Okay, I have been a nurse for one year. I work in the float pool on all floors including the busiest general med-surg floor where I was yesterday. It's well known to be the "worst floor" in the hospital to work. I get there and immediately get 6 patients (not unusual). Day starts out easy then goes to H*** by 3pm (in typical fashion). From 3-7pm (when next shift gets there) I am running around like a lunatic. One pt had foley pulled but can't pee, the next is mean as a snake and tells how to do EVERYTHING when you walk into the room and complains constantly. The third one had a PCA that was d/c'd and THEN his central line starts leaking and has to be pulled = no iv access for pain meds and me and two other nurses can't get an IV on them. The fourth, is on the floor b/c they had a neph tube put in and now cant pee so they want to "watch" the pt. This pt is SICK with CA with mets too by the way and not particularly happy now.... AND got their eye scratched in specials by O2 NC that got away from someone.
So... order says call dr when pt gets on floor. I check with Charge, she says she did it. I access pt and ask her to call again to get dr here b/c pt is in pain and wants something done about her eye. Charge calls, an hour later, no dr. Pt sleeping now but I ask charge "where's doc?, pt sleeping but where's dr?"... charge calls again. Dr. get's to floor over two hours later and family lights into dr. Dr. comes out and lights into me and charge saying "what happened?!! They are mad, why didn't anyone call me and tell me she was in pain? I have a lot of pt's to see, I can't just run right up... but I need to know if they are in pain, now go give her pain med and put in a foley!!!!". Thankfully charge stands up for me (and her) to dr but meanwhile, I go to put in her foley and she is screaming in pain and no drainage comes out! (I'm thinking to myself, did I do it right? I have put in a million foleys and NEVER had one not drain, and I'm pretty sure I know the right hole). I report off and feel like NOTHING is under control. New nurses are looking at me like I'm a total idiot and why can't I get my stuff done? I spend next hour clearing up my "list". Turns out, it wasn't me - pt has other kidney now blocked and only 25 ml in bladder. Arrrggghhh!!!
Needless to say, I left feeling totally defeated.... How do you deal with days like these? How do you NOT look like an idiot - when you are giving 110%.... ?
How do you deal with days like these? How do you NOT look like an idiot - when you are giving 110%.... ?