You Know You’re In For a Crazy Shift When…

This article was republished with permission from SCRUBS Magazine

Mama said there would be days like this.

Actually, Mama may not have known about days quite like this. Here are the early signs that you’re in for a “holy moly” shift.

You know you’re in for a crazy shift when…

10. In the first five minutes some fool says, “Boy, it’s quiet tonight.”

9. You walk on the floor and nobody even has time to say hello.

8. Report is from the slow-talking nurse who includes every minute detail about every patient…slowly.

7. The charge nurse asks who has the most experience in psych.

6. A patient greets you at the elevator and says he is wearing new socks.

5. A doctor greets you at the elevator and asks if anyone on the unit knows anything.

4. A fellow nurse runs past you into the elevator screaming and swearing.

3. You get off the elevator and step in vomit.

2. You smell BM while the elevator is opening onto your floor.

1. A new nurse asks, “What’s C-diff?”

This list is by Starry66, RN.


This article was republished with permission from SCRUBS Magazine.

17 COMMENTS

  1. You walk into the ED and the first staff member you see says, “If you’re wise you’ll turn right around and run out of here!”

  2. You check the board for your assignment before walking into the unit and then notice there’s a full code going on in one of those bed spaces.

  3. Your surgery staff calls you in to work to recover “a patient” saying that you have an hour to get there. You arrive within twenty minutes to set up your work station and find yourself walking into the area not only with one earlier than expected patient but three patients and an anesthesiologist pulling his hair out trying to help the surgery staff hook patients up to the monitors and spouting off orders for each patient. The surgery staff forgot that three rooms were running at the same time and they call only you in and no back up with more patients to come and they’ll all be leaving you to continue with other surgeries. That’s a heaven help me please keep my sanity situation.

  4. I work Long Term Care; 2pm – 10pm. Full Moon…1 week before and a few days after. And, yes I do track when there is a full moon coming.

  5. You know it’ll be a crazy shift when you step off the elevator to discover that nurses at the desk are outnumbered by lil old ladies folding washcloths.

  6. Oh yeah, or evening shift. Med carts still in hallway, call lights going off , phone ringing off the hook,and there is no staff to be found….Run!

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