Shift 29

Today was a crazy day. Busiest I have ever seen it. It had been going on for well before I came on shift at 2pm. When I walked in, the waiting room was full of patients- of all things- waiting. All available beds were full. We ended up opening up 3 beds in our satellite area thats hardly ever used and when it is, its used for overflow ICU patients. Never in my short time there I had seen it being used for overflow ER patients, and today I did. I was sent to the satellite to open it up as an extension of our fast track area, where we see lighter load patients there for things like cuts, sprains, breaks, etc, where they can get in and out and turnover is quick. I worked down there until around 7pm when we had to close the satellite so that our ICU can set up to use the area for their patients because they were also overflowing, or at least anticipated themselves to be.

I was then sent to take an assignment to relieve a nurse that came in at 7am. Usually, I float because we have a charge nurse and 3 night nurses who come in, so they all take assignments and I float to help them keep up, or I go to triage. This shift, however, we had just the charge nurse and 2 other nurse coming in, so we were shorthanded on the worst of all nights.

So I was given rooms 5, 6, 7, and 8, which were all full, and then with those rooms we also have hallway beds, so I also had 5a, 6a, 7a, and 8a. This was the most patients I have ever had at once. The other 2 nurses never had as many as me. The most either one of them could have had, just because of how our ER is designed, is one nurse with 4 rooms and 2 possible hallway beds, or the other nurse with 5 rooms and 2 possible hallway beds. I think the one nurse had 4 rooms and 1 hallway bed, and the other nurse had 5 rooms and 1 hallway bed. So here I am with 8 patients, sinking, literally, and the others had 5 or 6 patients.

I cannot even begin to tell you how behind I was and how stressed I was about it. I cried twice. I tried not to but I really just was beside myself. Now granted, I wasn't hysterical or anything, I just had eyes that welled up with tears in frustration- both at the situation and at myself for not being able to keep up and for also letting it get to me. The day charge nurse asked me to help her with something and when were we in the room (not a patient's room) is where I cried the second time. I vented to her and she was so nice, she listened and told me that I was not the only one who cried today, that several other nurses did, too, including herself, and they were seasoned, experienced nurses, so she told me not to feel bad. It was a rough, hard day.

And I am glad its over. But I am also thankful for the people that I was working with because they were all very helpful and it could have gone a lot worse if a person or 2 were there to work instead. For the most part, everyone I work with are great people, but there are a couple who are not quite as nice or easy to get along with.

For now, I am going to thoroughly enjoy my day off.