Related: Anxiety, Confidence, Emotions, Feelings, Mistake, patients, Student Nurse

I have been an RN for almost two years now. I worked in a Special Care Unit till now, and I am training in the ER (my dream job). I have made mistakes since becoming a nurse and I always keep them with me. (I expect perfection from myself.)

Generally, though, when I make mistakes, I realize I have the best intentions and am able to [...]

Related: Anger, caring, Conflict, Delegation, Emotions, Expectations, Failure, Mindset, New Nurse, Nursing Shortage, patients, Stress, Support, Time

I went to work: 14 surgical patients. The nurse assistant called in sick and they couldn't find a replacement for the first four hours of my shift.

The day didn’t start out great—-and soon got worse.

That day I asked the hospital cleaning crew to mop up some fresh vomit. "We don't clean up body fluids," she replied. I tried to borrow her mop to clean it [...]

Related: caring, patients, spirituality

The patient who had just had a D&C after a miscarriage. The little girl dying after a failed liver transplant. The man headed to surgery for a colon resection to treat his cancer. The wife whose husband just died. The father who called to tell us his daughter had just been diagnosed with cancer.

These are all people who [...]

Related: Assertiveness, Attitude, caring, Conflict, doctor-nurse relationships, Patient Advocate, patients, Power, Prioritizing, Respect

As Doctor Pru stood there reading the file her mouth turned down into a frown.

"Who triaged this patient?" She called out across the room to anyone who would pay her attention. Everyone ignored her except me. I knew whose file she had and I knew she'd make a fuss, not because there was a problem, but because she loved to pick faults and seemed to [...]

Related: Assertiveness, Authority, Boundaries, Communication, Confidence, Conflict, Feelings, Hostility, New Grad, New Nurse, patients, PCT, Power, Professionalism, Respect, Stress

I am a brand-new nurse--just two weeks off orientation. I am 20 years old but look a few years younger. I have had issues with two PCTs who are probably in their 50s, and have worked together on my floor for about 30 years. I haven't had issues with any of the other PCTs.

One issue: They feel insulted if I ask them if they did [...]

Related: caring, Conflict, Critical Care Nursing, patients, Perfect Nurse

After being off for a few days, I went back to work at my cover-all ICU. I had the typical two, vented patients, who were very much fluff and turns.

Around 9 pm on my first night back, a twenty-something-year-old male from the ER arrives. The ER nurse gave our nurse report, stating the patient was breathing a little fast. We are all thinking 25-30 breaths [...]

Related: embarrassing moment, humor, patients, Student Nurse

Poop and mental confusion: Those are the common denominators in the stories you shared with us.

As I read through all the entries, I realized what a quirky profession we are in. We see people in their rawest form. Sometimes it makes us recoil. Sometimes it makes us sad. Sometimes it makes us pee in our pants in laughter. This [...]

Related: Attitude, Caregivers, caring, Compassion Fatigue, Emotions, Energy, Feelings, Morale, patients

I am drained: mentally, physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

One month at the PICU, I’m so tired. It's been the kind of month that keeps you up all night. If you finally get to sleep, you wake up from a disturbing dream.

You smile and joke the whole day at work, but subconsciously you're bleeding from the gut. And there are no sutures to keep the wound closed. [...]

Related: Delegation, Learning, Morale, Patience, patients, Prioritizing, Quitting, Stress, Time

Sticking out that first job as a new nurse even when you feel like quitting can be one of the biggest challenges you’ll ever face.

As a new nurse grad you’re pumped up and ready to change the world. You’ve learned all about treating the whole patient; he’s a person not a room number or medical ID number; her family affects his condition, and her care [...]

Related: Attitude, caring, Compassion Fatigue, patients

"What are they doing here?" asked Shannon. "They shouldn't be here. It's an emergency room, for goodness’ sake."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, can't they see we're too busy?" I added. At the time I had only been working in the emergency room for six months, and like all good junior staff, I was mimicking my seniors.

You see, the problem was that we were ridiculously busy, [...]