Putting Out Fires

Isn't that what nursing is all about....putting out fires? Gone are the days of getting to know your patients, calming their fears, giving massages, etc. Instead it has been replaced with hours of non-stop charting and tasks aka fires.

I should have come into work Monday night with my own team of firefighters....but alas....us nurses have to brave this stuff all on our own. Now I had most of these patients the night before...so I thought coming back the next night...it wouldn't be so bad. That's the problem...thinking. I sat down for report & was immediately told by the day nurse..."I hope your patients don't die, you have 3 that could die at anytime." What?????? Who says stuff like this?

Patient #1 had a hemoglobin of 5.9. Really not good considering the day before it was 9.3. So she was needing 3 units of blood, yet it was now 7 pm & she had yet to receive even 1 unit. Grrr!

Patient #2 had runs of V-tach. I had a feeling it was a result of his potassium being low even though we were continuously replacing it.

Patient #3 had just been diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in his lungs) & had yet to be started on Heparin. We had the order, but at 7 pm, it still was not hung. Grrr!!

Patient #4 had to be transferred to our big hospital because he was needing 3 heart stents a.s.a.p.

And Patient #5...a new admission they were handing me during report. Nice, huh?

I managed to hande it all, put out the fires & everyone survived without any problems...but the day nurse called in sick the next morning. Guess he was worried he'd be walking back into a disaster zone.

Tuesday night was ok....much better than Monday night. I'm working Mon, Tues & Fri this coming week. I usually like to work 3 in a row & be done with it, but I am interested in seeing if maybe it's better to split up the days as I was worn out by the end of that third shift this past week. I've been off since Wednesday & am still tired!

It's pouring down rain...which I like cause it's tooooooo hot in Florida lately. Or should I say too humid. Either way, it's too icky to be outside. Time to catch up on some tv.

I think later tonight I'm going to go visit my old hospital...just to say hi. Hard to believe I've already been at the new job for a month!

Have a good weekend everyone!