Nursing Dreams (or Nightmares)

Published

Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Last night I had a dream where I was taking the blood sugar of a patient, but I didn't write it down or remember it before the darned machine shut off. Then, I tried to retrieve the info from the machine history, but management had totally revamped the programming on the machine, and I couldn't retrieve it, inspite of repeated efforts. Then I proceeded to have a total meltdown in the patient's room, throwing the machine at the wall and using profanity. The only saving grace was that the elderly patient was not particularly with it.

I've also had a recurrent dream where I come to the end of my shift and find out that I didn't realize that there was a patient I was supposed to have, and I never went into their room for the whole shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..

Calm down dear,it's only a dream!!:lol2::lol2: You're obviously feeling stressed and your dreams are reflecting it.Been there ,done that got the t-shirt! I suspect we all have "Oh my God" dreams where we forget something or can't get to something.Have you ever forgotten to write down the Blood sugars? My carers laugh at me as I sometimes write on my arm just by the left elbow if I'm in a hurry and can't be bothered to fish my notebook out of my pocket.

I know a dream analyst would make a better job of this but just remember it hasn't happened and if you remember the dreams it won't happen.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

My interpretation of this dream is that I'm fed up and frustrated with all the constant programing changes and new technologies at my facility that no one sends a memo about, nor do they make sure the bugs are out. Also, I'm fed up with management constantly making simple tasks more complicated by reprogramming current (computer) programs, and adding machinery or technologies that nerds invent and no one finds out if they work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

I won't say I have frustrating nursing dreams frequently, but I have them often enough to remember them. Typically, I have had patients all shift and suddenly it is the end of the shift and I am frantically trying to re-create vital signs and intake and output for the flow sheets.

One recent one was funny in a wierd sort of way. Now, keep in mind I am 50+ years old, married to the same man, happily, forever and have never considered being unfaithful....so this is my dream. Dream analysis welcome LOL.

I am at work in my current very busy ER....another female nurse and I go with a faceless paramedic to a storage room and have wild passionate sex. We had another nurse watch our patients for us while we were gone (no patient abandonment you know). We came back to the floor all sweaty and disheveled.

The nurse who was watching our patients told us he was thankful we were finally back, because he was having a hard time keeping up with all three assignments! Now that is what I call teamwork!!:lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I frequently have dreams that I have forgotten to check on a pt of a coworker while they are on break. I hear vent alarms, monitor alarms, iv pumps beeping, and call lights. I had a dream one night that I hadn't been in a specific pt room all shift to check on him. The thing is I was never assigned to that pt the whole time he has been on our unit, but I was in helping out in a stat intubation and IICP management. I have dreams about the difficult family members too.

I still have these dreams and I have been a nurse for 6 years now. They are less frequent than when I was first a nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Some of those paramedics ARE well proprtioned with nice looking arms and clingy T-shirts.:beer::bugeyes::redbeathe

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Some of those paramedics ARE well proprtioned with nice looking arms and clingy T-shirts.:beer::bugeyes::redbeathe
lol

Indeed....

I'm an arm/neck gal (I know... weird. Go figure). Although I admit one of the first things I notice is a guy's veins :lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro.

I'm a student and already have these dreams. I'm in OB now and had a dream I was in the nursery with about 10 babies. I assessed each and charted, fed each and charted... and by the time I was done, I started all over. One big circle of assessing, charting, and feeding babies, nonstop, all night.

I also had a dream during my psych rotation that a crazy man attacked me on the street and he was my pt the next day in clinical.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

Since I had to take a medical retirement from my job, I constantly dream I left the floor to get my dinner and then I can't make it back to my patients something always stop me like taking a wrong turn and getting lost or people stopping me and wanting to talk to me or the unit would close due to low patient load. the place I worked had 2 ICU and sometimes one unit would close And of course the true nightmare ..........I am only wearing one piece of scrubs usually just the bottoms.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
I'm a student and already have these dreams. I'm in OB now and had a dream I was in the nursery with about 10 babies. I assessed each and charted, fed each and charted... and by the time I was done, I started all over. One big circle of assessing, charting, and feeding babies, nonstop, all night.

LOL, are you sure that was a dream, or were you just working a typical night shift??????????:lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

this happened way back when when i was a nursing assistant and was working at a rehab hospital and an acute area of another hospital working step down.

well, i'd been working many shifts and this stuff is all new to me and some of the situations were traumatic and stressful besides my being sleep deprived. anyway, i woke up in my living room one night and thought in my mind that i was at the "hospital." no kidding, totally thought i was at work even if everything was pitch black. i looked and saw my wife sleeping in her room with the clock radio with the red led glow on her night stand and thought "a patient sleeping with an spo2 monitor, don't disturb." and i walked to another room and saw a bed and thought "another patient getting needed rest, don't disturb!" i walked to the "nurses station" which was actually the restroom and stood there in the pitch darkness of night. then i said to myself, "somethings wrong, this can't be right!" i felt around in the room. i grasped at the sink and then noted the juxtaposition of the toilet. "gosh darn it! i'm at home!"

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Since I started traveling, I have recurring dreams of being "homeless" and trying to find a house or apartment... =\

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion