I worked four days in a row, normally only three. I don't know what it is about me being charge that seems to bring out the forces of chaos that it does. The image I would like to project is one of quite harmony in the midst of madness... I'm not there yet.
Strange things happen when I'm charge, let me cite a few cases..... end of shift (18 bed unit) young woman comes in on a balloon pump as two other pts arrive that we had been waiting hours one. Balloon pump pt then needs to be turned completely over (pronation) to help her lungs. Madness!!!
Both my pts transferred out. I wait and wait on the two pts coming to me. First one: heart rate in 20's, being externally paced. No big deal. Which is good, #2 pt is young, the dreaded words "flu like symptoms", brought down to one of the units to prevent coding, now intubated but they decide to put in a balloon pump, after that he comes to me, after I get him they decide to do emergency surgery. This amounts to 40 minutes of hell while we get him, family, docs, lab, chaplain, paperwork ready. Oh, they brought #1 pt in right before this one hit my door, and oops, he's intubated but not sedated yet so there are a few issues that we need to deal with RIGHT NOW. Funny aside: one of the nurses that was tripled up kept saying as bad as his day was, at least he wasn't me!!
Anyway, that was fun. I shall work on my auora and see if that can improve things in the atmosphere. If not, maybe pray over a bag of NS and squirt it around the unit. :)
1 comment:
Ha ha! I loved the picture. I hate days where you come home so tired and hungry that you can't decide what to do...eat or sleep....so you do both! Thanks for the smile. :-) I hope your days get better...if not, the NS trick might work.
Post a Comment