Momma told me there would be days like this

[missladyrn]

I am so overtired. I normally do not work 3 in a row but this week I did. I could not sleep yesterday and went to work anyway. I knew it was going to be a long night.The start of shift was complete chaos. Nothing was done on day shift, no orders signed off, no fluids hung, no pumps in the room, NOTHING. All the post ops must have come up at the same time. After running around like a chicken with my head cut off for the first few hours catching up, I just pooped out. I actually gave up on trying to get it all done.I just was not a good nurse. I did not take good care of my patients. I had one patient too many, and one that was super needy, and the rest did not get the nursing care they deserved. During report I felt like such a bad nurse. Ever have days like that? I feel awful. And here I am exhausted, but I just can't sleep.

[malamud69, BSN, RN]

Wake up and start again after some sleep. If you analyze/decide/judge things in such a state your answer will always be corrupt. Sleep and get back in there you'll be fine...

[Nurse ABC]

I had a day like this the other day because night shift didn't have an admission done they received 11 hrs before, didnt have two surgical pts ready that we're leaving right after I got there, let IV bags run dry, pts complaining of pain that had asked for meds an hr before I got there, etc. I don't blame night shift-I blame the administration for leaving us all short-handed all the time! I know what it's like to get to the end of the shift ready to drop and not have time to get it all done! Nursing is 24 hr job and I know it's frustrating when we start the shift out behind. I used to get really bent out of shape but now I try not to. I'm only human and can only do one thing at a time. I make sure the most important things get done, my patients aren't hurting or in dire need of anything, and take the rest as I can get to it. It makes me mad when day and night shift blame each other for not getting everything done all the time (I'm not saying you're doing this-it just happens a lot). Sure there are certain nurses who don't try but for the most part we all do our best. The last several days I've had no aide and 7 pts., three of which needed two people to get them to the bathroom every couple of hours. I felt like that's all I got done! I guarantee I probably missed some things!!