How to make my day less than awesome.

I never knew how many ways that other people can make my day miserable. We've all had days where someone was a jerk to us, or someone said something that was less than awesome, or someone makes you feel bad. But try to imagine a day where every single interaction that wasn't with a fellow nurse was like that. Aannnnddddd you'll have the day I had today.


I had a patient who was an intolerable asshole. He was demanding and miserable and insufferable. He was mad because the night nurse's had Asian accents, and because his IV pump kept beeping, and because his room was next to the train tracks and he could have sworn we were having an earthquake. In Florida. You can't make this stuff up, my friends. And he was just cunning enough to make me afraid of him to the point where I wanted him to like me more than anything, just so I could go home without the fear that he would sue me because he couldn't have a bowel movement. Because, somehow, that was my fault as well. I mean, I offered the guy a suppository, but the freak of nature didn't want it unless he could insert it himself. Sorry, dude, as much as I would love if all of my patients wanted to insert things up their own anuses, instead of having to do it myself, that's a nursing skill that I simply cannot delegate to you. You could perforate your colon, or something. Weirdo.


Then the damn pharmacy did everything in their power to make my day awful. They wouldn't clarify my orders in the computer, they failed to put a patient on a potassium protocol, and they took it upon themselves to discontinue my patient (who was ONE DAY POST OP SPINAL SURGERY, mind you) off their Dilaudid PCA, because they felt that he was getting too much pain medication. I'm sorry that you felt that way, pharmacy, but maybe you should feel what it's like to get your vertebrae pulverized by a neurosurgeon before you make that decision yourselves. I don't see the letters MD on your nametag.


Oh, and speaking of MD's, they never cease to mess up my day somehow. First, they come in like ghosts, talking to my patients and writing new orders without letting me know. Then I end up not seeing a new order for hours, making me look (and feel) like a complete idiot because they were supposed to be discharged at 2:30 and I didn't see the order until 6:00. (I know I need to check my charts more often, but they can at least let me know.) And, they don't call me back when I need an order for Phenergan because my patient is puking her guts out all over the place. Plus, they don't show up when they've been consulted (I'm talking to you, urology) and get my semi-psycho patient even more riled up. It's enough to make a girl want to stab you in the eye with her hemostat.


But you know what? I didn't cry today, and I still don't hate my job. I love my fellow nurses, who share my pain and can still make me smile when things hit the fan. Also, I can always find comfort in knowing that I didn't make anyone's life worse today, that I somehow made it better. Because that's what nurses do. We all share a certain, humbling humility in the work we do. There is nothing whatsoever glamorous about this profession, but I like to think what we are all doing it for similar reasons. To help mend wounds, families, and hearts.



Bye, for now! Stay happy, and healthy!