What is your first hint that it is gonna be a rough shift

[AngelsWings09]

Have you ever walked onto the floor and just had that strange uncomfortable feeling right off the bat

that is is gonna be "one of those nights (or days)". Seriously, , this happened to me just last night, and

true to the theory, all bedlam broke out right off the bat. My first patients room that I walked into, a

woman asked me where her bell for room service was. She wanted me to help her rearrange her winter

wardrobe and replace it with all the clothes that her and her daughter had went on a shopping spree

to Kohl's and had 8 bags of clothing that all needed untagged, labeled, hung up. Explained her that

this is what volunteers and family members were for. She told me that her daughter had a very

important job at the post office and had to work all weekend, so I would have to do it. Excuse me???

When I told her that I had med passes, vitals, treatments, and charting to do for 24 others, she pulled

her wig off her head, threw it at me and told me to get the hell outta her room if I was just going to

treat her like that:flamesonb

[Be_Moore]

"So this is your patient, Ms. X who is on a 1:1 mental health hold." Sigh. Either that or when you walk out to get report and realize that the code cart is next to your room.

[travel50]

When you get that 6AM call with poorly concealed panic in the voice, "State just walked in the building".

[jennjen512]

When the nurse giving report says "I'm sorry to give you this patient."

[RNperdiem, RN]

If I walk in and the noise level is high, there are more than the usual number of doctors on the unit, or the crash cart is parked outside a room, it might be one of those days.

If the unit smells bad despite the obvious use of deodorant air freshner, the source of the odor might be my patient.

[Spritenurse1210, BSN, RN]

I've found that if i walk in at 1030 and the 3-11 nurse is running around like her hair is on fire, it's a pretty good indication my night's going to be a night from Hades.

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

Usually when I drive up and I see four ambulances parked outside the ambulance bay, I get my game face on.

I have had a few days where I came in at 0630 and night shift have that thousand mile stare (just dealt with one or two pediatric codes), there are still people in the hallway beds and waiting room (thankfully not the same ones from the night before, but still makes for a rough start of a shift), and they all turn to me and tell me to walk back out and go home, its going to be a really rough day.

Or in the break room someone busts through the door telling who ever has just come in that they need to check in early because there are 5 trauma's coming now/someone just coded...you get the picture. Bad day in the making.

[tishirajan]

The call lights are ringing off the wall....ugh that's a bad sign:selfbonk:

[jstar126]

30+ in the lobby, every bed in the ER is full, and you see a certain Dr. is with you that night = BAD

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

The nurse you're relieving breaks into a broad smile and says, "I'm so glad you're here!"

The charge nurse hides when you come in so she doesn't have to be there when you see your assignment.

The number of security guards on your floor exceeds the number of techs.

The pile of charts at the unit clerk's desk is taller than she is.

You arrive on your floor and three bed exit alarms are simultaneously ringing.

You're told during report, "they just D/C'd the restraints (or sitter), but I think he/she will be okay..."

There are more patients in Geri chairs in your district than there are in beds.

The nurse you're relieving has discharged four patients in the last two hours, and the ER is hopping.

The first person you see on your floor is a sweating, out of breath tech who pants, "go home...NOW!"

One of your fellow nurses grabs you as you walk in and says, "hey, would you mind checking for a blood pressure on Mrs. Smith? No one else can get one, and she's going to be your patient anyway."

[itsmyturn]

When I park and someone is pulling in to the space in front of me and "taps" the front of my car. Once I finish the argument that my car was still in the space designated for me, I am walking into the lobby and a lady and a man are screaming "the baby is coming!" and it plops out right there in front of me. I then get on the elevator and a fire alarm is called and the elevator shuts down because a nurse thought the buttons read 3 minutes when she left her popcorn but it actually said 30 minutes. Then once I get to the floor, I am the only nurse for 24 pts because the other two came down with a stomach virus and staffing can't get anyone to work! Happened just two weeks ago! My day ended with getting soaking wet "trying" to run to the car because I ended up spraining my foot from running my butt off that day, trying to help the agency nurse locate everything. Man, that was definately for the shelf labeled "love-hates of nursing"

[APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

When I get to work and the nurse that I'm taking over for says right off the bat "I haven't been able to chart at all for this entire shift................"