15 CRAZY minutes in my workday. How does yours compare?

• Try to resume assessment
• Realize patient is intubated and sedation drip is dry–my IV line is about to alarm
• Blood pressure is below parameters. Adjust vasopressor

-Interruption- CALL BELL RINGING. THEN A SECOND AND THIRD CALL BELL RING *have to answer one at a time*

I walk towards room 1 and realize I need my sedation medication that is completely out and alarming in the room. I double back…

Attempt to re-enter room 1:

• Coworker calling out for help
• Needs assistance with patient in room

Double back again to re-enter room 1:

-Interruption- Stopped by physician asking questions about my patient #2

Finished answering questions and discussing orders

Make another and re-enter room 1:

• Changed out sedation medication
• Titrate vasopressor medication
• Attempt to resume/begin assessment

-Interruption -…

And that was just 15 minutes of my day! I work in an ICU. I had two sick patients and got a third admission due to low staffing–things only got busier.

It’s the little things that eat up your day. But it’s also the little things that dictate my day and how efficiently I can perform my duties. We as nurses always have a plan of attack when we start our shift. The problem is, those plans never actually work out due to the chaos.

And my words still don’t grasp the pulse of the work environment. I actually had a family member of one of my patients ask me mid-afternoon, “Have you even sat down today?”

I actually had to think about it.

No. I didn’t sit down all day.