The start of something big

Yes, the big ol' week, that is. Thankfully, it's been more entertaining than irritating so far.

It's always nice to come back after a vacation of any sort. I was discussing this with one of my coworkers today and she mentioned it was the first time in months that she would be off a week. I told her my last vacation (of about the same length) was just wonderful. The freedoms of waking up when you want and doing things that need to be done when you want is incredible.

The unit's getting more occupants this week. Some are regular suspects, such as the drug addict who's always got problems with his teeth. This time, he just added a couple more problems and most of them were courtesy of non-specialty physicians in his neck of the woods out-of-state. We could have saved him some time and trouble admitting him earlier, but when he's such a handful, no one really wants him back.

We also got a VIP...or at least this patient thinks he/she's one. I'm so happy I got to admit the other character. I was so upset I didn't hear tons of complaints about how "backward" the unit is, either, among the litany of shortcomings said person regaled the admitting nurse over two hours. My response: Hello, please tell someone who can do something about it! We're still waiting for Santa Claus to remodel and get us all the goodies and toys, like wireless internet access, that you're looking for in your accomodation. Besides, you'll only be here a couple of days, so why not just go a couple of miles that way and stay in a hotel with the person who brought you if it's so rotten here? Yes, I'm thinking all of this, as I put on my best, fake, customer service smile, and thanking my lucky stars that those mind-reading things are not on the market right now!

The Slug came back, with somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde personality going on...one minute, nice, one minute her usual pain in the arse self. Not sure why...but still happy from vacation, so I don't care. One of our new nurses, who's been around the block, had fun teasing her, so we just enjoyed ourselves. This nurse is a breath of fresh air and has been a nurse for a long time. She came to us because of local downsizing, and we're happy we could get her. She doesn't wear a cape, but she does have the skills to do a super job.

Happily, the day rolled along and I actually got out on time. All paperwork complete, people fluffed and buffed and everything done as ordered. Now I get my requisite days to prepare for my long stretch ahead...the something big called working the entire weekend.

Stay tuned...more to come.