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Thursday, February 6, 2014

Another Shift - Another Code White

OK, to be completely honest, today was one of the scariest, must unnerving days I've ever spent on the job. Yes, there was another Code White called on a patient.


I didn't witness this one, but the build-up to it was almost surreal.


I'd often heard the expression, "the tension was palpable in the air", today I completely understood what that means, and how that feels.


Not only were all my fellow nursing students and I on edge, and feeling the tension, but so were many of the patients. I could see how distressing it was for them, who are dealing with severe problems of their own.


The patient in question was not doing anything outright that would raise red flags to prompt a de-escalation or medication. It was just a quiet building of tension that continued to grow.  It was a feeling unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I was so relieved that I wasn't there when he did blow.


Everyone was jittery and on-edge today it seemed - staff, students, patients.


I was so relieved to walk out of there this afternoon. 


And now I find I'm still having a tough time concentrating on my work assignments and to try to focus on the nursing theories exam that's coming up early next week.


One more shift tomorrow morning. Hopefully it'll be a new day, and a better shift.


Psych nursing is most, most definitely NOT for this future nurse.

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