients that are Tele holds on portable monitors in the hallway and on our crappy gurneys for ten plus hours. Holding icu patients too on our resuscitation bay is less than ideal when we have traumas that keep rolliing in that need the space. The other day we treated a full arrest on the ems stretcher because we had no beds to put the patient on. Working in triage is a disaster because you have older people with legitimate complaints and comorbidities waiting hours to be treated. Patients are rightfully upset. Diagnostics are taking forever (xrs, cts) because of the amount of people. People who shouldnt be in the ER are flooding us too. It is so frustrating and scary and exhausting.