Friday night was hard. (I feel there needs to be a yo here but whatever)
Friday night was never ending.
Except for the 2 hours in the beginning where I was just trying to herd all my day to evening staff into being productive.
As we waited for the surgeon of the hour to arrive.
And then, BAM another case.
I had misgivings about giving this surgeon a time.
Many misgivings.
He is not known for his speed.
Or his timeliness.
But it was 1645, loads of time.
So I said yes to the case.
IF he started at 1730 and was finished by 1900.
Because there were cases still to go.
I went and picked up the patient in the ED.
I delivered her to pre-op.
I returned to the OR, asked the nurse resident to scrub, as I wanted to hold my night tech in reserved because it thought it was gonna be a long night.
And we waited.
Our 1600 surgeon showed up at 1740.
Our 1730 surgeon showed up at 1740 (early for him, I may say.)
Both cases were heading back at the same time.
It was to be a race to 1900 when I have to go down to 1 case.
Our fracture case was in the room and asleep before the 1730 case.
It was definitely going to be a race to the finish.
I have to make relieving decisions by 1830.
Neither case was done.
Both were going to be kissing 1900.
I called in my on call tech as I could get no one to agree to stay for 10 minutes over. (this frustrates me so much! I mean, the CRNA had agreed to stay to finish. AARGH!)
Fracture case was done and out of the room by 1855.
Phew.
Except not I have this call tech who has arrived.
I assigned her to finish the 1730 case while I worked on getting the second fracture case started.
And then the anesthesiologist had to go upstairs to do an epidural.
OB, always harshing my buzz.
My night tech and I finished getting the room prepared for the second fracture.
That case was finished and in PACU by 2215.
I was working on the evening chores when the on call general surgeon called to set up a case.
I told him 2300.
And I called in the night on call nurse. She had hinted she wanted me to cover her call earlier but I declined.
The night on call tech was my night tech. She was overjoyed.
I walked to PACU to tell them there was another case. They told me I had to get and prep the patient myself because, I don’t know, reasons?
I went and picked up the patient from the ED and prepped them.
Waiting again.
For my call nurse to relieve me, for the surgeon.
Finally, all the ducks were in a row. The patient prepped, the team in place.
It was after midnight when I left.
I was mentally exhausted and physically on edge.
And starving as I had worked through lunch. AGAIN.
I stopped by and got Wendy’s, my late night after crap shift food.
Upon arriving home, I ate and stayed up for a bit, killing undead in my game.
I think I went to bed at 0300.
At 0730 my phone indicated a text.
There had been a case I re-scheduled during last night’s craziness.
The surgeon was reaching out because on Epic his case was listed at 1230.
We had agreed on 0930.
I confirmed the vendor of fracture fixation that he wanted and I told him I would tell the weekend nurse to call him and confirm his time.
Next, I texted the vendor that he requested and told him the new time.
I texted the weekend nurse.
And then when I was beginning to get responses from my texts, I silenced my phone and went back to sleep.
And missed phone calls wanting me to come in an do an “emergency” case that had been posted day before.
They just didn’t want to wait for the 3rd emergency belly case to be done. And called it “bleeding” to jump the line. (OB, you strike again)
They got another nurse to come in and to the OB case, thank goodness.
I called back and would have been there within the 30 minute response time.
The pinch hitter nurse said she would do the case, and go back to bed.
Great, I can’t wait to see what the fall out from this is gonna be. This makes 2 times in 10 years.
My poor night tech worked 19 hours. Oof.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 