Two months as a nurse, tired but happy

[vss04]

Got a job directly after exam at a cardiac clinic. I´ve been working in the same place before as a nurse assistant to finance my studies. It´s quite a difference, I must say, to work as a nurse.

Swedish hospitals, as in many other countries have economic problems. Problems that leads to cut downs in staff. So for that matter I´m really happy I actually got a work.

Swedish caregiving is mostly financed by the government and everyone is guaranteed professional care by the state. Nevertheless, at least where I´m working, economic cut downs has led to many problems. The flow of patients forces prioritation several times a day. Who´s to stay in our departement and who´s to leave?

We have originally 20 beds and have possibility to squeeze in three more patients if necessary (in corridor). Many times doctors phones us from the emergency ward and ask us to make room for more patients. But what patient safety is that if we already squeezed in the extra three patients?

And what comfort is it laying as a patient in the corridor?

Well, I started with saying I´m happy at may work and thats true. I love the work and I love my colleagues, they are wonderful. But the stress that comes upon me when I have responsibility for 11-12 patients (many of them seriously ill) makes me tired.

Of course, much of my fatigue comes from my lack of practise which has as a consequence that every moment in my work takes unproportional long time to handle. That in itself makes me stressed (and tired of course). Many days I´ve been thinking when leavin the job "Sh-t, I forgot to do this or that!".

Gradually I can notice that pieces are falling in to the right position and

I´m sure that one day I´ll feel satisfied with my day at work.

Gunnar, Sweden

[muffie, RN]

good luck with your career gunnar