ok now go check it out.........

I wanna share with you the creativeness of my friend.  If you like vampire stories (please don't think Twilight this is NOT the same thing) you may want to check this out.

She is really good and hopefully you will like her stories as much as I like her.  ( <3 ya Hannah!!)

:(

Ok I have something to share with you all.  This semester has been a long, stressful, busy one.  Lots of ups and downs.  You have all been there along the way.  I want to say thank you for that.

The bad news is this, I will not be going forth in this program next semester.  I failed the med/surg class (I know you are thinking WTF?!?!?! you are a med/surg nurse! and let me tell you I am thinking the same thing) and will not be graduating in May.

This is not the end of the road, only a minor setback. I have a couple of choices.  I could reenter the same program next fall and finish out here. Or I can try to get into a couple of other programs that are in the area.  I think I am going to choose the latter.  I am tired of all the games and hoops I have to jump through just to get this far.  (Some of which I have blogged about but some I have not.)  This next semester I will take to regroup and get my head on straight and then I will try again. I promise.

Till then I should have plenty of stories to share with you from working!!

If any of my (former) fellow students are reading this, please know that I am saddened that I will not be graduating with you. I wish you all the best of luck not only next semester but in your career.  You will all do fine, just keep on keeping on!!!!!

Dear Teacher.......

Ok once again, I shall share some insight with you.

We (my classmates and I) have worked hard this semester.  We have tried our best to pass all our tests and complete all our assignments.  We have had a lot of information thrown at us.  We understand that is the nature of the game and we have done our best to accomplish our goal.  Some of us have not made it this far.  We miss them and felt for them knowing how hard they had worked to get to this point. At the same time we were very grateful knowing that we were still in.  Most of us are working in addition to going to school, some of us full time and some part time.  Some of us are parents.  (some single parents, some have spouses as well) We are all siblings, friends, children, coworkers.  My point here is that we are all busy and have full lives even without school in the mix.

We are getting close to the end of the semester and are starting to feel it.  We know that we have very difficult tests to take.  And they are getting closer every day. We have worked hard all semester to get to this point.  We are still getting a tad overwhelmed with all the information we have been given.  We will all be ok but most of us have our little freak out moments now and then.  This week we will be studying hard for the last of our tests. Taking them one at a time. 

My question is this, why would you throw this last assignment on us the last week of finals.  When we asked about it earlier in the year you said it would not be due, now suddenly it is.  The week of finals, we have to spend our time on this assignment. I know that it will help us on boards and may even help with the final exam for the class but we still feel bombarded and tricked. 

We will do the assignment (this will not stop us this close to the midpoint break) but we don't have to like it.  And (I may be a little presumptous speaking for everyone but I will say it anyway) WE DON'T LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you
your student

( The preceding was mostly a tool to vent and let some frustration out so I can complete the mentioned assignment. If you are the teacher or know the teacher whom this post was inspired by please take it with a grain of salt and disregard. Thank you.)

Almost over!!!

Semester is winding down. Finals in a couple weeks. Studying hard. Or at least attempting to.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Just wanted to share a few things to be thankful for on this day.
Family-- Everyone in my family has helped to shape me into the person that I am today. There are too many of you to name each one but know that if you are in my family that I love you and are thankful for you.
Friends-- Same kinda thing as above. Every friend that I have ever had has left an impression on me in some way. I am thankful that Heavenly Father has seen fit to bring all these people into my life. Years ago I read a quote (I will try to find and post it later) that basically said that friends are not by chance, Heavenly Father places us where He does for a reason. We may never know what that reason is but it is there. So to all my friends new and old I am thankful.
My job-- Yeah, yeah sometimes not so much, but really I am thankful for having the means to support myself. So many people today are out of a job, some after many years of faithful service. I am glad that I chose a profession that will never be outsourced. I love what I do and who I do it with.
My coworkers-- OK, this is really similar to the last one I know, and it kinda overlaps the one before that but I want to seperate it anyway. We have a pretty good crew of people. There are a few that I cringe when I see them on the list but overall I do enjoy sharing my 12 hours with these people. There are many of my coworkers that I miss dearly. Some have moved on to other places and bigger jobs. Some have passed on to a much better place entirely. Again, these people have all left deep impressions on me and will always be remembered.
The gospel-- Ok so I know that I haven't been to church lately and I am not doing all I could be doing to keep my spiritual well filled. But I am grateful that I know the truth and can have the benefits of it in my life. I have drawn on the truth that I know because of the true gospel and been better for it.

And the most important

My Savior-- Jesus died for my sins. He atoned for all that I have fallen short on. He loves me no matter how stubborn, lazy, incompetent, and wrong I am. I know that those times in my life when I have not been doing all the right things, His back was NEVER turned away from me. I had turned from Him and he has always been patiently waiting on me to turn around.

Nothing new here really, but the truth is the truth. These are the things that I am thankful for every day of my life.

Regression?...

A few weeks ago, I admitted a nice lady with a nose bleed. Her nose was packed to stop the bleeding in the ED. We carried on a nice conversation as I conducted the admission interview. Nothing overly strenous for her, but we did talk about her medical history and all that. She answered in complete sentences. About 3:30 a.m. I went into her room to take another set of vital signs. As I prepared to leave the room this conversation ensued:

Me: "If you need anything else just give me a call!"

Her: "Pee."

Me: "Excuse me?"

Her: "Pee!"

Me: "Do you need to use the bathroom?"

Her: {nods head}

Me: {I go and find a bedside commode, she uses it and I empty the bucket}

Her: "Dry." {Holding an empty water cup towards me.}

Me: "Excuse me?"

Her: "Dry!"

Me: "Do you need more water?"

Her: {Nods head}

I am not sure why she was speaking in one-word sentences but for a couple hours she did. By morning she was back to expressing complete thoughts.

I'm still in......

After the respiratory final I was left in a precarious situation in that if I didn't do a good job on the Neuro final then I was gonna be out of the program.  WELL, I kicked neuro's ass.  90% thank you very much.  Now I just have to give Cardio the same treatment.  (I am kinda still in that position, just a little more confident about it now.)

Friends.....

A wonderful friend of mine left a very thought provoking thought on Facebook a few days ago.  I won't put the full quote but basically she was asking if all friendships are meant to be salvaged or if some people are supposed to drift out of our lives. Here was my response.  Take it for what you will.

Sometimes we learn what we were supposed to from them. Sometimes they learn what they need to from us. Sometimes one friend or the other gets "fixed." We always remember them and they continue to be part of us. Part of our memories, part of what makes us who we are. We may not be around them (and it may be the way it is supposed to be) but they will still influence our actions in ways we may not even realize.




We can love the memories and the good times. We can forget and maybe even forgive the bad times. And no matter what they will have helped to shape us into who we are.


So, no some friendships are not meant to be saved, but all have some part that is meant to be savored.

It's always funnier at oh-dark-thirty anyway........

Ok, this may end up being one of those things that is funnier at 0530 than it really is but I had to post this conversation anyway.

I went to visit a unit that I often get floated to but had been missing lately. I was chatting with one of those nurses about school, clinic, and stupid people (yes all in the very same conversation even) while another nurse was attempting to print something. She had tried at least twice to print her document. When we asked what she was trying to print, without missing a beat she stated--

"I am trying to print a nicotine patch for this new lady."

Misty looked at me and I looked at her. I whispered "I think she means the education for a nicotine patch."

We then began to giggle. And if you have ever had the giggles near the end of a 12 hour shift, you know they may never stop. We clarified and she indeed had meant the education. As we explained the giggle fit we also explained that we probably have that info printed already. A search began for the pt ed drawer (this unit was just remodeled and we had just moved into our brand new nurses station within the last week). This was located and sure enough there were several smoking cessation packets located inside. Our lovely nurse then stated without hesitation

"Oh yeah, these should all have a nicotine patch in them. Right?"

And there went the giggles again.

Maybe you had to be there but at the time we were crying from laughing so hard.

Having so much fun...........

Yay, I love being in school. Really I do. Working EVERY weekend is such a joy and pleasure. Clinic days at 0700 (getting up at 0500 is my favorite thing to do even though I have worked night shift for seven years now). Being made to feel quite silly when questioned about tasks I have done a million times over. (I get the right answer but still feel pretty silly for a few minutes.) Trying to get inside my instructors head and figure out where she is going with the questions she asked (and not always getting it till long after). Knowing every answer she asks of someone else. (and keeping my mouth shut, unlike some) Putting up with others in my class that drive the rest of us completely crazy. Never having any free time to do what I want without knowing that I should be studying. Yep school is sooo fun. I will be soooo sad when it is over. It will come all too soon!!!

(and for those of you who haven't quite figured it out yet, the preceeding was ENTIRELY sarcasm. some venting is in the works but I don't quite feel comfortable posting it until the full episode is over)

So excited for a few things that are coming to pass in the next few week. Just thought I would let everyone know (whether you really care or not).

1.) Thanksgiving break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For several reasons I am very excited about this week. One is that I really love this holiday and what it stands for. It is about being thankful for what we have. I will leave that topic there cause I am sure I will expound upon it a little closer to it. Another reason I am looking forward to this particular week is that I will be off school that whole week!!!! I will be able to do what I want for a day or so. (And getting caught up on schoolwork is only a SMALL portion of that plan.) It will also mean that I have taken the neuro final and will have that off my back.

2.) This kinda falls into the above paragraph but I am giving it it's own place cause I can. I bought (several weeks ago) Dan Brown's new book. I will read it over Thanksgiving break. This has been my plan for a couple months. You see I LOVE to read. I will often have two or three books going at once. However, since I have started school, I know that if I were to pick up a novel right now it would be all over. You see, reading is stress relief. When I pick up a book, I often use it as a shield to hide from whatever stressor is presenting itself to me. Therefore, if I picked up a book, I wouldn't put it down. But the week of Thanksgiving, I will start and finish the book. And hopefully will be refreshed.

3.) Nov 17 (the week before thanksiving break) I will be going to the movies!!! The Wizard of Oz is showing at the theater to celebrate it's 70th anniversary.
This is probably my all time favorite film. I already have tickets and we are making a girls night out of it. I can't wait. They have also released the anniversary DVD for this film. I have told my family (and if any of you are reading this, I am telling you again. Those that are reading this that know my family please mention this post just to reiterate thank you) that I want this for Christmas. Every year I am asked what I want for Christmas. I never know. I am not really that picky. This year I have stated that I expect this gift. I don't need anything else, they can combine and work together, but I want it somehow, someway!!!!!

4.) Thurs Nov 19 I am going to the movies (yes again). New Moon is being released. This is the second installment of the Twilight movie series. I have a fondness for Edward and really identified with Bella in this book, so I am REALLY excited about it.

Just a few things that are coming up in my small corner of the world that will put a smile on my face!

Enjoy!!!

That's need-to-know information, and yes YOU NEED TO KNOW.........

Ok so I have to share a little pet peeve, this weekend I worked the floor as a CNA two nights in a row.  I don't mind to do this when needed and sometimes it is a welcome break.  (The first night it got me out of doing meds on the whole dang floor so that was a positive. Med nurse is a scary practice to me, but that is a post for another day.)  So I took over for a CNA who was then transferred to another floor per our wise and all-knowing house supervisor.  I went to her knowing that I would get a rush type report and would clarify anything with my RN's later.  However, this girl knew NOTHING about these patients. We have a very detailed report sheet that is used by most of our staff.  Lots of information and I will agree that some information is needed for nurses only.  When I work as an aid I don't need to know the complete history, only relevant info. She had a sheet filled out for each patient and some only had their name.  Other had their names and maybe a few details (diet, freq of vitals, activity), relavent details for sure.  But NO DIAGNOSIS!!! It kinda scares me to walk into a room and not know why that patient is here.  To me this is just something you should know when taking care of a patient. 

Rant over thanks for tolerating me.

brings a whole other dimension to the term "making holy water"......

Happy Halloween!!
Here's hoping you have lots of treats and very little tricks!!

So last night wasn't even a full moon and the madness was obvious. One gentlman cracked me up though. He was quite confused and stood several heads above most of the staff. It was a treat to redirect him back to his room all night long (well half the night, his wife did eventually join us in the fun). I was assigned to the opposite unit but helped out a few times to corral him.

On one such occasion, a fellow nurse had given him his Bible to hold thinking this would calm him. It kinda worked and we were able to direct him back to his room. Before he laid down however he had to pee. We pointed him to the bathroom at which time the nurse attempted to retrieve aforementioned Bible. "Here, let me hold the Bible for you," she stated as she reached for it. He snatched it out of her reach and calmly voiced his opinion--"Oh, I don't think the Bible would hurt that bathroom any."

Several of us were trying to hold back the snickering, while the nurse cautioned him--"Don't let the Bible fall into the toilet!" This of course made it harder to not laugh.

I'm still laughing about it. But I am also glad the night is done. However, I must return this evening for another round. As for my costume, I think I will go as a nurse ;)

Be safe and have a Fun Time!!!!!

Everyone's a comedian these days...........

Ok, so my instructors can have a mean streak. First let me impart some news to you. My med/surg class is divided into sections. First we studied respiratory, now we are doing neuromuscular, next we will finish the semester with cardiovascular. The policy is that you can get between 70 and 77 on one of the three tests. The other two MUST be above 78. If you get below 77 on more than one you are out of the program till next year and must follow re-entry procedures. I received a 76 on the resp final. So I have to step it up on the other two to stay in this program. Now knowing this makes this conversation during lunch at clinic mean yet pretty funny.

Instr: Will you guys be ready for that neuro final in a week?
Me: Maybe you should ask us in two weeks.
Instr: Should I call you at home or will you be at the school?
Me: Not sure yet, you just may be calling me at home.

I laughed about this conversation all day. The timing was great. Of course just after the laugh came the panic. So the last part of my post today will be a plea for your prayers! Thank you! Now off to study!!

Just a little reminder......

Ok so I read a lot of medical blogs, I enjoy them.  They make me laugh and prove that my little section of the world is not the only crazy place around.  While reading this post by one of my favorite nurse bloggers, I was impressed with the idea that this is what we are all going to school to be able to do.  This critical thinking.  This is how as RN's we will do that which we strive to do, take care of our patients.

Okay.....

Sometimes I hate text forwards.  I like the funny ones.  And even some of the sentimental ones.  Until I get to send this on to ten people or death and destruction shall befall you.

And the religious ones get on my nerves when I am told that I am being tested.  I know my Heavenly Father loves me and cares about me but I really dont think he cares whether or not I forward a text message.  I understand the scripture found in Matt. 10: 33  "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." I firmly believe this scripture.  But I also don't believe that if I fail to send one text message (or any of the hundreds I have received like it) that I will be doomed to hell. He tries and tests us.  Of that I have no doubt but I really don't think that this is how He will decide our eternal fate.  In fact I know it is not the yardstick He measures us by.

As for the other ones, they irritate me too.  When I get a message saying that the one I am supposed to marry will kiss me tonight but only if I send this to ten people, it just gets on my nerves.  And when I get the ones that tell how good of a friend I am by how many roses I receive I NEVER forward them. Does this negligent act make me a bad friend?  I think not.  And the ones which ask how hot I think the sender is get ignored too.  Especially when they come from an ex of any kind.  This is admittedly what annoys me most of all!

(stepping off soap box now, thank you)

Sometimes.........

Life is just hard. It can be difficult in the moment to remember the good times or that the sun will indeed shine again. Winter is always a bad time for me. Lots of sadness that just shouldn't happen.  And being in school full time doesn't make it any easier either.  I hate crying for no reason.  I have been doing that a lot lately.  I know it is just cause of the stress and I will eventually figure out a way to deal with it. In the meantime though, I must remember that there will be an end to this and it will all work out in the end, but that even sounds false to me right now. 

I hope May gets here quick!!!!!!

It has to be done, so let's just do it.

Ok, I know that you just got here. I understand you may not be fully awake yet. I wouldn't be perky that time of the day either. I get that you want to get your day started. I feel the same way when I show up at night. And I am sure that your morning is busier, I honestly would never want to take your place. And I know that we have over half the pharmacy in our narc box. But really, how long does it take to count. Five minutes, (ok ten if someone forgot to sign something out). And that is on the outside. Most times 3 minutes and we are done. If you have an emergent issue that you are dealing with where someone is crashing I understand. But refusing just because you don't like to count? Come on. It is part of your job, I promise. It has to be done, it is important. And until we get a Pyxus (or similar) system we will continue to have to do it. End of story, so suck it up and spend 3-5 minutes in the med room with me and we will be done.

Freudian moment of the week.....

At the mental health clinic rotation, the instructor was leading us through the maze of the state hospital. Upon unlocking a door, she wanted us to make sure to look at the mirror. Discovering she was thinking of another hall where the mirror was actually located, she attempted to describe the mirrors effects this way.
"It's like a funny farm mirror."
Try to keep a straight face on that one.

A good omen....

I PASSED MY FIRST RN CLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think this class was stressing me out the most, so I was glad for it to be over. It is still gonna be hard, I am by no means home free, but it should be a little more organized now.
We also had our orientation day at our hospital. (which is the biggest competitor of the hospital where I am gainfully employed) And it wasn't until I was walking across the lot that I realized that the bag I was using to carry things in is the bag that I received during nurses week earlier this year. The pretty blue one with the name of my hospital prominently displayed on the front. Oops. Oh well, I just kept it turned inward and will use my backpack from here on out.

I can't believe it is October already!!

Another letter to teacher....

Dear Basic Math Instructor,

Really? Our test over basic operations (i.e. add, subtract, multiply and divide) and fractions was mostly the operations themselves. The reason for this being that YOU can't figure out the word problems and we can. Had you even looked at the book the first night? It didn't appear so, or you would have completely skipped the questions you didn't know how to do. Or maybe you would have asked a colleague (or any jr high math student) instead of us having to correct you all night.

Now back to that test. You gave us scratch paper and had us turn it in. In any math class I (or any of the rest of us, I checked around) have ever been in this was done to help. That way if I had a wrong answer, the teacher could look at my work and recognize that I had done all the steps correctly but had added wrong on step 3 making the rest of the problem incorrect but the steps were right. This way I could at least get partial credit. NEVER has turning in my work work against me. On number 7b I obtained the same answer you did but it was marked off. But in checking my work against yours I realized that I used a different method to get my answer. This method was one of two I was taught as a child to solve these problems. Either one of course being correct. It is just a different way.

If I get the correct answer using a correct method (and using the same method every time) WHY do I get punished for it. That is CRAZY.

Give us some credit, at least that which we have rightfully EARNED!

Thank you,
your frustrated student

Big changes....

I had my hair all chopped off on Tuesday.  Previously my hair had been down almost to my bottom.  Now it is about chin length.  It is great. I can get out of the shower, towel dry, pull a brush through it and go.  I love long hair but I always end up putting it up anyway.  Now maybe I will play with it more.

One of these days I will learn to cut my hair at the beginning of summer, not the end of it!

stress

It is amazing what effect a little stress can have on the person. All the emotions and reactions are enough to make one mad. Anyone know any good relaxation techniques?

Angels... offensive? really..

I have heard a few arguments recently on the web and in conversation about nurses being labeled as angels.  There are some out there that take offense to this term.  They have stated that they don't feel that the label of angel makes them a good nurse. And to quote another nursing student "I did not choose nursing because I had a higher calling to do so, I chose nursing because I love working with and helping other people."  I would like to add this thought to the mix that I had originally posted as an answer to her blog. This is in no way meant to offend just my own two cents.

After more than 6 years being an LPN I am starting the RN program next week. However, I would like to add that it is not us nurses that have given us this label. It is the patients who percieve of us in this way. I certainly dont believe that being called an "angel" by a patient denotes a good nurse. I have seen many nurses that I wouldnt want taking care of me called a nurse by at least one patient. Sometimes we have patients that are really sick and feel (whether they are or not) that they are truly at death's door. The nurse that night could do a very simple thing and to them it is a life-saving measure. That is why they call us nurses. Or even taking a little extra time out of our busy day to sit with them gives us that angel status.


When my father passed away in 2001 there was a nurse who stood in a roomful of family mourning, waiting for the end to finally come (and dreading it all the same) just to turn off the alarm when it sounded. I have always thought of her as an angel. I doubt she would even remember the time or if she would claim angel status herself.

In fact I cant think of one nurse who gives herself that angel status. It is almost always bestowed by patients or family members and sometimes is not even known by the nurse herself.

I have also seen many nurses called angels by their patients who were male. I am not sure that any of us have entered the field for the angel label, like you most of us are here because we love working with and helping people.

We as a profession could try to stamp this label out but we would be wasting our time. Many patients will always think of us as angels.

So I guess what this long ramble is trying to say is that sometimes we are angels not of our own call but in the eyes of that one patient who was hurting and received a new order for pain med. This does not show how good of a nurse you are but it does say a lot about the compassion one holds.

Just curious but what do the rest of you think about this subject?  There are a few that read this drivel on a regualar basis and I am wondering how you perceive this. (this means YOU, whether you have a medical background or not I wanna know.)

Ok people come on and help

I added the new gadget from blogger the other day.  This socialvibe deal.  Just click on the button on the right side of the screen.  It doesn't take long and it helps women with breast cancer.  (There are other charities but this is the one that I chose.) Won't take but a few moments of your time and it is for a good cause. So come on and help out. (You may not see the button till you roll over it.)

Really...

You are the math teacher, how do you not know how to do the math problems?  If you are gonna do examples on the board, then at least look at them before class.  If you know you are gonna be teaching nursing students, and that your text uses terms found in healthcare, try to familiarize yourself with these terms.  And when you tell the class that you will not collect the homework for a grade but you will pass out a study guide the week before the test and will collect and grade that paper, remember that is what you said. 

I am in a full time ADN program.  20.5 credit hours this semester.  Two online classes.  One 3 hour block of hell.  And I thought this would be the easy class. (the work will be easy, trying to remain calm will be a little more difficult)

And another thing that gets my goat (or would if I had one I guess). People using the bedpan for no other reason than that they don't wanna get out of bed at two in the morning. I will not be a willing participant in you getting pneumonia this stay. If you can get up on your own lets do it. The more you do for yourself now the better off you will be later. Trust me I have seen it happen. If you can get outta that bed and wipe your own bottom, it is actually HEALTHY for you to do so.

Ok, so I knew that eventually I would get around to this point in my blogging life.  I have a REALLY hard time with the fact that we seem to be in a customer service industry.  Now I totally agree that we should treat our patients as best as we can, but the whole 'The customer is always right' mentality that I left behind when I walked out of the fast food industry and entered the nursing field cannot hold true.  While the customer is always right, the patient may not be.  There are times when the nurse does know best.  The patient is given a say but sometimes the nurse has to  make the final decision.  We have the education, experience, and judgement to make desicions based on the information we have access to (namely labs, imaging reports, and consult notes).
AND we may have spoken with the physician.

Another thing that bothers me is how we are expected to cater to patients and families.  When the patient (or the family that is visiting) asks for a soda or a cracker we are expected to drop what we are doing and retrieve this item.  Now if I am not busy and am just doing a patient check round I have no problem with this and am happy to do it. My problem comes in when I am dealing with an emergency in another room and am expected to cater to every whim and wish.  Now some patients are understanding and will patiently wait for a non-essential item.  However there are a select group that will burn the call light up in impatience for their ice cream or graham cracker. I love giving my patients that extra little TLC but there are just times it CANNOT be done.  ( Note the word EXTRA) Nothing irritates me more than when a well meaning family member arrives at the desk demanding this or that happens right this second.  This family may have NO earthly clue what else their loved one's nurse is dealing with that evening.  They simply want their priorities on top and sometimes, there is a life-and-fastly-approaching-death situation going on two doors down.

Bottom line is that I have a real problem with the whole customer service aspect of the job.  I agree that we should (and I think for the most part that we do) treat our patients as best as we can.  And part of that is prioritizing appropriately.  And I have a blood sugar of 45 or a blood pressure that has skyrocketed or someone isn't breathing, that coke or ice cream is not high on my list.

It starts......

Ok I am officially enrolled in ADN classes!! Loooong story, lost checks and slight headache but it is done. Or started. Whatever. I start classes Thurs. Finally. Hell begins. (Never thought I would be so excited to see hell did ya?) Please pray for me and I apologize now for any temperaments during the coming year (and to my family let the countdown to Lambert's begin!)

Leave it ALONE!!!!!

Had a patient the other night who had a wound on her arm. She was worried about it getting infected, so she took the dressing OFF!!!  This is a young woman who shows no sign of dementia.  She was just concerned about it so she opened the site to air and called me to come look at it a little later. 
Last week we had a gentleman with a wound that he was very proud of.  I am not sure of the story but I did get to see the area in close detail.  He showed it to anyone who had eyes to see it. Nurse and visitor alike.
I was working on another unit one evening and a patients family came to visit, with their three kids.  The yound girl was sitting on the patients bed and the toddler was crawling around on the floor.  And playing with the soiled linen bag holder.  ( There was an empty, clean bag hanging but still.)

I want to have pictures on the wall of all the bugs you can obtain in the hospital. Maybe then my patients will leave their dressings on.  I know that the confused ones will still take them off but it is the alert/young ones that get on my nerves.

Grrr

Ok so I was on this RT's  blog saw this video and laughed my head off. Enjoy.

Friends at work...

Ok I know I have had a rather long post on friends, and I said then that I wouldn't mention everyone for fear of leaving someone out.  However, I do want to mention one more general group of friends.

These are the work friends.  Sometimes these friends become friends in the real world too.  This sometimes happens at the first shift worked together and sometimes it happens gradually over time.  At the HH ranch we have seen many great (and some not so great) nurses come and go.  There are some that I hope to never see again, but there are a great many that I miss dearly.  I don't know where I  would be without my work buddies.  I float to many different depts within my hospital. And I float often.  So much in fact that I will have worked with some nurses seveeral times and they can not accurately state which department I was hired for.  As a result of this I have made friends on several different units.  I treasure these friends.  Often no matter what unit I am working, I will take a walk and travel around the hospital visiting all the various characters I am privileged to know. Again, I won't mention the specific people but I do love them all and it seems that I really do miss them when I don't see them!
Who woulda thunk it?

I'm in!!!

I was accetpted into a local nursing school this spring.  Then I find out that I have to take a PN predicter test.  I have to prove that I am smart enough to be an LPN!  Well, I was nervous for sure.  I have been an LPN for over six years, but I have had NO experience in OB or Peds or mental health.  Our facility doesn't offer these departments.  I obtained an NCLEX-PN study book and studied a little bit but it wasn't easy to do.  I was a little unsure going in to it, and after I still wasn't very comfortable.  But I thought, hey I have done all I can, if I don't get in now then it wasn't meant to be this year.
But I PASSED!!!!!!!  I felt very relieved when I found out.  It only follows that I would  pass but I was just unsettled about it.  But I am ok now.

So LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!!!!1

Annoyances of working

Why does work have to call on the days that I am already working. I mean they have the schedule, can't they see that I am already on it? I don't envy the one who does our schedules at all. Not one bit. Keeping this many women happy every month is an insurmountable job, but some things just don't make sense. Like calling those who are already scheduled to work. To say nothing of when they call my cell while I am on the floor working! Oh well, I wouldn't want the job so mayhap I should just leave well enough alone.

just a follow up

Do you remember when I wouldn't take notes?  Well, just to prove my point I want to announce to all that I did indeed pass the class and with a B to boot.  Thank you very much.  I hate people telling me how I have to study, if I am failing and/or ask for your help than feel free to tell me how it should be. Till then remember "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

random ramblings

(Sorry about the length but I really got to thinking on this one.)

Ok so I was catching up on my fav blogs when this post got me to thinking about my friends. I left a comment on her post but I wanted to expound a little more here.

I have had many friends over the course of my life. (and I know that I am not that old but a over a quarter of a century has passed since I graced the world with my presence.) I won't list them all for fear of forgetting one or two of the great ones but I would like to talk a little about some anyway.

In grade school I was really close to a couple of girls. We were like 3 peas in a pod. We went to birthday parties and had sleepovers and everything. However when I made choices in my life that were different than the ones that they were making we kinda drifted apart. I miss the good times we had and am grateful for facebook in that I can catch up on their lives. However I also am reminded of why I am grateful for the choices I did make.

In high school, I was really close to Jeni and Hannah. We were the three musketeers. For a long time I thought the friendship was Jeni and Hannah and I was tagging along a lot. I found it funny (and an interesting commentary on our friendship) when I discovered that Jeni had always felt that it was Hannah and I and she tagged along. She also enlightened me that sometimes Hannah felt that she was the tag along to us!! If you put us in a room today we will pick right up where we left off. No matter how much time or distance has been between us.

Now I have a friend that is so much like a sister to me that in fact I refer to her as such. I am aunt to her kids and she is another daughter to my mother. I would NOT have made it to this point in my life without her. The choices that I have made to put me where I am today would have not been the same without her as a sounding board. Love ya Kristie.

Also my parents are among this group as well. My father adopted me when I was a young child and was a stabilizing influence to show me what to look for in a father for my children. My mother taught me good values and always knew that I could do whatever I set out to do. We may not always see eye to eye and sometimes I am a typical daughter and make choices that she wouldn't have me make, but I do love her and will always value her opinion (even if I don't agree with it ;).

All through this life however there have been others to get me where I am. They all helped to shape me to who I am today. From teachers to church youth leaders to members of the church who watched over me growing up. And many other friends that have come and gone. I only hope that you know who you are and how much you really have shaped me into who I am.

As I stated on Amy's post:
As our lives change and rearrange, sometimes our friends do too. They were what we needed then (or maybe they needed us, or both we never know how God works) and as time has moved on and circumstances have changed our life paths seperate. This is not always bad or caused by a falling out. Life just happens, I have noticed however that we never lose those people in our hearts. The stamp that they left on our life will forever be remembered and will shine through. Years after we last spent time with that person we can still identify that little bit of ourselves that refers back to them. And when we see them again, our hearts will warm with the memory.

She didn't know how right she was...

Ok here is another story from my many (hehe) years on the floor.


Our telemetries are monitored by ICU and if there is anything abnormal they call down to us immediately.  Usually it is a simple thing such as the battery needs to be replaced or the leads are off.  Sometimes they say they can't get a reading.  One night at about 0230 the nurse monitoring the tele screen called to say that the pt in the last room of a long hallway was asystole.  Not normally hearing those words we took off at a run.  I was the second nurse to the room.  As I rounded the door I heard the first nurse calmly telling the pt that she needed to check her leads. So I knew the pt was ok.  As I approached the end of the bed the pt (a bit startled from having been awoken from a deep sleep) said "Oh I am sorry, I was just dead to the world!"  This of course struck me funny as for about a minute we thought she was! So then we had to explain why I was doubled over in laughter at the foot of the bed.  She promptly stated "Oh I wouldn't do that to you girls!"


I will respond to a call with an outcome like that any night of the week.

:(

Studying SUCKS. Wish there was a way to learn stuff without having to study it. Unrealistic I know but would still be nice.

Random vent

To my teacher.....

Please don't tell me how to go about getting my education.  I am passing your class.  If I choose not to take notes on your lecture, that is my decision and affects me.  Attendance is mandatory for your class I get that, you have to be there and so do I.  Participation is up to me.  Yes I am aware that just reading the book and maybe printing notes off the school's site (which by the way you choose not to post, not a problem just sayin) probably won't do it. I am fully aware that studies have shown that the mechanics of writing helps you to remember.  This is why I wrote down spelling words ten times in a row when I was younger.  I get it. However, you don't require that I turn in a notebook of the notes you provide in lecture.  So how can you get on to me (and the others in class as I am not the only one not writing down your lecture) for not writing down everything you do?


I am not disrupting class.  It is up to me what I choose to write.  I find your lecture style frustrating.  I have a hard time following you.  Trying to follow your lecture notes would just upset me.  I take my own notes on the chapter, make flashcards, do practice tests online (using a companion site to the textbook), and go over your old tests that you have placed in the library for us to use.  I choose to do this mainly at home. 


And I am passing your class without taking your notes.  If I were failing and you suggested that I listen to your lecture and take the notes you put on the board, I would probably agree that I should.  But when I am attending your class, and I am passing the class without taking your notes, and I am not disrupting your class then obviously I am doing ok.


Sorry for the long venting right on the heels of the last one but this really got to me.

Ok, so let me vent for a moment about shift report. When you give report please make sure your report is accurate. For example: Don't tell me that someone's potassium is fine when I ask you the level and it is most assuredly not. Please don't make this stuff up. If you don't know I can look it up. Just tell me you didn't write it down. I know better than to take report as law but when I ask the level and you say it is within normal values or slightly off I may not get around to checking it right away. If I know going in that it is really low I will put it a little higher on the priroity list and be on the lookout for a recheck or find out what we are doing about it sooner.

And for another thought, no matter what function you have make sure you get some sort of report. Nothing frustrates me more than taking over for someone (like several of our CNA's) more that halfway through the shift and they know basically NOTHING about their patients. I understand you want to hit the floor and get vitals done and breakfast out but please find out something first. It is very scary to me that you are taking care of sometimes 10 patients or more and you don't have a clue about why any of them are here. You may not need a detailed half hour briefing but at least know why they are a patient. And if they are a DNR or not. This really does make a HUGE difference.

Sorry for the soap box post but sometimes things REALLY bug me.

Sometimes...

it is just good to be home.  Not a bad night, nothing crazy going on (except the crazy patient but that is par for the course), no staff disputes, very calm, no admits. Now I can just go to bed and enjoy my next few days off. Yay me!!

What if??......

I know that sometimes there is nothing you can do about a patient outcome. I know that what happens is determined by a higher power than you or I have. Then there are those times when you KNOW something could have gone better. Report could have been better, you could have asked more questions, you could have prioritzed your first round differently, you could have glanced at the tele monitor sooner, you could have clarified who was doing what with who first, housecharge could have answered the dang phone (found out later she was busy elsewhere but still was frustrated at the time), the PA system could have cooperated. So many things could have contributed to a smoother process. The important thing is that the patient went to ICU and was fine later that night. However, it is hard sometimes not to play the what if game. After the episode was over, and an hour or two had passed, I was very nauseated. The only reason for that being the stress from my first couple hours. I hate these nights, they usually just build and build until by the end of the shift you are ready for an entirely new career. Luckily this night was different. I only started with four pts. Then was transferred to a different unit (purely a result of the staffing grid we play with) and had a fairly decent night there. I know better than to play the what if game for too long but I pray that everything turned out ok despite the way it all went down.

This all leads to another thought that I will post on soon. Shift report!

Oh the names we receive....

a little old lady last night called me a fat a** (which okay I am) her roommate a lazy a**(not seeming to care about her freshly broken hip) my RN a stupid b**ch and my house charge a dirty bi**h (and the last two do not apply).  After a solid dose of Vitamin H and a pretty new jacket to wear, she settled down.  But before that we had seven people trying to keep her in her room.  Oh the joys of sundowners.  We had several chuckles (how can you not, it is either laugh or cry) but in the end we were all kinda saddened at how these patients have to live.  Oh frustrating it would be to be so sure of where you are and how old you are etc and everyone around you is telling you different.  Dementia pts are sometimes the hardest to take care of because we are so frustrated trying to get them to follow our "rules" (much less our reality).  And we never really know who that patient is.  A lot of times we never knew that they were a teacher and that is why she treats us all like children and tells us how out of line we are.  We just have to deal with the here and now. 
Last night was a long shift and I am ready for BED!!!

If you are gonna be on the road...

learn how to DRIVE!!!!!!! Driving through a pretty heavy fog to school this am and hardly anyone had their lights on. I know the sun was out and shining but in a fog you need your lights on. Several years ago, I was turning into a driveway and almost got into an accident because there was a very heavy fog and some idiot didn't have his lights on. I may not follow all the rules of the road to a tee however, this just makes sense. I want other cars to see me so they won't hit me!

Story time!!!!!

From time to time I will try to tell an amusing story or two. One of my favorite "downtime" activities is story time. This is where everyone gathers at the station or in the breakroom and one after another we tell those stories that have stuck in our minds over time. And when the veteren nurses are there it is even better. There have been nights when I have to explain to more that one patient why I had tears in my eyes as I ansered the call light. And after more than six years, I now have a few of my own stories to tell.
Here is one from a couple years ago that still makes me smile.

One night after a horrible code (many things went wrong that time). We had an elderly confused pt decide she was not going back to bed. She was leaving. I was working with two good friends that night Kathy and Brian. (Brian had floated from another floor.) Kathy and I were walking the confused lady up and down the hall. She was yelling and screaming and trying to walk into other rooms. We were closing doors and blocking doorways, at one such door we explained that she couldn't enter this room for there were two men in there trying to sleep. Her response without missing a beat was "Well, I like men!!" Finally, Brian was able to call the doc and we were again going up and down the hallway. This time after 1mg of ativan IV. Needless to say, we were one on each side of her and she was doing ok. After a while, as the ativan really started to work, she was high-stepping trying to fight the medication. As we got to her room once again she didn't want to go to bed and we gave haldol IM. She was still fighting us but the meds were really starting to overpower her. We had her near the bed and this time it was Brian who was holding her up. She was facing him and was trying to push me away. As she reached up to touch the sleeve of his shirt I realized what was happening. Brian didn't but motioned me to step back, so I decided to watch the show. Sure enough, as soon as I was behind her, she attempted to undress the nice man in front of her. The look on Brian's face was well worth it. At that point we put her in the bed and another dose of Haldol was given. From then on we had to take turns to sit with her. Constantly trying to keep her in bed. As one would get caught up on her stuff, we would switch. I ended up with the last watch. As one day nurse came in to give her med, she took it just fine (wouldn't for me 30 min earlier but oh well). As that nurse left she again tried to climb out of bed. She stated "I need to get my medicine." What medicine you ask (like I did)? "My pregnancy pill." She was 85 and well past child bearing age. As the other day shift nurse came to give her the next pill (just ordered by doc), she tried to fight her off. After the pill was finally given, she sighed loudly and stated "I just wanted to take a nap!" I was glad when that night was finally OVER!!!

Would it kill ya.......

to be nice to those taking care of ya? I understand that you are sick and not feeling well. I really do get it. Most of the time any unpleasantness just rolls off because I recognize that you are not at your best. But is there really a need to be HATEFUL to your nurse? Had a pt last night that was just rude because she could be. I know she was hurting and all but to just yell at me for no reason is uncalled for. This irks me. It irks me A LOT!!!!!! And I really do let it go most of the time but every so often someone will just rub me the wrong way.

Introductions

A little more about me. I have been an LPN for about 6 1/2 years. I work in a small town hospital that we affectionately call the Double H Ranch. I have worked night shift this whole time and love it. I never want to work any other shift. It is certainly time for me to return to school and finally get the coveted Real Nurse title. Someday I might even put my scholarship essay on here for you to read. We will have to see. My plan is for this blog to be kind of an all purpose in that anything I need to get off my chest will land here. From time to time I will tell patient stories and life events that are significant in my world.

here we go!!!!

Okay I am new to this world but I hope it will be fun and exciting. I am a Little Pretend Nurse (LPN) at the moment but will be starting school this fall to be a Real Nurse(RN). This blog may well be a release of the crazy that will certainly build. Between school working full time and just life in general!!! So join me on my journey, maybe we will have a fun time of it after all.