Losing patience for my patients

I finally got back to a Sunday, Mon, Tues work schedule as opposed to having to work weekends.  Yay!  I just prefer to get my work done at the beginning of the week - not the end.  I had been hoping to work a lot of nights in a row, but by my third night, I was ready for a break.  My patients were all stable, just very needy & it was driving me crazy.  They were constantly calling me in for little things...food, drinks, medication, IV, bathroom, etc.  Small stuff, but I felt like I never got the chance to sit down & the frustration was growing.  So I opted to take Wed. night off. 

I went out to dinner with one of my best friends.  It was nice & refreshing.  So much so, that I called in & volunteered to work Thursday night.  That was a pretty good night.  I had 4 patients...all for the most part stable.  Although I had one that had dementia & would get out of bed for no reason.  I opted to put on the bed alarm so at least I'd know when she was up & wandering around the room.  There was no talking sense into her.  I think her daughter brought her to the ER just so she could have 24 hrs of peace & quiet at home...seriously. 

I also had a patient I had a few months ago.  I had bonded with his wife & I enjoyed taking care of him.  He was in last time for hip surgery.  This time his blood pressure was out of control.  It was in the 200's, then after the meds, he was down to the 70's systolically.  He started out at 70/44 on my shift, but he stabilized & we had a good night. 

I took Friday night off & for some odd reason, decided to volunteer to work Saturday night...so I called the charge nurse at 1 am & asked her to add me to the schedule.  I was glad I did...it had to be the easiest night I've had in nursing...maybe ever! 

My first patient is in with a GI bleed, although the GI doctor says there is no bleed.  Her hemoglobin dropped nearly 2 pts overnight and her hematocrit dropped 10.  So something is going on. 

My second patient was admitted with congestive heart failure & A-fib with RVR.  Not much was really going on with her.  She was stable the entire night, didn't ask for much at all. 

My third patient came in with Accelerated Hypertension.  Her blood pressure had been in the 200's systolically.  They are trying different combinations of medications to figure out what works, but so far either her BP is too low or her BP is ok, but her heart rate is too low.  There's no happy medium...yet.

My fourth patient was a new admit.  She had fallen at home & broke her leg.  She has advanced Alzheimer's & was pretty much non-verbal.  The consulting doctors would be in today to decide what to do with her. 

That's it...such an easy night.  I am scheduled for tonight & tomorrow night...so off to bed I go!!!  :)