Reality shock

DoeRN · Nov 24, 2012

Do you have to work 3 days in a row?

Can the charge nurse help out? That's a lot to deal with.

liveyourlife747 · Nov 24, 2012

You have to remember that you can't do everything, especially when it happens right before shift change. You have to grit your teeth and tell the oncoming nurse that you are doing your best, but there are still things that need to be done. I think the incoming shift gets upset sometimes at little things, but they will get over it. Pts can be hard to deal with when it comes to discharges. Just take a deep breath and remember your pt identifiers like name and dob. Tell the pt you will be with them as soon as possible. Usually discharges don't take too long, especially if teaching has been done throughout the hospital stay. Just remember to breathe and do one thing at a time. It seems you are doing well especially since you had things under control until those things came up. Nursing is a 24/7 job and everyone has to do their part. There is no way you can do everything, things have to be passed on. Hope that helps. Keep your chin up.

rita359 · Nov 24, 2012

Slow down. It's either busy like that all shift or at times during the shift. It's a bummer to come in to work already there but that is what it is sometime.

As far as food, if you have to work 3 in a row it would be good to cook something before your first day so you could just microwave it. I like to have salad of some kind in refrig that I can just add to something fast.

Rhi007 · Nov 24, 2012

You may not have time to eat but if the docs can sit at a computer and munch so can you... Even if its a bag of trail mix while you prepare shift change notes. Just remember you are number one, not the patients and the on coming shift will survive with a little overflow. You are no use to anyone if your head is in the wrong space, and it also becomes a liability issue due to mistakes made.

A low BSL from not eating can affect you and your work also. 36hrs straight is harsh, is it night duty?? At the teaching hospital I volunteer at their night shift is 14hrs and a nurse that looked after me did 4x14hr shifts straight... They have to do 4 per month. I was recently out at bushfire callouts with St. John and pulled a 24hr shift doing eye washes, dehydration and minor burns/injuries first aid. It's amazing what cold spaghetti can do for energy levels when hoovered down in 5mins

anotherone, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2012

In the beginning everyone gets overwhelemed. In some shifts I still get overwhelmed. The TYPICAL shift i had was what you described and one of the reasons I went to nights when an opening came up. Nights can be very stressful as well but it wasnt the 5 discharges and 5 new pts all in the same shift of days. try to ask for help when you can and it is avaialable. dont let patients intimidate you into not doing a thorough job. this will come with some experience .

as for working 3 or more in a row and not having food. i have been there all of the time.way too tired to go grocery shopping. all i want/ed to do is sleep. I actually looked forward to going to work so i could eat. Is the cafeteria still open when you leave or before you start? buy some milk, coffee , cereal,bread,lettuce, tomatos , and lunch meats and cheese. That is pretty much what I live off of. not the healthiest, but reality. when working, my priorirty becomes sleeping not eating. the first few moths at work i had many shifts where i didnt have time to eat so i made sure to eat before work! didn't do that sometimes and never again!!! never know what i am walking into!

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Nov 24, 2012

You have to eat. You have to ask for help. You must accept you cannot finish everything some days.

DizzyLizzyNurse · Nov 25, 2012

Slow down. Ask for help nicely. Return the favor and offer to help others when you have down time. It won't kill the next shift to have to finish up your discharge. I know because I had to finish a discharge for the day shift just a couple days ago. I'm still alive. :cheeky: We work at 24 hour facilities and sometimes things have to passed on. Make sure you take your break and go to the bathroom when you need to. No one will take care of you if you don't consider yourself important enough. If it take 3 extra seconds to be safer about disposing of needles, it's worth it. Think of how much time was wasted after filing out a report and getting tested. (You took care of that, right?) When you start to get overwhelmed, close your eyes, take a deep breath and count to 10. You have enough time to take 10 seconds.

Shop on your days off or (what I like to do) make a quick list and run into the grocery store right after work. I work nights and LOVE grocery shopping at 8 am because no one is there. Just grab what you need and get out. Make huge batches of meals on your days off and freeze them in little tupperware containers. Just grab one and some fresh produce and you are golden for work. Or I just make a quick bag lunch. A sandwich, fruit, salad, and some kind of dessert takes less than 5 minutes to put together and is a lot cheaper than ordering out.

It gets easier, I promise.

RNperdiem, RN · Nov 25, 2012

Do you have any control over the scheduling? While some nurses prefer to work all their days together, I prefer to space my shifts out over the week. I also work days. Sometimes after a busy shift, if you don't have to go back to work the next day, you get time to decompress a bit. Hunger and poor nutrition affects your mental state. I find myself less easily frazzled if I keep well fed. If you have to work several days in a row, have several days' lunches packed, in the fridge and ready to go. Have your clothes all laid out, have food in the fridge for dinner after work, and fill the car with gas on your days off. Having low morale as a new nurse is normal. Taking good care of yourself will help you survive and thrive.