New Year's Eve

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one. —Brad Paisley

Happy New Year's Eve, all.

May your night be still ('cause I don't want to say that word that starts with q) and happy.

Adios 2013, hello 2014.

I love research

Especially when research journal authors, like these good folks at BMJ have a sense of humor about a wonderfully seasonal PICO question.

Enjoy!

Reflections on a year going past

The latest from Sunday Stealing...

Questions for a New Year’s Eve Reflection Meme:

From the archives!

What was the single best thing that happened this past year?  
I travelled halfway across the country and met some really awesome people I never knew in real life.

What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
I have had to start programs without any management support (because they either quit or moved on).

What was an unexpected joy this past year? 
Getting a financial windfall I didn't expect when my husband was unemployed.

What was an unexpected obstacle?
Not getting promoted. (The paperwork is still in the mail...)

Pick three words to describe 2013.
Fun, crazy, cool 

What were the best books you read this year? 
Biographies and stories about perseverance.

With whom were your most valuable relationships?  
Certain coworkers who support me in spite of challenging environments.


What was the most enjoyable part of your work?  
Making the impossible happen.

What was the most challenging part of your work?
Working with a "team" that refuses to accept reality.

What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? 
Meetings (about 90% of them anyway).

What was the best way you used your time this past year?  
I am creating programs to work with rehab patients in new ways.

What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?
Some people can see into the future, and some people are happy living in the past.
 
Create a phrase or statement that describes 2013 for you.
Hope for the best, plan for the worst, and savor every minute of joy you're given.

Lovin' every minute of it

Yes, there's a song about this title, but since the staycation is drawing to a close, I'm still enjoying myself.

Weather is cooperating, had my own film festival and watched lots of movies, and hung out with Bubba and Dahey whenever I could.

Back to the entertainment,or as they say back to the wheel.

More later...

In the news - TGIF edition

Happy Friday! Since I'm off, I'm still reading everything I can get my hands on (including stuff about drain cleaners).

The power of nursing, cultural influences, and changes ahead in 2014 were in the news this week.

How about an IV, Mrs. Park?

This NY Times article discusses the how IVs are used in the Asian community there and how infection rates related to them are having devastating results.


Changes in 2014

If you're like me and you can't keep up with everything changing due to the new healthcare laws, have a look here for more information.


The power of nursing

Sepsis may become a thing of the past in ICUs if this tool is implemented according to CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). And yes, the power of nursing's "hunches" are coming true, and they have the data (and a system) to back it up. Wish Flo could see it now!

You can see how public service announcements can make a difference in this Stop Sepsis video:

Two words, plus another two words

Bad words: tree roots + sewer line.

Staycation joy. At least, I didn't come home to this after work.

More to come...

Twas the night before Christmas

An oldie but goodie I rediscovered here. Enjoy!

twas the night before christmas -a nursing version

twas the night before christmas, and all through the floor
lasix was given, filling foleys galore.
stockings were worn to prevent emboli,
they came in two sizes, knee and thigh high.

the patients were nestled half-@$$ed in their beds,
while visions of stool softeners danced in their heads.
we in our scrubs, and they in their gowns,
fashion created to hide extra pounds.

when down in the er it became such a zoo,
they called with admissions for me and you.
they're coming, they're going, and they're all looking the same.
my patience for patients is starting to wane.

now call lights are ringing, the patient 400 pounds,
says "didnt get my pericare, send my nurse now".
and now delegation seems the best plan,
we try to send others, for the needs of this man.

when what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but santa himself and 8 tiny reindeer.
hey says he comes from central supply.
to bring us lr, ns, & d5.

the doctors then scribbled what no one could read.
orders on patients, to measure their pee.
we try to decipher illegible words,
orders for patients, to guaiac their turds.

the new shift arriving, our day is now through,
how did stool & emesis get in my shoe?
we give them report and pass on the facts,
and tell them of duoderm lining the cracks.

and the nurses exclaim as they limp out of sight,
"ativan to all, and to all a good night".

Starting with a bang

Oh, it's the first day of vacation, so it's got to be memorable.

I took Bubba out to pick up WildDog's ashes from the vet. He and Dahey plan to inter WildDog in our yard where he worked so hard to keep a yard full of oaks squirrel-free in his prime. As consolation, we picked up a half-dozen donuts Bubba was to share with Dahey, who was at work.

Bubba ate one donut in the car. He said, "I'll share with Dad."

We came home, and I did a lot of work around the house: cleaning, decluttering, and sorting out goods to donate to charity. While doing all this, I bruised my hand, burnt myself and got a blister.

When I finally had a moment to look in the Super Donut box, there was only one left. Bubba had eaten the other five.

His response, "I'm going through puberty, so I'm hungry."

I'm going to need to fill the pantry and buy a new refrigerator if this appetite is any indication of what might happen in high school.

Stay tuned.

Seasons Greeterings

 As Homer used to say, here's the latest and greatest.



The Christmas Meme from Sunday Stealing.


1.The Christmas song I can listen to even in June is...
Go tell it on the Mountain

2.Hot Chocolate, Egg Nog or Mulled wine?
Mostly hot chocolate.

3.When do you put your decorations up?
Usually by December 15 (it depends).

4. What are you having for Christmas dinner?
Ham. Always.

5.What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
I get up early, make a big breakfast after filming Bubba opening all his gifts.

6. Have you ever gone Carol singing?
Yes, a very LONG time ago.

7. When did you learn the truth about Santa?
I was about 8 or 9 years old.

8. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Very simply.

9. What's the best thing about Christmas?
After my birthday, the end of the year, seeing friends and family you haven't seen much during the year.

10. All I want for Christmas is... to be happy and healthy enough to celebrate with family and friends.

Nipple Michelangelo?

We talk a lot about the psychosocial aspects of rehabilitation. Making people feel real, and comfortable in their own skin after devastating accidents and diseases is one thing nurses are good at working with patients.

Another aspect of this is feeling good about your body afterwards.Vinnie Myers helps women during breast reconstruction by giving them tattoos.

It's an article you don't want to miss.

Manglement misadventures

Mediocrity can talk, but it is for genius to observe.~ Benjamin Disraeli  


I really like some of the medical staff I work with at the Hotel. We have some folks with a lot of experience and wonderful patient rapport.

But, as usual, the Manglement are clueless. The Hotel is part of a reactionary hospital system, that just doesn't seem happy unless there is chaos. Evidence based practice? What's that? Or this discourse when I asked for a flexible schedule, even though, we already have them.

"If I let you do x, I'll have to let others do y."

Keeping employees happy is not part of their business plan. They get more clueless by the day.

I'm counting down the days. I'm glad my Christmas vacation is coming.

All I want for Christmas...

Is a new boss...again this year. So here's the letter I'd write if I could.

Dear Santa:

This request is getting really old, not just for me, but for everyone else. It's so bad that people are quitting or retiring in the interim.

If a new boss is too much, I'd be happy to take a new job or department reorganization for the new year.

Whatever fits in the bag easier for you.

Sincerely, your favorite nurse ('cause I'd fix Rudolph's shiny nose if you asked),

RehabRN

This week's In the news

I've got a personal connection to some of the items I've found this week. Hope you all enjoy

I knew it!
Ever have horrible migraines when it's ready to storm? You're not alone. Researchers have correlated migraines to all sorts of things, including lightning strikes, according to this CNN story.

Sad story
A teenager gets an elective surgery to stop sleep apnea and some other things, then ends up brain dead, according to this CNN story. It may be simple, but as a parent, so sad.

Throwing your money away?
You may be if you believe this Medscape article on multivitamins and cognition.

Were you hoodwinked?
Maybe once or twice? Mashable tallies up these social media hoaxes which got a lot of mileage this year.

Finally...
And last, but not least, just in case I win the Mega Millions prize (even a sliver of it) tonight, I may play hooky tomorrow from work, but I just want to let you know I won't stop blogging. It's too much fun.

That is all...more to come.

It's BAAACK! Sunday stealing

This one was interesting. The Blerp Meme from Sunday Stealing. Hope you are enjoying the last of your weekend, wherever you are!

When you get a headache do you take painkillers right away or try to wait it out?
Depends.

Did you watch Sesame Street when you were little?
Yes.

What’s the last thing you touched, other than your computer?
Rubber bands.

When was the last time you talked to your best friend?
Yesterday.

How often do you listen to music?
Daily.

What color is your cell phone?
White.

What is the last non-alcoholic beverage you drank?
Coffee.

Do you like to wear sweatpants?
No.

What song are you currently listening to? Who sings it? 
Anyone who had a heart by Dionne Warwick on the Very Best of Burt Bacharach (I got a lot of collections from Dahey).

Have you ever gotten a black eye?
No.

How many times have you checked up on your ex?
Not many. He's dead.

If you had to get a tattoo what would it be?
My college mascot.

How many tabs are open right now? 
Three.

Are you scared of needles?
Only in the hands of inexperienced nurses or phlebotomists. No doctor is going to touch me unless he/she's an anesthesiologist.

Do you believe love can last forever?
If you work really hard.

Are good-byes easy or hard for you? 
Depends on who it is. Those eternal good-byes are doozies.

Would you rather sing or dance?
Depends on the song. Some are for singing, others, dancing.

When you pull out the crash cart...

You should think of this guy.

The drug he helped invent is included on most crash carts. I wish I could say we never use it in rehab, but because people are on pain meds, we do. Opiate titration can be difficult, especially in the types of patients we see at the Hotel.

Thank you Dr. Fishman. Rest in peace.

Enjoy a long weekend

No, it's not a holiday, but I decided to make it one. Visited a few friends, then the weather changed some of my plans, but here I am, relaxing and now surfing the internet for fun.

I was reading an article which discussed how if James Bond were real, he would be an alcoholic with impotence. I really enjoyed this article, because scientists had to read the Ian Fleming novels and count the quantity of alcohol that 007 drank. According to the books, he even had a DUI with injuries. (Good thing he wasn't looking for car insurance!)

So after that stunning study, there was this article about the real diseases named after literary characters. I had recognized a couple of them, so it was enlightening. I also did not know that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation did a story in 2012 on favorite fictional nurses.

Finally, two articles stood out about characters. One interesting article was called "You are what you read." The last one is about fictional characters based on real people.

In light of the article "You are what you read", just remember there are some fictional characters you should not emulate.

That is all. TGIF and enjoy your weekend, wherever you are.

The latest in the news

This is the etiquette edition (aka don't do this). Enjoy!

They've got it right...and funny
Top 10 things not to say to someone in a wheelchair is a great article from the good folks at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

Not exactly a funeral in a stadium, but...
Don't take selfies at a funeral is the point of this Mashable post.

Don't emit noxious fumes
In the ongoing saga, Huy Fong Foods, manufacturers of the famous "Rooster" sriracha sauce have halted shipments.

Not necessarily a no-no anymore...
In the old days, no one in their right mind would bring their dog to the hospital. This AJN article talks about how your pet can help you just by visiting.

Goodnight WildDog

I read this article recently about pet hospice and realized I was already doing it. WildDog, our elderly sheepdog was a funny, orderly, mischievous devil of a dog.

We got WildDog from a rescue, by accident. He was supposed to go to someone else, and they decided they didn't want him. We were looking at another dog when they told us he was ready for us.  Dahey knew he was the dog for him as soon as he saw him, so we hurried down the highway on a cold, snowy day and picked him up.

The foster family told us he got queasy in cars. Dahey held him all the way home in his lap. He did just fine as long as he was petted while he was riding in a car. This always made going to the groomer and the vet an adventure. I told WildDog, "If you are good, you'll get a cookie," and he'd watch me put the cookie in my purse or pocket. He'd try to get at it, if he thought he could get it. However, he could be a perfect gentleman. It just varied.

WildDog was famous for flying through the air and snatching things off counter tops. Dahey was an eyewitness or I never would have believed that he really did eat all those blueberry muffins I wrapped up for my sister for breakfast from the MegaWarehouseStore. He also loved good loaves of bread. Not those artisanal ones Grumpy may talk about, but good, slightly soft, bread that is not cheap. I cannot count the number of loaves that he "opened" (i.e. chewed a hole in) to eat a couple of slices and leave the remaining loaf lying on the living room floor (since this is where he liked to eat his snacks.)

He was a great companion. He came from a breed known for herding, guarding and sticking close to humans. He was really my dog, because he picked me, but Dahey was his alpha dog. When Dahey travelled for work, he didn't always listen to me. It would take a couple of weeks. Sometimes, I had to put Dahey on speakerphone for the dog to listen. Occasionally, he relented.

When Bubba came along, he bonded with him over fistfuls of spaghetti. Bubba loved launching handfuls from his high chair and watching WildDog run. They had their spats (he even bit Bubba once), but the boys got along well.

Tonight, even after the gentle warnings, I had given Bubba about WildDog dying for months, Bubba cried and cried. WildDog was the only dog he'd ever had his entire life. He was his furry brother.

We will miss the pet, but character and spirit of WildDog, the charming little herding dog, will live on in our hearts.

Good night WildDog. See you at the Rainbow Bridge.

Who knew they made a show out of a song?

Bubba was watching some cartoons,and this came on the TV. There is no way Disney or Hanna-Barbera would have done such a thing.

Sacrilege!

Brrr!

It's freaking cold as one of my young hip patients says. This is the same guy who was rolling around in a very huge jacket and asked me if he had any wrinkles.

"No," I told him, "No wrinkles, but are you doing the gangsta look?" (He likes to look hip, even if he is in a wheelchair.

Hipster Dude of course said no. He did have a good chuckle, though.

The snow and sleet are sticking around since it won't get above freezing for a few days.

The joys of winter...

RIP Nelson Mandela

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.~ Nelson Mandela

So many decisions to make...

In the news

Since I haven't done one of these in a while...why not?

Here are a few goodies I've encountered in my meanderings on the internet. Hope you enjoy!

Surprise, surprise
I guess we shouldn't really be surprised that a reality show producer would try to get some free publicity for a new story idea via Twitter, should we?

I know a couple of my friends were crowing that they figured him out right away. I just thought it was funny.

A hot ride
The good folks at the BBC gave an account of some stolen cobalt-60 in Mexico. The authorities are looking for the thieves, since they have been exposed to radiation.

My expert, Dahey, says there's no such thing as a little, harmless cobalt-60. Nice.

Finally, if that wasn't scary enough...
This may be. Millions of passwords compromised. All you need for Christmas is a new one. Change yours accordingly, so the bad guys can't masquerade as you on social media.


Cross this off your Christmas list
23andme, the genetic testing firm got in trouble with the FDA this week. So much for my brother and Aunt Martha's Christmas gifts.

Changes

It is not strange... to mistake change for progress.~ Millard Fillmore 

I would embed the famous (or infamous) David Bowie video here, but I'm just not in the mood.

This quote pretty much sums up what Manglement is doing to our unit at the Hotel. Changing things. Breaking promises. 

It's very, very upsetting.

I feel like a base jumper whose parachute may or may not deploy upon jumping.  Scary.

Uncorked

It's not what you think. This mechanic (and father of five) invented a device being used during childbirth, after he won a bet with a friend to get a cork out of a bottle.

Necessity and mothers are really helpful for inventions, as Jorge points out.

More to come.

Dr. Grumpy's gift guide

Yes, Dr. G. is getting into the spirit of the season.

Deal with a lot of a^&sholes (and they're not in the GI lab) at work? You might need a gift from these folks.

I'm really tempted to tell my sister-in-law about these so she can take them in to the lab she works in.

Priceless!

Surprise!

I won a trip today!

The good news: it's far away. It occurs over a weekend, and I won't miss any work.

The bad news: it's gonna be a little cold.

I hope I can find my long underwear.

Stay tuned.

Sunday Stealing

The latest from Sunday Stealing, but I'm not sure why they picked the name...

What would you totally eat right now?
A salad. 

Do you always wear a certain piece of jewelry?
My wedding ring.

What kind of jeans do you like?
Depends on the situation.

What's something on your want list?
A lawn service, so I don't have to rake leaves or garden (won't happen anytime soon though).

Do you bite your nails?
No. Never have.

What kind of smells do you like?
Lemon, peppermint, cinnamon

Would you change your eye color if you could?
No.

And what are your goals for the remainder of this year?
Get everything done before I go on vacation (at the end of the month).

When is the last time you were at the hospital? 
Wednesday.