We've had so many traumas, strokes, TBIs.
I just had to run.
I was like eating a little bit really quick,
and I just had to run to the trauma bay.
A little crazy if you hear this.
My name is Mariah and this is a day
in the life of a nurse, night shift edition.
I wanted to be a registered nurse since as long
as I can remember.
There are plenty of pictures of me in my living room
with my syringe and my stethoscope, up next to my dad
on the couch.
I've just had a passion for helping people for as long
as I can remember.
It is now 6:54, start of the night.
All right, guys, it is 7:13 PM, we just got done with huddles.
So now it's time to go get our phones
and check where we're at for the day.
I just got my assignment and I am
the TNT tonight, which means I am the second trauma nurse.
So pretty much how I start my day is
I will go through these trauma bays,
and I will make sure that they are stocked and ready
for any traumas that will come in.
I will talk to the offgoing trauma nurse and get reports.
And I'll also connect with the rest of my trauma members
on my team to make sure that we're on the same page.
After that, it's really my job to round
on all of the patients, on all the nurses.
Check in, make sure that if they have a critical patient
and they need help with it, that I can assist them.
All right, guys, we just got a call about a critical patient.
So we're getting our room prepared.
We're getting all of our stuff ready to get
an IV established so we can have access to their venous system.
We're making sure that all of our codes
are set up on our monitor.
We have suction and ambu bag.
We're getting our bed ready and cleaned.
And we're going to get ready for the ambulance
to bring in our patient.
Best tips when you get to your shift
is to just make sure that you have everything
you need in your room, that you know exactly which rooms
and which responsibilities you're
taking for which patient.
I always like to communicate with the nurses
and the providers in my pod about which patients
are the sickest and which ones need to be a priority.
All right, guys, it's 10:36 PM.
I just got into the break room.
We just had nine traumas come in so you really
never know what you're going to get in the night.
I've gone some nights where there's been no traumas at all.
But we just had a huge group of them.
So busy night already.
It's really challenging being in this high-stress situation
all the time.
We learn to adapt to some of the worst circumstances.
And I think trying to just make sure
that I'm taking care of myself when I get out of this hospital
is really important for self-care.
I love to work out on my Peloton Bike.
Even a 30-minute ride after work can clear my head.
I reach out to friends often.
I've built a wonderful support system around me,
including my girlfriend and her family, my friends, my family.
I think just really making sure to take care of yourself
and being such a high-stress situation,
I think that's really the most important self-care you can do.
Hi, guys.
I'm literally filming in the bathroom
because it's been so crazy.
This is my first tea break tonight.
It's 2:40 in the morning.
So a little bit day in the life, right?
I have not stopped all night.
This is about the time that things start
to either amp up or wind down.
So I'm really hoping it winds down
because we've had a really, really crazy night.
But right now is when I really start
to try to get all of my stuff together for the next shift
to come on.
So that if things hit the fan and we
get a lot of critical patients that I'm there
to help the nurses.
So come along with me while I do the ER logs.
I am sitting for the first time my whole shift.
I've just been sitting back and thinking on this little break
that I'm having about what is a good quality
to have if you're going to go into nursing,
be adaptable to the places that you're in.
Situations can change like that.
And I think that being able to change to whatever environment
you're in is really, really important.
Second, I think to keep up on your education,
always follow through and get more certification.
Continue your education, whether it's required for your unit
or not.
Nursing is forever a learning profession.
So you're never going to be stopping your learning.
I don't leave this hospital without learning something new
that I didn't know the previous shift.
Additionally, I seek out opportunities
to get my trauma CEUs so that I can stay certified as a trauma
nurse, as well as stay in good standing with my licensure.
I think that those things combined can really
help you be a successful nurse in this area.
All right, guys, after a very long 12 hours,
we are walking out of the hospital, out away from the ER.
So that's it.
Thank you for joining me in a day in the life, night
and the life.
For more day in the life videos, please like and subscribe.
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