I don't sleep at night... no biggie.

If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon. ~ George Aiken

Sad, but most likely true. People love to hate.

I'm Jess. I live in Charleston, WV. I am a nurse on a neurological floor. I mostly care for older people that have had strokes or have other problems with their noggins. Some seizures, head trauma and spinal surgery too. Lately it's also been the satellite psych ward. I work night shift, so it's even more fun since the real crazies come out at night.
March 3

Dear Neurotic Nurse,

I’m sorry you are unhappy with your assignment this morning. Six patients? You poor thing. Only one nursing assistant? Get over it, we never have even one on night shift. Be thankful you have at least one. Bitching about your assignment throughout my entire report isn’t going to accomplish anything… except annoying the fuck out of me. If you think your assignment is too much or unfair (there was another nurse that only had four patients at the start of shift), go to the charge nurse… the person that actually made your assignment and can change it. I suggested this out-right to you and you hemmed and hawed about it.

Last night when you gave me report, you bitched almost the entire time too. I get that you were tired because her daughter’s baby shower had been moved up a weekend, you got back to town late, and they wouldn’t let you call off that day. I get that you had two admits during your shift, one at 3pm and one at 5pm, and two discharges. I have two new admits during my shift on a fairly regular basis. In fact, that night I had a new admit right when I got to the floor. I also found out about an hour into the shift that your “second admit” was only half done. Not even half, you signed off one page (out of 5-6) of orders and did the IPOC (a pretty much useless set of papers we have to fill out on every patient that is supposed to improve patient care and keep track of their progress, it’s a joke and takes all of 5-10 minutes to complete). Thankfully I have a great charge nurse and she helped me with both of my admissions.

So please, do not complain about your assignment to me. One of your patients is going to be a new admit, I took report from the ER already, they’ll send her up in a while. She’s a frequent flyer, so most of her information should be in the computer already. She needs to go to dialysis (like yesterday, she’s full of fluid that needs to be pulled off) so she’ll probably be gone for a good chunk of the day. One of your other patients is going to surgery and another has to go to another hospital for an MRI. So now you’re down to 3 patients if all of them go for their things simultaneously. One of the left over patients is a walkie/talkie that will be having tests done and waiting around most of the day. Another has family with her around the clock, so they’ll help you out. The last is your “half admit” whose family annoys you… suck it up. Let me finish giving you report so I can go home. Then put on your big girl panties, go grab a Dynamap and do your own vitals if that’s how it has to be today, and for goodness’ sake quit your bitching! I’ve had enough.

Love,

Nurse Jess