You know it's going to be a crazy night at work, when

jo'ee · Feb 23, 2011

When you walk on the floor and the lady who has slapped, scratched and punched you repeatedly for 3 days is still here and you are assigned her....again!!!!

When you have said lady AND another pt who we need to call security for, cause she is also punching at us...

When you have these two such ladies and another pt who really needs a sitter, but alas no one available....

When you have all three of these ladies AND the one who can't keep off her call bell for 5 blessed seconds and yells at you for not bringing her a ginger ale pronto..."excuse me ma'am but I was busy being punched in the face by two other patients and could not get to your immediate demands before your finger could hit the call bell AGAIN!"

And...being a CA I have 9+ other lovely patients who know how to behave themselves and are also in need of care, but they are being neglected because I am busy being abused by the above mentioned patients.

Tell me again why I am in nursing school???

Mrs.Rollins, ASN, RN · Feb 23, 2011

...when you arrive for your shift and there are copies of Safe Harbor forms hanging at the time clock.

True story, yesterday. Quadruple ICU assignments. :eek:

SnowboardLovinRN · Feb 23, 2011

When you walk up to get report, replying to the question of which rooms you are assigned to and the reply is "Oh WOW, they REALLY should have split these up!" :uhoh3:

ShannonRN2010, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2011

It's a full moon...

SnowShoeRN · Feb 23, 2011

...When the power in your house goes out and every meteorologist is warning everyone to stay indoors because the roads weren't plowed from the blizzard before the ICE STORM had a chance to hit and your car is trapped under ice and the roads are too snowed or iced-over to walk on but they're calling a code orange (high census/low staff alert) so you SNOW SHOE the 7 blocks to work.

And you work ortho.

(True story. Ice storm several years back. I can't even remember all the hip fractures we got that night. I know I stayed at least 3 hours late.)

frankyfern22 · Feb 23, 2011

When the cops bring a 'patient' in to ER and admit diagnosis is "intoxication", no iv needed, MD plan: "pt will metabolize ETOH". oh since whe are we the drunk tank and security guards! Grrrr!

NewAggieGrad09 · Feb 23, 2011

they have called at least 4 times begging for help........
Sigh....we are going to get beat up AGAIN tonight. Hoping this is not the new normal.

OMGGGGG I swear this is going on here on my unit, as well. They hadn't been offering bonuses, but I got a call Friday night as I was heading out for dinner with my friends, and they offered me one. Sadly, I had to decline...I cherish quality time spent with family/friends because I miss out on so much because I am always working.

GRUNGE · Feb 23, 2011

You walk in and there is no one in the nurses station

AusRN · Feb 23, 2011

It's a full moon.

Several people booked off and because the ward is so full and heavy no one wants to come in... I've had 10 patients before, was scary. Report done.

Previous shift state "run!!"

Wanders. Multiple of them. Ones that are x1 assist and can cover 100m in 10 seconds.

rnlately · Feb 23, 2011

Here's more:

When a patient arrives at shift change(1900) and he has been in the ER since 1000 and report was called to the floor at 1300....

When all of the patients on your team are full code and four of them have the potential to go bad at any time....(RAT team be on guard...lol).

CareteamRN70 · Feb 23, 2011

As applies to a LTC RN

As Im punching in the unit manager is hurridly leaving but stops to start complementing me for no reason on what a great nurse I am, or how dependable I am, or how I always show up at the right time....thats a cue to run.

Or as I am getting report I see several partialy made charts for possible new admits and I get told "Oh those?, don't worry it's too late for them to show up tonight." as I see an ambulance (or two) backing up to the facility.

I get told in report the new admit is Cont B/B...but that the staff thinks they may have c-dif due to uncontrolled loose BM all shift.

I get told a new dementia admit is "redirectable"

AltaEnfermera · Feb 23, 2011

...when you get a call on your way into work saying "State just walked in!" (LTC/psych)

Or, you walk through the front door and are immediately assailed by a flying laundry bin/angry family member/some unknown food item. (Also LTC/psych...sadly, it happens more often than I care to remember, lol.)