TGIF fun

It was gorgeous! The pollen may be high and driving Bubba crazy, but it was beautiful. I took my friend K. to Washington to get some admin stuff out of the way and I checked in on a new patient in our acute wing. We stopped by and grabbed lunch on the way back to the Hotel, so I could sit outside at work on the patio and enjoy the glory of a bright, sunny day.

K. had lots to do so she had to go back to her desk in the inventory department. It was sad we couldn't enjoy lunch together. I really miss her now that she's back in that group full-time. We don't see each other often, even though, we're on the same hospital campus.

I got a lot of work done, because I opened the blinds to look out regularly, and whenever I could, I stepped out the front door and just looked around. As my Irish grandma used to say, you need to go outside "and get the stink blown off you." Maybe life's not a smelly, but yes, fresh air is good!

My favorite specialist (Dr. E.I.) came to see us for a Grand Rounds that Hippy Nurse planned on her favorite topic. However, HN didn't quite complete her task: she forgot to show up today. I'll remind her (and her nurse manager) that she's really not too good on completing tasks. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. Working behind her on the floor is a nightmare. Some things she does beautifully (she can get an IV in just about anyone) but some things really vary (like charting, turning and paying attention to detail).  They vary because  it depends on how enthralled she is on Facebook that day. Other staff and patients complain, but nothing (including her work) never seems to get done some days. Needless to say, other shifts get angry. This is just one (of many reasons) I don't miss working the floor.

But nothing could stop me from running out the door when the day was done. It was just too pretty.

Hope your weekend is beautiful, too, wherever you are.

New moon craziness

Well, according to the calendar, it's not a full moon. I would have thought otherwise recently, though.

People (patients and staff) acting funny at the Hotel made me go and check the calendar.

A few oddities here and there to keep up busy. Among them...

1. A death (not unexpected) in the acute wing. 

2. A seminar (also at the acute wing). Just another occasion to hang out and sell the program (mixed results on that ). The major plus: walking to the parking garage (it was a glorious day and no, I did not rush one bit!).

3. Balky people everywhere. I love reactionaries! Sometimes, we just don't plan in advance, so we're standing there waiting when we could be doing work that will be of benefit later.

The rest of the week awaits...so off I go!

Brrr!

Oh, the weather outside is sunny and beautiful and COLD. Yes, I'm shouting, because I felt like my face would fall off after walking the 60 feet from my car to the building I work in.

I was properly layered, but no match for the wicked, howling winds all day.

They can call the cold whatever they want: Alberta Clipper, Janus, you name it, but you know it's too cold when you ruin your lettuce if you forget it in the car.

That is really, REALLY cold!

Enjoy your temperature high or low weather wherever  you are!

He asks why

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day. It was crisp, bright and sunny. All the kids leaving the church on Sunday ran out onto the courtyard, between the bushes, and up to the pumpkin patch, to pick the perfect pumpkin.

Today, the kids went to school, and found out one of the boys playing in the pumpkin patch will never carve his jack-o-lantern. He won't get to wear his Halloween costume or go to the Trunk or Treat on Friday.

Today little Colin died when his house caught on fire. The fire department doesn't know why. Only two relatives were with him and they were injured trying to escape. Colin got lost in the smoke and died trying to get out.

And Bubba knew him. He asks why. He feels the pain of death for the very first time as we sit and cry together in silence.

More later...

Happy Friday!

It's the last Friday in July. You won't get another until next month.

Need any other excuses (reasons)? I am going on a field trip with the home health team today AND the weather is beautiful.

Here's hoping it's a good Friday wherever you are. Cheers!

12...

12/12/12...a lucky day.

It just might be. I bought some lotto tickets, since this kind of day won't come around for another 100 or so years.

Might as well enjoy it while it's here! A beautiful day here in RehabLand.

You know it's Monday when...

"It's a cruel, crazy, beautiful world./Every day you wake up/I hope it's a blue, blue sky." --Johnny Clegg

1. Your patient is the heaviest one on the floor.
2. The first thing you have to do when you walk into the room and say hi, is suction said patient.
3. After that, you have to change the patient's external catheter, since the last shift somehow managed to pull it off. Said patient has a wet pad beneath him.
4. Clean up patient and change pad.
5. Wait for docs to round. Hold bowel routine, 'cause heaven forbid a doctor see a patient who poops whilst they're in the room!
6. Once Dr. HarvardMedSchool gives you crazy orders (like attach dressings without attaching them and you're not using one of these), start bowel routine.
7. Bowel routine over, so bathe patient. Suction again, and again, and again, before shave, after shave, after turning, etc.
8. Feed patient lunch. Suction patient.
9. Be so happy you follow the rules re: isolation gowns in rooms because as you dress patient, patient has a lot of gas, which is accompanied by a moderate amount of loose stool, which sprays bed rail, bed, and some gets on you.
10. Take off gown, wash hands, put on new isolation gown and other assorted PPE, then suction patient again.
11. Get patient dressed, into wheelchair and adjusted. (This takes 30 minutes including cleanup after explosion).
12. Get patient out door.
13. Patient returns in two minutes frothing. Suction again.
14. This time it works, get patient to therapy for evaluation for new wheelchair.
15. Patient is gone for not quite an hour. Lo and behold, the PT inadvertently pulls off external catheter during transfer. Put patient back to bed and clean up.
16. Suction patient again once in bed. Finish cleanup.
17. Dress patient in new clothes. Get patient adjusted then resupply room for next nurse.
18. Give report.
19. Wash wet cushion cover.
20. Go home.

And in between all that, I had 1) other patients and 2) lots of documentation to do.

So glad I eat fast and early! And I'm thrilled my work Monday is over, over, over!

Stay tuned...

Rolling into the holiday...

And you guessed it, yours truly will be at Madison working when the sun goes down. It may rain in our neck of the woods, so we'll see if there are any fireworks. Thankfully, this year, there isn't anyone with really active PTSD that we have to worry about (sometimes fireworks trigger flashbacks).

For your browsing pleasure, I've found a couple of interesting articles. They're not about fireworks or the holiday, but are interesting nevertheless.

My personal favorite, since I've always wondered about this one: Q: What is the role of probiotics in the the treatment of acute Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea? from the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. It's short, sweet and to the point.

FDA advisers vote to take Vicodin, Percocet off the market.
Will this really happen: Oh, this will be really interesting on our unit. (from www.cnn.com)

Finally, there was a character taking photos of our buildings and grounds recently, but I doubt we will make this list: 20 Most Beautiful Hospitals. I must say, however, that our location and neighborhood is very picturesque, even if our building's not so pretty.

Happy 4th of July to all wherever you are! More to come...stay tuned!