I was charge nurse tonight. I had another LPN with me who has been a nurse as long as I have. She was a great help and I am very thankful she was working tonight.
During shift change 3pm-4pm, the unit is indescribable, chaotic, loud, issues with everyone, everything and every place. You really can't even think clearly.
I received a situation of a patient that required additional staff. Two different nurses(one on another unit) were telling me two different things on what to do with this. Her MD was also over on another unit and got on the phone. I was trying to listen to what she was saying and the unit was so chaotic(alarms going off, phones ringing, CNA's complaining) I couldn't think and while discussing this with the doctor she took it as I was arguing with her and twisting her words.
I feel terrible. I didn't mean to react this way and all night I was thinking about this. I was so confused with what was happening with this situation. I was stressed and I know I should have reacted better. I was trying to understand what she was saying while tuning out all the madness around me. I really hope I don't get in trouble for this.
But all night just little stupid interruptions.. staffing issues, call bell alarms, bed alarms that go off every time the patient breathes, CNA's being on break and their residents having to use the bathroom, residents being combative, out of oxygen, phone ringing nonstop, doctors not calling back etc.
When I had to go into the oxygen closet I just let go and cried for a minute. After I got myself together I went back out there and did what I had to do, Awhile later, the doctor explained to me what she wanted to do with the situation above. I documented extremely specific about this patient tonight.
I also did some of the (never ending) paperwork in the med room behind a locked door tonight(Don't worry I could still hear the phone and see everything going on in the zoo). I just needed some quiet.
How do you handle situations like above when things are just exploding around you?
Now I am going to relax with a glass of wine mixed with soda and bag of potato chips(baked) and stalk Cruise Critic of the cruise I'm going on in April(I tried using that to help calm me down at times but it didn't work).
