Incompetence or bad night?

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Specializes in MS, OB.

I've been a nurse for 6 yrs. Work in ob gyn which I love. Without giving too much detail, I can describe my what happened the other night. We are a super busy, fast paced unit which I love. Think ER for women.

It started with my patient needing an IV before transfer to another unit. I'm usually very good with IVs. I do tons them. For a variety of reasons I failed miserably. Other weird things came up. The whole encounter was a hot mess --- physician kept interrupting me to talk to pt., delays and more. Patient began getting upset with me which I know contributed to my feelings of failure and incompetence. Someone else did come and finally place an IV and pt went on her way. But I'm sure this patient thinks I'm an idiot.w I apologized along the way and tried to keep a calm cool exterior, but inside I felt myself spinning out of control.

Today I am going over this in my head and feel really stressed out and worry that I losing my confidence. I want to add that I'm an older career changer, and generally not prone to these feelings in other areas of my life. I just hate these thoughts in my head telling me I am incompetent. So the question to turn them off and get my act together? Thanks for listening to me vent.

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Specializes in school nurse.

EVERYBODY has a shift/night/experience like that at some point, and more than once to boot. Give it some perspective and shake it off.

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I am one of those nurses that does a better job at a skilled task if everybody around me just shuts up and stops watching me. Why can't people get it in their heads that a procedure is taking place and they need to step aside???

It sounds to me as if it was the situation, not you. Next time you have something you have to do, take charge. Be more assertive. Now, if I were an ER nurse that would be a different story. They have to be able to tune out some of the interference. Just my thoughts on it. I may be way off target.

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Specializes in MS, OB.

You're right. I let the chaos get to me. This is what bothers be. I usually thrive in chaos. I can't figure out why this got to me.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
45 minutes ago, littlerayofsunshine said:

You're right. I let the chaos get to me. This is what bothers be. I usually thrive in chaos. I can't figure out why this got to me.

The best explanation is...sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug...don't try to figure it out because you can't - you just said so. Forget about it.

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2 hours ago, littlerayofsunshine said:

You're right. I let the chaos get to me. This is what bothers be. I usually thrive in chaos. I can't figure out why this got to me.

Because every once in awhile there is a rare constellation of events that is just embarrassing. Care delays that are out of your control and "that" coworker just had to be a rude witch to the patient/family and then "that" doctor breezed in, offered a bunch of dumb cliches and breezed back out, someone's screaming bloody murder or f bombs in the room next door, the family thinks they see a spot of dried blood on the stretcher. Everything is off kilter.......then the clincher: You have difficulty with something that usually isn't difficult. All of a sudden you feel it's fairly apparent to the pt/family that this is indeed absolute circus and you're part of it. Heck yeah - that is embarrassing.

?

Luckily this seems to be a "once in a blue moon" thing, so....shake it off. Improve what you can for next time around and let the rest go.

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Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

Especially with IVs, sometimes you just have a run of misses. It's not your fault, it's not always cut and dry, and it's nothing to beat yourself up over. Yes, we feel bad for having to stick people multiple times, but as you said, the patient got what she needed and moved on. You gotta forgive yourself for being a human and having an off night without dissecting the "why." Iiittt will make you crazy!

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Sometimes the planets are just out of alignment. You just have to roll with it until everything more or less lines up again.

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