New Nurse In TEARS...

talbrecht · Jan 9, 2009

so i just got home this morning from the worst shift thus far...im a new nurse since july 08...been on my own now for a little over 2 months...i thought i was doing fabulous...i felt confident...well that all came crashing down this morning...my patients last night were all ok...had them the night before so it wasn't bad at all...early this morning when the doctors came pouring in is when it all happened....one of my patients with a low Na level was on 1000 mL fluid restrictions...orders had been written to take the water pitcher out of the patient's room...well this little old lady...confused as can be...still had the water pitcher in the room when the doctor walked in this morning...i kept track of her i and o all night....she was a fall risk...so the bed alarm was on and all 4 side rails were up...she didn't get up or stir not once all night...so i know that she didnt get to her water pitcher halfway across the room on a table...it was my fault that i should have noticed it and took it out...but i didnt...the doctor totally freaked out this morning and screamed at me at the top of his lungs in front of everyone...her sodium level had dropped 2 points from 128 to 126...i wanted to crawl in a hole and die...i missed something so simple and it kills me...i know i will make mistakes but it is totally embarrasing when you get called out and yelled at like a child in front of all your coworkers...so i took that like a man...kept my composure and finished up my shift...my manager called and asked me to wait for her this morning...so reluctantly i did...and she proceeds to tell me that she got a complaint from a tele monitor tech and a patients daughter....this man several weeks ago was on tele...his leads would not stay on after numerous interventions...and i mean numerous...i changed the patches more times than i care to count....got a new monitor...shaved the man's chest and washed and completely dried him off...but to no avail those dang leads wouldn't stay on....so i did all i could do...well the day shift nurse failed to report to me that this patient was staying the night specifically for tele monitoring...all other medical issues had been resolved...no where in the patient's chart did it state this...not nursing notes...not physician's progress notes...not physician's orders...nowhere...so i pretty much would go in the patients room every time the tele tech called and reinforce this guy's leads...charge nurse even agreed all efforts exhausted...well i find out this morning that this guy ended up having to stay an extra night because of it...the daughter was livid...filed a complaint and threatened suit againt the hospital and me...and on a side note this daughter was a tech on another floor in this same hospital...so needless to say this morning i am freaking out about being sued...my manager told me not to worry about it but i can't help not to...i feel like the worst nurse ever...i feel like i try hard and i know the first couple of years are the hardest but im seriously doubting my career choice...i really feel like i don't like my profession at all...i absolutely dread going to work every night....i was in tears the whole way home...and i guess the 2nd thing on my agenda this morning is to get some malpractice insurance set up...just had to vent...would appreciate any thoughts/suggestions...i dont want to give up but its sad to say that i really hate being a nurse

:DI have been a Cardiovascular Technologist for the last 23 yrs and going to school to be an RN.

What your going through it perfectly normal. Conflict is part of the job, but you will find as time goes

by your ironing out the creases and building strong emotional skills. I have seen many nurses crumble

when certain doctors even approached bc of their reputation. Stay strong. It is common knowledge to be the norm. The very doctors who made others cry tested me out and if you stay professional through it you earn your respect. No one tells you these things in school. It most certainly is shocking, but it happens rarely once you get strong sea legs it will not even bother you. Sounds like you did nothing wrong and were caught up in their passing their own stress. Since you are already a nurse you know how stressful times get and no excuses some people do not control themselves. Dont let it worry you, it gets better. Once a Cardiologists yelled at me bc he was loosing a patient in the ER, I already did my testing but he requested an Echo Tech be called in. I was the one in charge of calling her(in my yeah right spare time inbetween many codes in the ER.) Well the tech took 1 1/2hrs and was still not there, he flipped out at me almost in tears yelling how his patient was about to code and where was she etc.... I knew he was stressed and didnt take it personally. Most new nurses would of been on the ground balling or would of walked and never came back. It really is a rewarding job. Stay strong I bet your an awesome nurse! :redpinkheCan you believe that I am still wanting to be an RN, there is a reason, it is an awesome field.

talbrecht · Jan 9, 2009

That doctor is an ass. I can understand being upset when an order isn't carried out, but his behavior is inexcusable. Where I work, we can write incident reports regarding physician behavior, and this would be an instance where I would write one.
For the electrode patches that won't stick, try wiping the area with an alcohol pledget first. If the patient is totally with it, you can also show them where the leads go and ask that they stick them back on if they fall off. Some people like to be involved in their own care and will happily cooperate with this.

:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeatheCardiology secret.. use acetone. Shave them and wipe on the acetone, then good luck getting them off, you will have to yank! Your welcome