How to get in the zone?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in General Surgery.

I'm sitting here on a rainy Thursday night, dreading work tomorrow. I'm not ready to be pulled in 10 directions, hold my bladder, and have my feet hurt all over again. Plus we have an unruly patient on the census right now and I'm asking God that I'm not assigned to this patient as they are emotionally draining and the threats of lawsuits to nurses and doctors are getting real old, real fast.

Help? I'm considering a bath soak. It's 8:20PM. I usually fall asleep around 10PM.

This weekend shall pass, right? =)

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

We have all been there. Hang in hun. Do what you have to do to get through.

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Try to get all your "ducks in a row" tonight (pack lunch/coffee/water/snacks, whatever you bring to work, get clothes ready, etc) and try to get a good night's sleep. Getting my day off to a good start in the morning doesn't always guarantee that my day will continue that way, but I swear that getting off to a rushed, chaotic mess in the morning always makes the rest of my day seem to follow in the same vein.

Hopefully you don't have to work Saturday too. Knowing that I don't have to come back the next day always helps me push through those really miserable shifts.

Good luck!

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Specializes in General Surgery.

I work Fri-Sun. On the bright side I will be off for 5 days after the weekend and beginning of next week!

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Specializes in ICU/PACU.

It's always tough going back especially if you've had a bad day or have had a few days off in a row. Once you wake up tomorrow you'll be back in work mode. Take it hour by hour LOL. Good luck!

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Specializes in Medical Oncology, Alzheimer/dementia.

I work the weekend program at the hospital. My husband says I start acting up on Friday, anticipating the weekend that lies ahead for me. I hadn't noticed a change in me on Fridays, but I don't doubt it. Weekends are absolutely wild on my floor.

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Imagine yourself surviving the shift and clocking out and going home. You can survive whatever happens in-between. You have before.

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Specializes in General Surgery.
Imagine yourself surviving the shift and clocking out and going home. You can survive whatever happens in-between. You have before.

Thank You, this most definitely helps.

I'm a new grad and right now I'm just on edge like I know I'm going to eventually deal with something that'll puzzle me or make me feel completely dumb and I know that's all part of learning. I am already off orientation. There's a couple of things I feel uncomfortable with like trach patients. I know I can ALWAYS ask for help though.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Transplant.

Try to plan something nice for after your shift. Nothing big-just something like your favorite TV show, a good book or some chocolate will be a nice thing to remind yourself of during a crazy shift.

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Thank You, this most definitely helps.

I'm a new grad and right now I'm just on edge like I know I'm going to eventually deal with something that'll puzzle me or make me feel completely dumb and I know that's all part of learning. I am already off orientation. There's a couple of things I feel uncomfortable with like trach patients. I know I can ALWAYS ask for help though.

That's what your buddies are for-- to ask questions. Do you have a good rapport with your co-workers that they can teach you when you need it?

Hang in there. I have only been at this a few years, and every day I'm still learning and asking questions. I think once the time management kicks in and things become more automatic (the tasky things like putting tubing in the IV pump) you will become more relaxed.

I started out PICU as a new grad, and promptly went to stepdown and my specialty is trach patients. A lot of nurses are nervous with trach patients, even seasoned ones who don't work with them often. Let me tell you a secret: with a trach patient you have an easy airway for bagging. :-) Can't say that about non-trach patients.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

When I worked in the hospitals and the shift was chaotic, we nurses would look at the clock.....if it said 11:10, we'd tell each other, "It's almost 12!" We'd get through the shift like that. Folks thought we were nuts, but even though it was kind of funny-stupid, it helped us to know that the light at the end of the tunnel was coming!

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When I worked in the hospitals and the shift was chaotic, we nurses would look at the clock.....if it said 11:10, we'd tell each other, "It's almost 12!" We'd get through the shift like that. Folks thought we were nuts, but even though it was kind of funny-stupid, it helped us to know that the light at the end of the tunnel was coming!

Yes all kinds of humor helps in those situations.

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