Came onto nightshift the other week to 38 fast track patients on my own – had 2 very elderly patients 1 who had a small brain bleed another who couldn’t mobilise on her own as well patients with urosepsis, profuse haematuria requiring bladder irrigation, 2 potential torsions requiring immediate attention, someone unwell after a having a cardioversion 2 days prior, and an unwell mental health patient needing psych admission not to mention an array of other patients needing small things done such as ECGs blood tests cannulas removed IVABx which normally are quick and easy tasks but they very quickly built up. From 11pm onwards it was myself and 1 registrar managing all of fast track on our own. Patients who should’ve been in acute beds were overflowing into fast track because we had nowhere else to put them.

I was very grateful that my colleagues in the paediatrics area of the dept were able to take turns helping me but that meant leaving 1 nurse to up to 8 children for an extended period of time.

This is not an uncommon occurrence either – all of my colleagues have stories very similar to this. It’s now a rarity and almost a luxury  if we’re fully staffed for a shift.

Is this what coping is?