It's been so physically heavy and mentally demanding on my unit recently. Christmastime is always tough. Some of our beds close, and surgeries slow down, so we are left with patients awaiting long-term care or rehab. For the most part, they are all hard to turn and non-ambulatory. My neck and shoulder are constantly burning, which is turning into some sort of chronic issue. A nursing resolution I should have included in the last post is to see my massage therapist more regularly! Us nurses are all non-stop, running from one crisis to the next until our shift is over. The more physically demanding it is, the staff sick calls seems to pile up. This makes us short-staffed and the unit even more physically demanding.
But then, out of the blue, one of those good shifts happen that make me happy to be a nurse. I had one of those nightshifts last night where the stars seemed to align. All my patients were happy and comfortable. My patients were all well taken care of without me feeling drained at the end of the day. There was no major crises, I was able to take all my breaks, and I didn't have to spend an hour after my shift to make sure all the work was done. Wouldn't it be nice to work in a place where staffing supply could meet the patient care demands? I wonder if these hospitals exist out there somewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment