Bad days...

The ICU was full for the past 2 days. Yesterday the afternoon staff went home at 2300hrs! That was terrible, I have never experience that before! Heard that it was because 2 patients collapsed together and at the same time another patient turned drowsy! The night staff took over and heard that they were equally bad because they spent hours resuscitated another newly admitted patient and eventually he died.
This morning was bad too, out of the 7 patients only 1 was rather well, 4 were intubated, 1 with IABP and 1 renal patient. They intubated 1 during their shift and busy with the patients' changes and routines!
When we took over, I thought that things might be more settled but I was wrong.
- 1330hrs, we re-intubated 1 patient because the ETT leak
- 1400hrs extubated 1 patient
- 1400hrs to 1600hrs busy with routines and patients' family
- 1605hrs 1 patient collapsed (resus and came back, resus and came back...goes on and on and on...1800hrs patient died)
- then prepared 1 patient for tracheostomy... sent patient down to OT around 5plus
- 1 intubated patient from neuroICU came for pacing
Very bad evening but we were able to finish our work and go home on time! GREAT teamwork! ;)