Peds HH LVN... Super stressed out... HELP!

[raebabelvn, LVN]

I love nursing. And I love the patients I get to work with. I currently only have one, and he's a great patient. I monitor him at night while he sleeps.

Lately, I've had a lot of technical issues. And I am not at all technically gifted. And its all with O2 equipment. It stresses me out. I find myself starting to go into panic mode at the slightest dip in sats -- for example, from 100% down to 99%. Thats not normal for me. Usually I'm fine as long as he's at a stable number. We've also switched O2 systems 3 times in the past 2 weeks. I have to relearn everything, and that stresses me out and makes me feel like I went to school for nothing.

I know I'm good at my job, but the last couple of weeks have really shaken my foundation. Have any other HH nurses experienced this? How do you get past it and get over it? Or is this something I should take a break from?

[Magsulfate, BSN, RN]

I just typed a long reply and then hit the wrong button and it disappeared into cyberspace! grr!!

Okay, when you get stressed out or shaken,,, take a step back. Take some long slow deep breaths to clear your mind. This has happened to me before too! When things get overwhelming it can turn into a huge snowball rolling down a hill if you don't get a grip on yourself.

If you remember to always assess each system and continue to monitor for any changes, anything out of the ordinary,,, and any distress... .. then if you always act upon it by some sort of intervention,,, whether it be PRN neb treatment.. or just call your on call DON. I don't care if it is 3am.. if you need advice, you need advice! And this is why you're working for the agency. You are not out there alone, you do have resources.

Just don't get over whelmed by these little things because it could cause you to miss an important symptom or change in status. Look at the baby, ... you already know that most of the time, your gut instinct on how the child looks will override a monitor reading. If the child is laughing, of course the readings will be bad.. If they are having hiccups, the vent will alarm... etc.

I guess what I'm trying to say is,,, to step back and evaluate the child and the situation,, because getting shaken up and stressed out all night is going to make you physically ill eventually.. Plus, you're probably making your job much harder than it needs to be!

Bring your laptop to work if you have one. Download resources and go over them while the child is sleeping. You will become more confortable with the new equipment,, or new changes if you understand the rationale behind the changes. This is very important ! Once you understand the rationale, things start making a lot more sense and you will get less stressed over things like this... :)

[caliotter3]

If you can not find resources on your laptop for new equipment, then ask your employer to help you. You are intellectually aware that a drop from 100% to 99% is not significant, most likely due to a change in position. If this is causing you undue anxiety, then perhaps you should evaluate whether your anxiety is beginning to impact your ability to earn a living. See your physician and deal with the anxiety issue before things get worse.