Trying SoooHard...

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I have been off of oreintation for three weeks now, some ok days and days like yesterday, I had my first emotional crisis...I am on a med/surg floor I had 8 pts, 2-vents 1 who condition is slowly deteriorating, vent alarm going off every 15 min, kept having to call resp, helping the docs who were in and out, my other vent pt crying telling me she wants to give up, spent a lot of time trying to console and comfort her, 1 pt in bilat wrist restraints which I didnt find out in report saw this when I walked in the room, later got out of restraints, knocked over Iv pole, peg feed all over, called for help, no ativan or anything ordered took doc 4 ever to come evaluate, one pt on bladder training ---clamp, umclamp take pt to bathroom ( aide was too busy...) every two hours, and well I guess my other pts were pretty good on this team. I broke down when I went in to tell my nurse manager I needed help...She tried but she was real busy too.. I left thinking of all the things I forgot to do..and I left two hours later than usual. Oh forgot to tell you how it all started.. I was crushing meds w/ this dumb hammer and yes I hit my little pinky!!!! Just looking for some consoling I guess, I feel incapable right now.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Why do you have 2 pts on vents on a MED/SURG floor??? At my hosp vented pts are in the icu! Added to that you also have 6 other pts? I'd be crying too. We sometimes have as many as 10 pts apiece on my med/surg floor, but they are not near as critical as your sound. I would be looking for employment elsewhere. Sounds like your license could be in jeopardy.

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Specializes in CRNA.

Why do you have vented patients on a Med/Surg floor?? That is nuts! No wonder you are overwhelmed....I work in ICU and our vented patients stay with us until they are extubated and stable...THEN go to med/surg. I agree with the previous poster; it sounds like your license may be in jeopardy @ this facility

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WOW.... That is ALOT to handle. How many vent patients were there one the floor? Were they evenly divided?

Plus a person in bilat restraints who sounds like he may have needed a one to one....

That is way to much to handle. You said that you are trying soo hard, and it is evident that you did! Its not you, it was the assignment. I would not stay at that hospital if this is a usualy, even somewhat occaisional occurence.

I just started (well.... 9months ago) on a tele/ortho/medsurg floor. We are a smaller unit -20 beds, but will never have more than 2 vents per floor, much less per person. We would be on the phone with the nursing supervisor, manager, everyone- every 5 minutes- if any of our nurses had a situation like yours. I appreciate that I work with nurses who stick up for each other!

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Specializes in Cardiovascular Step Down & Trauma ICU.
I have been off of oreintation for three weeks now, some ok days and days like yesterday, I had my first emotional crisis...I am on a med/surg floor I had 8 pts, 2-vents 1 who condition is slowly deteriorating, vent alarm going off every 15 min, kept having to call resp, helping the docs who were in and out, my other vent pt crying telling me she wants to give up, spent a lot of time trying to console and comfort her, 1 pt in bilat wrist restraints which I didnt find out in report saw this when I walked in the room, later got out of restraints, knocked over Iv pole, peg feed all over, called for help, no ativan or anything ordered took doc 4 ever to come evaluate, one pt on bladder training ---clamp, umclamp take pt to bathroom ( aide was too busy...) every two hours, and well I guess my other pts were pretty good on this team. I broke down when I went in to tell my nurse manager I needed help...She tried but she was real busy too.. I left thinking of all the things I forgot to do..and I left two hours later than usual. Oh forgot to tell you how it all started.. I was crushing meds w/ this dumb hammer and yes I hit my little pinky!!!! Just looking for some consoling I guess, I feel incapable right now.[/quo

Wow, that sounds like a tough shift - but a great learning experience. Just think of all the patient's who thought "she made a difference in my life." This is what you signed up for - and I pray it will get better for you.;) Don't give up - this world needs more people like you. When you get home, think to yourself, "I am a NURSE!, I may have saved a life today". Be proud of yourself, you have a tough job! Hang in there - you are an inspiration to me as I counquer the mountain known as nursing school...YOU'VE REACHED THE TOP!!

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Specializes in MedSurg, Ortho, Neuro, StepDown, Rehab.

This is just to let you know - GET ANOTHER JOB!!!!! It matters that you made a difference in somebody's life, but not at the risk of being sued or losing your license. If you had 2 patients on vents - with 6 others, that is a big NO NO NO. Vents should be in ICU or StepDown and if you have them both, you should only have one other patient on StepDown or ICU at the most. You should have called the NM or the House Supervisor and told them NO - you are not trying to hard, someone is taking advantage of you at your license expense.

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Specializes in LTAC, Homehealth, Hospice Case Manager.

I don't understand the vent pts on a med/surg unit either. I work LTAC & have had 7/7 pts on vents, it's what we do...it's a rough assignment even in my setting & I'm used to it. I agree, I think I'd be looking for something else, too. As for crushing the meds, a small set of craft pliers works best! You can find them at most craft stores for about $3 & they clean easy. :)

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

New nurses sure have it rough. That sounds like an unsafe assignment and continued assignments like that are going to have you running for another career door. Vented patients are ICU material. As a former critical care nurse, a full patient load for me would be two on vents. Usually I would get one vented and one non-vented.

I want to see new nurses stay in the profession. This is why I strongly urge you to consider alternative employment if this is the status quo at your facility. The fact that you held it together at all for the entire shift is a testament to what you are capable of. I'm impressed. I'm also saddened because that means that neither nurse nor patients got what they deserved and it is unfortunately a trend.

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Specializes in Wound and Ostomy care, Neuro, Med-Surg.
Why do you have 2 pts on vents on a MED/SURG floor??? At my hosp vented pts are in the icu! Added to that you also have 6 other pts? I'd be crying too. We sometimes have as many as 10 pts apiece on my med/surg floor, but they are not near as critical as your sound. I would be looking for employment elsewhere. Sounds like your license could be in jeopardy.

10 patients! :banghead:

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Specializes in Psych, substance abuse, MR-DD.

Agreed.

I worked on a med-surg floor with step-down (vented and monitored) pts, but they were on the other side of the hall, and the nurses only had three patients.

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Specializes in Cardiac.
.I am on a med/surg floor I had 8 pts, 2-vents.

What?? No way is this safe! Get a new job, stat!

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

vented pts on a med surg floor??? We keep ours in the ICU until they are extubated. In the ICUs we never have more than 2 pts. Our floor nurses never have more than like 5 or 6 i think...no vents...no drips, minimal IV drugs...

Id say get a new job. There are places where you dont have to kill yourself.

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