What an exhausting week!
Monday was my first call night on this contract and everything that could go wrong, did!
First, there was a late day case that did not start until after hours. I worked the in-patient center the entire day which requires me to not only do my job, but the job of the tech as well. Somehow, this department has found a way to normalize nurses running a room by themselves while the tech sits at the computer shopping. (I am serious! and while I am working doing her job and mine, she was asking my opinion on the shoes she picked out)
Because the endoscopy department closes after the last case, I was pushed to the OR PACU to recover my patient. That was the cherry on-top of an already frustrating day! I couldn’t get into their med machine, I couldn’t find a printer for my discharge papers, and when I asked for help… the other nurses scattered like rats when a light turns on. I was completely abandoned and in a foreign department with no one to turn to when I was reaching my limit.
And after all that, I got called in at 11pm for an emergency case. I didn’t think my day could get worse but I was SOO wrong! I quickly got my cheat sheet out and started following the steps (Since I had not done night call yet, I had to rely on the steps given to me by the department educator).
Step 1, call anesthesia for a room time- No answer… Went ahead and got dressed then called again – no answer… Went ahead and put my hair up and called again- no answer… Gave up on step 1
Step 2, call your tech to report to hospital- No answer… Texted my tech to report to hospital- wait for reply
Step 2.5, call buddy call nurse if you feel you need them to come in- no answer…. hang up and call back- no answer… hang up and call back- no answer… one more time, hang up and call back- no answer… texted my buddy call rn- wait for reply
Tech texted back! (thank god, cause I was in tears by this point)
Step 3, report to the hospital. bawling an ugly cry the entire way to the hospital- check
Back to step 1: Call anesthesia from hospital phone hoping they weren’t answering because I have an out of state phone number… No answer… call another anesthesia number I found in the directory on the desk… No answer
My buddy call person calls me back -FINALLY – told her I can’t get ahold of anesthesia… she gives me another number to call… No answer
My tech arrives in the department, I tell her my anesthesia problem and she says call the operator for a direct line.
Finally got ahold of anesthesia and I am told that he “won’t be able to consider us until after a gallbladder surgery that is scheduled for midnight, at least 30 minutes before I can come.” Great, I will make sure the patient is ready in 30 minutes. 5 minutes later, here comes anesthesia… “where is the patient?” Me: “Well, that was the fastest 30 minutes on record” (my limit had been reached a long time ago and it just came out… not my best moment)
Leave to get patient from ER and make the tech come with me because I was not going to do this call night by myself and we were not going to have a repeat of my day earlier!
Get back to department and my buddy call RN has finally arrived.
Anesthesia sees patient, I pre-op patient, call MD to let her know we are in the department and then anesthesia leaves… we all sit there until 0130am for anesthesia to return…
Do the case in 15 minutes, and I decided I was NOT going back to OR PACU! I recovered him in the endo unit and I made my tech stay with me until I discharged the patient. Get home at 3am…
This one day of call took the life out of me for the remainder of the week.
Yep, I did nothing this weekend. I was on recovery mode and simply didn’t have the energy!
This week was a glimpse into the real life of not only a Travel Nurse, but an Endoscopy nurse!! Eat dinner before 6pm and PLEASE… Chew your food!! If it gets stuck in your throat, don’t wait until bed time to realize you need to get help. An endoscopy nurse will thank you!
Keep following along to see the real life of nurses and the not so pleasant things we deal with!
