Pulled a Million Ways

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As an RN I feel I am pulled a million ways by EVERYONE from patient to disciplines. I end up dropping what I am doing to appease all, and it is starting to burn me out....for fear of being thought of as not caring. Examples are while doing a treatment or med pass...Soo and so needs pain meds, this one has a bruise, this one is dizzy, this one IV is beeping, this one 's dressing came off...on and on all day. My question to SEASONED nurses is do you drop what you are doing to attend to it like I do, or do you say you will get to it when you can ? How do YOU deal with it tactfully ? My assignment is from one wing to other wing so I am back and forth to both sides for issues, meds, phone calls ETC

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The other nurses I work with seem to just brush it off and not jump on things. I take a 10 min lunch and they take an hour and take off for hours to run errands...I just don't get it.

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Prioritization is a skill that comes with time.

Some facilities actually make you wear a yellow ribbon during a med pass that indicates you need to be left alone.

Refresh yourself on Maslow's hierarchy. Oxygen comes first :) If they are having chest pain, shortness of breath , or bleeding.. then drop what you're doing and attend to that problem.

Also a good time to delegate, "I can't do that right now.. please ask Nurse B to look at XXXX.

Good luck, it's a jungle out there.

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Thank You !!!! Makes sense pulled so many ways makes my head spin

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