“nursing in an acute care hospital is extremely tiring both physically and mentally and also emotionally....its not sitting reading a book at a desk....
some nurses work 12 hr shifts others work 8 and there is lots of overtime....
there is not going to be continuity....hospital care is 24/7 and it doesn’t relate to bankers or teachers hours.... “
Thanks to both of you for posting the reality of working in a high demand ICU in today’s hospitals.
Most of the AH’s whining about the woosie RN’s couldn’t last a half of a shift on one of these units.
A long time ago, my wife, nick named the Sturdy Woman/RN was one of the pioneer ICU RN’s in a premium unit at a top notch hospital. She supposedly worked 8 hour shifts which were really 10 plus hours. After 2-3 shifts in a row, she was wiped out physically and mentally.
When, she used to worked a shift in peds/obg/general, she would come home and be ready as we joked to plow fields, plant crops harvest them, cook a great dinner and go dancing after dinner. That didn’t happen. It took her 12 plus hours to get back semi ready to go on the next shift.
The mental strain, even then was tremendous, and of course with acutely.seriously ill patients, some died sometimes during her shift. That took even a higher toll on her. She lasted two years doing critical ICU nursing.
Your wife is a trouper and a true servant.