work time....

this is going to be my 2nd week back at work after nearly seven months maternity leave. *sigh*
on my first shift (night) back, are we busy or are we busy??? as soon as i enter the ward door, my workmates told me that we will be running one nurse short. SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!!one of our RN needs to go up the maternity ward to help out for the night as they are short, nyehhh!that means i will be looking after 11 patients instead of 6.
our night team consist of 5 members, 3RN's and 2 Health care asst., because we have a four-bedded acute respiratory care unit(ARCU). ARCU is a step-down from ITU/HDU,so ARCU patients are still quite poorly.patients needing non-invasive ventilation are admitted in here, that's the idea anyway. ARCU should be manned by 2RN's at daytime and 1RN and anHCA at night. for the ward, 2RN's and an HCA at nightime.
short of staff, too many work. 2 admissions into ARCU, too many IVantibiotics to give, too many patients won't sleep and constantly ringing their buzzer. aaarrrggghhh...by the end of the shift (9-8), i thought my legs are going to give way! sakit sakit....nonetheless, i survived. yay!!!
different story on my second night, full staff plus a third year student who used to be our HCA. the word delegation just sprang into my mind LOL...i had 2hours sleep break..
third night, so tired as i only had an hour 20mins sleep. my hija sleeps like a chicken at daytime but sleeps through the night though, has been since she was 2mos old.
my workmates were really shock when i told them i had very little sleep. but i said it'll be alright as it was my last night. they told me to go for my break at midnight and do not come back till they get me.i was a bit shy at first but i gave in in the end as i was tired. guess what time they woke me up. 5 AM!!!!! aww, bless them....