When Nurses Have Meltdowns

When a nurse is having a bad day, here are a few handy tips for coworkers:

1. Jump in and help. Don't wait for the nurse having the bad day to ask. This is a good time to put the phrase "Just do it" into action. Thankfully, I have such a co-worker, actually, surprisingly two. And one of those is a manager. Color me surprised!

2. Don't bitch about what a rough day YOU'RE having and ask for my help. This will rapidly piss me off even more--and make your day harder for sure.

3. Don't walk by me and announce "Oh you're going to love me for sure! Guess what? You're getting an admit in about an hour. This makes me want to give you an enema--after taking a running start, without the lube.

4. For God's sake, do NOT give me the slowest TMA on the planet--nice woman, good heart, good CNA, HORRIBLE TMA. Oh yeah, don't do that AND short me on an aid.

5. Jump in and help with the needy, cranky, demanding family members.

I have a pt. dying, with family calling for updates. I happen to have a distant connection to this family as well, making them expect more from me. Under normal circumstances, I want to go that extra mile. I want all of my pts. to have the highest quality of care. I have high expectations of myself in this regard.

Next, had a discharge. Fairly simple, straight forward, anxious to leave. Fine, until he calls me because he can't get the meds he told me he didn't need me to order. Why is this my problem? Could have solved it at 7:30am before my day went to hell.

Next pt. is sure that the meds are WRONG, and don't you dare bring me those meds after my food is here. Fine, eat your food cold...want one to one care? I'm a lot more expensive...so a call's made to try and straighten out the meds and spouse harrasses me for not getting a reply fast enough. PLEASE NOTE: I'M NOT THE SECRETARY FOR THE MD WHO WORKS OUT OF AN OFFICE DOWN THE STREET. This one doesn't want to eat either, refuses her supplements, can't figure out why she's so tired. Surely there's a reason...could it be the terminal dx, the high dose pain meds? The lack of food? Nah, probably the inhaler you insist I didn't order correctly for you, even though I didn't enter your orders.

This one still has a port a cath access needle in (and I need to figure out what to do with it, um, how to get it out) wants a suppository--but not now--maybe later. Asks me why the maintenence man would know the therapy schedule. Maybe because he's a really nice guy, trying to be helpful, and was here to set up your requested equipment that therapy provided. Maybe you could treat him a little crappier, eh? After all, he's JUST the maintenence man.

Next pt. has c-diff...lots of fun. Doesn't want to eat, despite this, a shocking amount still coming out the other end.

Opps, another one started hospice and is rapidly declining. Someone else can convince him to deep breath and cough every hour. Doesn't want to eat.

Super Gay Hospice Nurse had to add a little dig at the end and piss me off..."Just a friendly reminder to do oral cares frequently." WTF? I personally did oral cares x2, there were swabs bedside, and vaseline bedside. Did it look like efforts were not being made? Asshole.

Damn, trays are late and I gave insulin to another pt...crap...should I re-check his insulin? Where the hell is my TMA? I already have my medicare vitals done, how can she not have that cart done yet?

Why isn't anyone in my dining room? Thankfully Super Nurse Co-worker is on top of it and now a bunch of my pts are in the dining room. No clue where my CNA is....

Great, the discharge from yesterday wants us to round up the O2 cylinders he brought from home. Dude, call your O2 company, not me. You have been DISCHARGED.

Okay, guess I'll have to pass meds for the second cart. Crap, there are three people who have crushed meds. Oh, there's my CNA, someone is refusing to get dressed until I change his saturated dressing. YUCK. Gross...it's smelly too...What does he mean I slapped the bandage on wrong? How many ways are there to put a giant band-aid on? Seriously? You won't get up until I get a new one? Oh my, that IS tempting. Of course the other nurse does it right...she works with you every single day and I'm just a big old loser replacement nurse in charge of double the amount of pts that she is because we're working short handed again!

Oh, pain meds, pain meds, and more pain meds. Pain follow up, ice packs, and rubbing sore joints. Answering hospice questions, social worker questions, and doing treatments down the other hall that has the best TMA ever. Damn, why couldn't I have had her instead? Doctor's call...I hope it's on one of my regular pts. Thank God, it is and I knew what he wanted to know/hear.

This is why I had the meltdown when I found out my admit was early. I seem to keep finding more and more problems, have no time to fix them, and can't get my assessments done.

Thankfully, my Super Nurse Co-worker validated my crappy day. I was actully feeling bad about crying, but she made me feel better, told me I was right, and that a lot was being asked of me (yeah, I know it's pathetic that I still felt bad) Just call me the doormat.

Thank God it's my weekend off!