nenabee

Hello all. I've been a nurse for almost 4 years now, and during that time I worked night shift... but for family reasons I had to switch to days. So now here I am, a few weeks into my new shift... of course it's an adjustment. Yes, I can deal with patients constantly going off the floor to tests, doctors coming in and writing and changing orders, patients being awake and asking tons of questions, patients who are 100% feeds, get patients OOB to chair for meals, etc. What i can't stand are the FAMILY MEMBERS!!!! Yes, some of them understand you are busy but for the most part they walk up to you at any time and expect instant answers. Pestering me about nonurgent things delays me from patients who, I don't know, NEED MEDICATING/NEED ASSESSING/NEED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE ICU/etc.. I tell them that I am busy taking care of other patients but they don't care! So i just spend the whole day dealing with people who are unhappy that I didn't get grandma's diet changed in time for lunch, although I was off the floor transferring a critical patient. (This family SAW what I was doing, I TOLD them where I was going, and still I get complaints!!) Is it okay to actually say "I need some space?" Or is that too overdramatic? Because that's how I feel!!! I am always respectful (even if they are not), I try to sympathize by saying things like "I know it's a waiting game, I'm frustrated too, but right now all we can do is wait for x to come see you." If anyone has any other lines that I can use it would be appreciated. I should not take these things so personally.... I know all I can do is my best and if grandma has to wait 10 more minutes to be discharged because I'm dealing with a guy that needs to go to dialysis ASAP, so be it. But it's frustrating when you get no gratitude or understanding.

I love my coworkers to death. Yes, we are all stressed, but we cover for each other, there are no major fights. We find the humor in our jobs (otherwise we'd cry) at any oppurtunity. I am never bored at my job. Seriously. Sometimes the nights that are the worst I can laugh about later (after my shift is over of course.) Last night I opened a chart and saw admission orders written very clearly by one of our residents. Usually there are one or two things that need clarification but this one was perfect! IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS. The other day I suddenly realized that I had gotten very good at remembering things off the top of my head like labs that need to be drawn, at what time, and when to check them. Sometimes I'm able to tell who has a foley, who is a daily weight, who has a central line, who is a fingerstick, who is a possible discharge, etc, etc,etc without looking at my report sheet. It made me kind of happy :) Most of all though, I love how I'm working 4 nights in a row starting this weekend, then have 7 nights off---without using my vacation time. :redbeathe

Hi guys. I'm a new nurse, been working for about 6 months, off orientation in September. I just had my first shift of the New Year... and with it came my first fall (probably the hospital's first fall of the new year, wow don't i feel special x_o) . And the kicker is that the patient had someone at the bedside watching her!! Apparently the person watching her fell asleep and woke up after hearing a noise... pt was on the floor. When I found her she was just sitting there. After getting the patient back into bed (with no help from this "companion," diaper and floor were soaked btw), after taking the vitals and checking for injuries (none, thank god) calling the manager and the nurse practitioner... we find out the "companion" (let's call her "susan") is not actually a private duty aide but an unlicensed person that was hired by the patient's home health aide (call her "Judy") to watch the patient over night!!! Now that I think about it... something was off to me about Susan, and now that i think about it Judy was actually a really good aide the night before (changing diapers regularly, good repore with patient who had dementia btw), and Susan was just... sitting there. A few other little things I had noticed were off, but I just chalked it off to hey, maybe the girls' new or something. Of course the real answer was Susan was NOT A HOME HEALTH AIDE at all. :uhoh21: Anyway the incident report is signed, i wrote a more descriptive note about the situation, I spoke with the covering manager and the nurse supervisor and so far they were very understanding, apparently the hospital does have a policy that aides that come in from the outside have to sign in and get guest badges, but they understood I was new and didn't know this. I did admit the patient the night before, so I did document the agency Judy came from. Some of the other nurses I talked to told me they never think to actually check whether a home health aide has a badge, they're usually just glad to have someone by the bedside. But still.... now I know to be extra careful with outside aides, especially if my patient is a fall risk! ::sigh:: Not to mention we re short because we had to have an RN watch the monitors from 11PM to 7 (I work medicine/tele) so everyone took 1-2 extra patients, ancillary staff is short, patient with Alzheimer's keep taking of his monitor and finding new ways mess with his IV, one pt had a control freak for a husband, one pt has unresolved b/l LE pain, another s/p abd sx has an NGT tube, cardizem drip, and orders for Lopressor IVP at 6am, and the paperwork just kept piling up!! I didn't leave for an hour after my shift was over. The only good thing that came from last night was that my boyfriend stopped by at 1am with flowers to say happy new year. Coworkers were impressed :) Luckily it was quiet at that time and I got to take twenty minutes to have lunch with him... Anyway.... Happy New Year to you all.

Congrats! I'm really glad your night went well. Tonight is my first night off orientation and I hope it goes the same way, although I shouldn't count on it because for the past two weeks something has happened every shift that threw me off balance. Wish me luck! And I hope your next shift goes just as well.